Description of Safety Lab Tools

This science tool allows you to measure temperature, or how hot or cold something is. Many of these tools show the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) and degrees Celsius (°C).

• spring scale

• thermometer

• balance

• stopwatch

This science tool allows you to measure time. It is very accurate for finding out how long it takes something to happen.

• stopwatch

• meterstick

• spring scale

• binoculars

This science tool allows you to measure the mass, or the amount of matter, in an object. You place the object on one side of the tool and standard gram masses on the other to balance both sides.

• spring scale

• telescope

• hand lens

• balance

This science tool allows you to measure the weight, or the pull of gravity on an object, by measuring the tension it creates on a spring.

• balance

• spring scale

• thermometer

• graduated cylinder

This science tool allows you to measure the length, width, height, and depth of objects that are not curved. You need to line up the edge of an object with the 0 mark on this tool.

• telescope

• beaker

• measuring tape

• meterstick

This science tool allows you to measure the length, width, height, and depth of objects that are round or curved. It is flexible and can be wrapped around an object.

• test tubes

• meterstick

• measuring tape

• microscope

This science tool allows you to look at something very closely, such as an insect or a plant part. It will help you to see tiny objects and see details in large objects. It magnifies an object or makes it look several times larger than it is.

• microscope

• hand lens

• telescope

• binoculars

This science tool allows you to study a tiny part of a tiny object, such as the leg of a flea. It has one or more lenses that magnify objects hundreds or even thousands of times. Some are so powerful, they allow scientists to view extremely tiny objects, such as viruses.

• microscope

• hand lens

• telescope

• binoculars

This science tool allows you to observe a distant object, such as a bird in a tree. The lenses in this tool make far away things look closer.

• telescope

• binoculars

• microscope

• stopwatch

This science tool allows you to observe a very distant object, such as the moon and planets. Lenses and mirrors in this tool make distant objects appear many times closer than they really are.

• microscope

• thermometer

• binoculars

• telescope