Laboratory apparatus

​ ​A lab is filled with tools that move, stretch, hold things, heat things, and measure things. What are all these strange looking tools, and why do we need them? We use these tools to perform specific tasks. The tools are called apparatus. ​ ​There are apparatus for measuring length, mass, and time - the fundamental quantities. The simplest tool for measuring length is the meter ruler.

You may even have a smaller version of it that you use in school. There's also apparatus for measuring really tiny lengths, like wires or rods. You may want to measure in millimeters or centimeters to be more accurate, but remember that the SI unit for length is meters. ​ ​There are a number of tools to measure the mass of objects. In the lab, you'll use what is called a balance. It works just like a normal scale except that it gives more accurate readings, sometimes to within one milligram.

This is an electronic balance. You may find other types of balances too, ones that aren't powered by electricity. Whatever unit you use to measure mass, remember that the SI unit for mass is kilograms. To measure time, you would simply use a clock, but a stopwatch is better as it measures in seconds, which is the SI unit for time. ​ ​There are also apparatus for measuring derived quantities like volume. One of the most common is the measuring cylinder which reads in milliliters.

There are many, many types of containers for measuring volume. It all depends on what experiment you are performing. The physics lab also has apparatus for measuring many other quantities like electrical current, the intensity of light, and temperature. It seems like a lot, so ask your teacher to take you on a tour of the lab. Each lab has different apparatus.

Your teacher will always guide you on which ones to use. ​ ​No matter how accurate apparatus are, measurement errors still occur. There are three types of errors you'll encounter. The first is a visual error. If you look at this measuring cylinder from an angle, you may read a different number than the actual amount. To stop this from happening, always have your eyes in-line with where you are taking the reading.

You should be perpendicular to the measuring cylinder. Now you want to measure the mass of the cylinder and its contents. You turn on the electronic balance and it reads 0.3 even though there's nothing on it. This is the second type of error you'll encounter. All you have to do is subtract the number shown from the reading you get. ​ ​Lastly, you may find that there's a fault in some of the apparatus you are using. The actual value is different from the value you get from the apparatus.

There's an error with the apparatus. Either fix the apparatus or use a new one. Each apparatus is suited to different tasks and experiments. Whenever you work with apparatus, there are two things to remember. Never touch or play with apparatus that you are not supposed to use, and when you are done using any apparatus, make sure it's clean and returned to where you found it.

If you're not sure what to use or how to use it, your teacher is there to guide you. That's what laboratory apparatus are all about.