Some of the most common laboratory instruments and their functions can include:
Safety goggles are key to anything that is done in a laboratory. Many experiments involve dangerous chemicals that can cause a lot of damage if they were to get into a person's eyes. Some experiments can involve quite volatile reactions which can risk the liquids being spilt or bubble over unpredictably that can cause a lot of splashing and so safety goggles are of paramount importance.
Test tubes are made out of strong glass which is resistant to heat. They are typically tall and thin and their function is to hold liquids during experiments. Usually liquids will be combined in one test tube to cause a reaction.
Beakers are used a lot like test tubes, however, their greater size can be a distinct advantage. They can be used for mixing or heating greater volumes of solutions; alot of beakers also have a lip on one side so it makes pouring out the liquids a lot easier to do.
Petri dishes are usually made out of plastic and are used to grow certain things such as cultures or bacteria. This can be forms of algae or mould and the fact the dishes are clear means that they can keep their lid on and you are still able to see how it is growing without disturbing or contaminating the contents.
Bunsen burners are a very useful source of direct heat when in a laboratory. They are usually placed underneath a beaker or test tube to heat the contents up. They are attached to gas taps that are located on many laboratories' work benches.
