10 Essentials Of A Lab
Do you remember how you had chemistry classes in school? Safety goggles and lab coats were indispensable and so was safety. Chemistry labs around the country serve different purposes and functions. However, all labs have common equipment. If you’re furnishing a chemistry lab, here’s a list of the very basics that you must have. The higher range of equipment in the lab will depend on the purpose of the lab, but these essentials are always there as staples.
- Safety goggles
Safety goggles are a must in all labs. They protect your eyes from damage. Some labs overlook this safety measure. A stray splash of acid could land on the eyes and cause permanent blindness. You don’t want to find yourself in that situation. Better to follow rules than to go blind.
Wear a lab coat or an apron in the lab too. It protects your clothes and skin from getting burned. A chemistry lab is extremely dangerous. It is imperative to take the necessary measures for safety.
Avoid wearing open-toed shoes and sandals in a chemistry lab. Even entering the lab without the proper measure is not advisable.
2. Beakers
All the equipment in the laboratory must be made of glass, especially if it is coming In contact with the experiment materials. Beakers are multipurpose glass containers that are used to store chemicals in the lab. They are also used for stirring, mixing and heating. Most beakers are open-mouthed and have a rim to aid pouring. They also have markings around them for measurements. Since beakers are multipurpose, it is very important that you have a stock of beakers of a wide range of sizes.
Beakers are without lids because of the lip that runs around the rim. However, if the need arises, you can cover the opening with a watch glass.
3. Pipettes
Pipettes are thin capillary-like tubes that are used to measure exact amounts of liquid. A pipette sucks in the chemical that is to be transferred to another container. Since the tube is very small, you can measure very accurate amounts of liquid. These days there are manual as well as digital pipettes. Calibrating these pipettes for the most accurate measurement is very important. Since some compounds need the very exact quantities, an uncalibrated pipette is as good as useless. You need to employ services like the ones at http://www.valleycalibration.com/pipette-calibration to ensure that your lab gives out only the best results.
4. Measuring flasks
There are many shapes and sizes. One of the most common is the Erlenmeyer or the conical flask. This is a must in the lab. It’s multipurpose too. It’s got a cylindrical top which flares out into a flat base. This makes it look conical, hence the name. The cylindrical top aids clamping. You can clamp the flask into a ring stand and heat it. It is easy to mix liquids in this flask because the narrow mouth is meant to avoid any spilling. Another flask that you must have is Florence or the round flask. It’s like the conical flask but with a round bottom. It can be clamped into a ring stand and heated too.
Always remember that you should never heat chemicals with the lid on.
5. Crucibles
These are small bowls made from clay meant to withstand high temperatures. Crucibles are used to melt metals which need high temperatures to melt. The substance that crucibles are made from, do not refract in any way. They come with lids so if you need to heat something which needs to be heated with a lid on, use a crucible.
6. Test tubes
A test tube is made of glass and is open at one end. The closed end is round so you need a stand to put your test tubes in. Biochemistry labs, where many samples need to be tested and compared make use of these the most. If you have small quantities of liquid to store you can use test tubes to save space. You can cap the test tube with a rubber stopper.
Test tubes must always be handles with tongs or gloves. Never touch them with bare hands. If you’re working with small amounts of chemical then chances are that these chemicals are very toxic. Like flasks, never heat a capped test tube.
7. Watch glasses
Watch glasses, as the name suggests are made of glass. They are slightly concave or convex at the bottom and are used to evaporate substances. They are also used as lids for beakers. Since they are very small in size they need to be handled with care and not used unless required.
8. Funnels
A lab funnel is used to pour liquids into containers with small mouths like flasks. They come in all sizes. They are made of plastic or glass. Because funnels are mostly made of plastic, ensure that you don’t use them with a very corrosive material. For corrosive materials, keep glass funnels handy.
9. Tongs and forceps
Nothing in the laboratory must be touched by hand, that’s why it is important to stack up on forceps and tongs. Tongs are custom made, depending on their purpose. For example, the tongs used to hold beakers and test tubes would be different with different grips. There are also general purpose tongs that can hold any container.
Forceps are more delicate than tongs and used to hold small quantities of solid chemicals. This equipment is used wherever you have to do delicate work.
10. Stands
There are different stands for different purposes too. The main purpose of stands is to suspend containers so they can be heated or work in tandem with other containers.
Stands are both easy and difficult to use. Ensure that you know exactly how much to tighten the clamp around the container. If it’s too tight it may shatter the glass too and if it’s too loose, the container could slip.
Even if you’re an entrepreneur who sets up workplaces for others, you’d need these basic things if you’re setting up a chemical lab. You can even find vendors who provide everything a lab needs under one roof!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
