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Lab A-1 · Lab Safety & Equipment
Equipment 0 / 10
⏱ 0:00 / 35 min
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Today's experiment

Learn the tools. Know the rules.

In this lab you will identify 10 pieces of lab equipment and their safety purposes, then evaluate 8 real-world scenarios as safe or unsafe. When you finish, generate your lab report.

Lab Objectives
  • → Identify 10 common lab instruments and the safety purpose of each
  • → Classify 8 real-world lab scenarios as safe or unsafe with evidence-based reasoning
  • → Explain the correct emergency response procedures for common chemistry lab incidents
NGSS SEP-3 AP Chem: Lab Practices ⏱ 35 min

Learning objectives

  • Identify 10 common pieces of lab equipment and their uses
  • Explain the safety purpose of each piece of equipment
  • Evaluate lab scenarios and identify safety violations
  • Apply safety rules to realistic lab situations
  • Describe correct emergency procedures for common lab incidents

Background

Why safety matters: Chemistry labs involve chemicals, heat, glassware, and electricity — each capable of causing injury if misused. Safe lab practices aren't just rules to follow: they are habits of mind that protect you, your classmates, and the integrity of your experiments.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is any clothing or gear worn to minimize exposure to hazards. PPE must be worn by everyone in the lab area — not just the person actively handling chemicals. The six standard PPE items in a chemistry lab are:

Safety gogglesProtect eyes from chemical splashes and flying debris — more protective than safety glasses
Lab apronProtects clothing and skin on the front of the body from chemical spills
Gloves (nitrile)Protect hands from direct chemical contact — choose the correct glove material for the chemical
Closed-toe shoesProtect feet from spills and dropped glassware — open sandals are never permitted
Lab coatProtects arms and clothing; worn over street clothes for extra chemical protection
Hair restraintTie back any hair that could contact chemicals or fall near an open flame

Vocabulary

PPEPersonal Protective Equipment — gear worn to minimize exposure to hazards
HazardA condition or substance with potential to cause harm
MSDS/SDSSafety Data Sheet — document describing chemical hazards and handling procedures
CorrosiveA substance that destroys or irreversibly damages living tissue or materials on contact
FlammableEasily ignited and capable of burning rapidly
WaftingGently fanning vapors toward the nose — the safe technique for smelling chemicals

Emergency procedures

Know these steps before you start — acting quickly and correctly reduces the severity of any lab incident.

Chemical spill on skin
Remove contaminated clothing immediately. Flush the affected area with large amounts of cold running water for at least 15 minutes. Notify your teacher. Do not scrub — rinsing is enough.
Chemical in the eye
Go immediately to the eyewash station. Hold your eyelids open and flush both eyes with water for 15 minutes. Remove contact lenses if present. Notify your teacher and seek medical attention.
Fire on clothing
STOP — DROP — ROLL. Do not run (running fans the flame). Drop to the floor and roll to smother the fire. A classmate can use the fire blanket to help. Notify your teacher and call emergency services.
Broken glass or cut
Never pick up broken glass with bare hands — use a brush and dustpan. Apply firm pressure to any cut with a clean cloth. Notify your teacher immediately. Do not attempt to clean up chemical-contaminated glass yourself.

Safety equipment locations

Before any lab session, identify where each of these items is located in your lab room. Rule 5 below requires this — it could save time in an emergency.

Eyewash stationMounted near the sink — push the handles apart to activate a continuous water flow. Marked with a green eye symbol.
Emergency showerA pull-chain unit (often in the corner or near the exit) that delivers a high-flow water rinse for full-body chemical exposure.
Fire extinguisherA red cylinder mounted near the door. Use the PASS technique: Pull pin, Aim at base of fire, Squeeze handle, Sweep side to side.
Fire blanketStored in a red wall-mounted case. Pull down to release; wrap around a person to smother flames.
First aid kitUsually located near the teacher's station or by the room exit. Contains bandages, antiseptic, and basic supplies.

Core safety rules

Always follow these rules in the lab

  1. Wear safety goggles and a lab apron at all times — even as an observer.
  2. Never taste, touch bare skin to, or directly inhale any chemical.
  3. Point heated test tubes away from all people at all times.
  4. Never leave a lit flame or heat source unattended.
  5. Know the location of all safety equipment before you begin.
  6. Always add acid to water — never water to acid. Concentrated acids release large amounts of heat when diluted. Adding water to acid causes violent localized boiling that can spray acid out of the container. Adding acid slowly to water allows the heat to dissipate safely through the larger volume of water.
✓ Virtual lab — no physical hazards in this simulation
What to look for: As you work through this lab, focus on the reasoning behind each rule — not just what to do, but why. The same principles that make a physical lab safe apply to real-world chemical handling.
1

Identify the equipment

— click each item to learn about it, then record it
Safety note:
2

Evaluate safety scenarios

— classify each as Safe or Unsafe
Course sequence

Lab A-1 introduces the tools and rules that protect every experiment that follows. In Lab A-2 you will use several of the instruments you identified here — and proper technique starts with knowing the safety purpose of each.

✦ A-1 Safety & Equipment → A-2 Measurement → → A-3 Density → A-4 Changes → A-5 Separation