Laboratory Labors Trivia Quiz

Answer: crucible

In the US, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that over 500,000 workers are employed in laboratories. In addition, many schools have laboratories equipped for science studies, e.g., biology, chemistry, and physics. All of these laboratories have crucial safety precautions for hazards which might be chemical, biological, physical or radioactive.

A crucible is a vessel often used to hold substances which need to be heated to extremely high temperatures.

Answer: autoclave

Autoclaves, invented in 1879 by Charles Chamberland (1851-1908), function by removing the trapped air and then steaming the equipment inside. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. The pressurized steam is generally heated to 121 degrees Celsius for fifteen minutes or 134 degrees Celsius for three minutes. Some organisms have been found which cannot be killed in this manner.

The fume hood is used for ventilation when the experimenter(s) could be exposed to noxious fumes. The hot plate is generally a small burner used to apply heat. An ionometer is a type of radiation detector.

Answer: Bunsen burner

Bunsen burners were named for Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen (1811-1899). Bunsen had an idea which was developed by Peter Desaga (?-1919), Heidelberg University's mechanic--though some sites claim he was Bunsen's assistant. The device, which was an improvement of earlier burner devices, was never patented.

The first Geiger counters, which could only detect alpha particles, were invented by Hans Geiger (1882-1945) and Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937). A McLeod gauge was invented by Herbert McLeod (1841-1932) to measure very low pressures of gas. Ludwig Wilhelmy (1812-1864) designed what we now call a Wilhelmy plate to measure surface equilibrium.

Answer: test tube

Test tubes can be used to transport, mix, heat, etc., small quantities of liquid or solid substances. They come in various sizes and many can be stoppered. These can be made of glass, metal or plastic and selecting the appropriate tube would depend on the contents and/or the type of experiments to be performed.

Answer: filter

Filters, one of the methods used to separate components, trap particulate matter as liquid flows through the material. Often a filter is used to line a funnel and a liquid is poured through. The filter paper comes in different densities and can include reagents. Some of the other variables include wet strength, porosity, particle retention, and flow rate.

Answer: microscope

The invention of the single-lens microscope is credited to Zacharias Jansen (1580-1638). It is still debated as to whether he created a compound microscope, but it is documented that Galileo Galilei created one in 1609. Microscopes are much more varied today and provide feedback through optical, electron, scanning probe, and fluorescence scans.

The oscilloscope measures signal voltages, the hydrometer measures the specific gravity of a liquid (e.g., measuring alcoholic concentration when brewing beer), and a scoopula (love that name!) is a small scoop to transfer solids.

Answer: mortar and pestle

A mortar and pestle can be found in many laboratories to crush ingredients into smaller particles, or to mix various ingredients. This venerable tool was documented in approximately 1550 BCE in the "Egyptian Ebers Papyrus".

The mortar is a bowl in which you place the items to be crushed. The pestle is used to pound and grind the items in the bowl.

Answer: Petri dish

The Petri dish was invented by Julius Richard Petri (1852-1921) while working with Robert Koch (1843-1910). The dishes are often prepared with agar and nutrients, which provide an optimum environment to culture various organisms.

A hose barb is generally a small tube off the side of a container used to attach tubing or hoses. A rubber policeman is a type of scraper used to transfer particulate matter. A real-time PCR instrument is used to detect and copy DNA sequences.

Answer: centrifuge

Hand operated centrifuges were invented in 1864 by Antonin Prandtl to separate fat from milk. His brother, Alexander, made improvements and exhibited at the 1875 World Exhibition. Today there are also human centrifuges used for astronaut training.

An accelerometer would be used to measure acceleration, a spectrometer usually measures properties of light, and a gyroscope is used to measure orientation.

Answer: mass

Though mass and weight are often misused as synonyms for each other, they actually are different measurements. Mass is a measure of how much matter there is; weight is a measure that includes the gravitational pull. In other words, we'd all weigh less on the moon's surface where gravity is less, even though we'd have the same mass!