This reference lists the common laboratory apparatus for SPM Chemistry with what each one is used for. Learn the correct name and use so you can name apparatus in Paper 3 and choose the right one for the accuracy a task needs.
The exam expects you to recognise common apparatus, name each correctly, and know what it is used for, and Paper 3 often asks you to choose the apparatus that gives the accuracy a task needs. This reference lists the standard apparatus you meet in SPM Chemistry together with its use, arranged the way the DSKP expects, so you can name and choose with confidence. Learn the name and the use as a pair, because a question usually tests both at once.
Scope note
The list below holds the standard KSSM apparatus for Form 4 and Form 5 practical work. It focuses on the pieces you must be able to name and use, and it highlights which are for accurate measurement and which are only approximate. Use it beside the practical chapters and past Paper 3 questions.
Common apparatus and their uses
| Apparatus | Main use |
|---|---|
| Beaker | Holding, mixing and heating liquids (approximate volume only) |
| Conical flask | Holding liquid for titration; easy to swirl without spilling |
| Measuring cylinder | Measuring an approximate volume of liquid |
| Burette | Delivering an accurate, variable volume in titration |
| Pipette | Delivering a fixed, accurate volume of solution |
| Volumetric flask | Preparing an accurate fixed volume of standard solution |
| Test tube | Holding small amounts for reactions and tests |
| Boiling tube | Holding a larger sample for heating |
| Bunsen burner | Heating substances |
| Tripod stand and wire gauze | Supporting apparatus over a flame and spreading the heat |
| Evaporating dish | Evaporating a solution to obtain crystals |
| Crucible | Heating a solid strongly to high temperature |
| Filter funnel and filter paper | Separating an insoluble solid from a liquid |
| Thermometer | Measuring temperature |
| Electronic balance | Measuring mass |
| Retort stand and clamp | Holding apparatus such as a burette in place |
| Dropper (teat pipette) | Adding liquid drop by drop |
| Spatula | Transferring a small amount of solid |
| Glass rod | Stirring and guiding liquid during filtering |
| Gas jar | Collecting and holding a gas |
| Delivery tube | Carrying a gas from one container to another |
How to use the list
Match the apparatus to the accuracy a task requires. For an accurate volume in titration, choose a pipette or a burette, never a measuring cylinder. To prepare a standard solution of an exact concentration, use a volumetric flask. For an approximate volume where precision does not matter, a measuring cylinder is quicker and acceptable. To obtain crystals from a solution, use an evaporating dish; to separate an insoluble solid, use a filter funnel and filter paper. Choosing the correct piece, and being able to justify the choice, is exactly the reasoning Paper 3 rewards.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using a measuring cylinder where the question needs an accurate volume; a titration needs a pipette and burette.
- Confusing the conical flask and the beaker; the conical shape is chosen so the liquid can be swirled during titration.
- Heating a volumetric flask, which is designed for accurate volume at one temperature and must not be heated.
- Naming a piece loosely, such as writing “tube” instead of “boiling tube” or “test tube”.
How we help
Our online one-to-one teachers walk you through each piece, its correct name and its use, and practise the “which apparatus and why” questions that appear every year. Lessons are in English, one to one, from RM50 per hour, with a paid one-hour trial. Because the same apparatus reappears in every practical from Form 4 to Form 5, learning this list well makes each experiment easier to plan and describe accurately.
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