specimen
/ˈspɛsəmən/A small sample of something collected so that it can be studied or tested.
Example: The scientist placed the blood specimen under the lens.
B220 words · Upper-intermediate
Doing Science vocabulary — B2
Science vocabulary such as specimen, beaker and bunsen burner, plus estimate, accurate and margin of error. Words for describing lab work and its results.
20 questions
Words in this set
20beaker
/ˈbikər/A wide glass cup with a lip for pouring, used in a lab for heating and mixing.
Example:
Heat the beaker slowly and keep stirring the mixture.
funnel
/ˈfʌnəl/A cone shaped tool with a narrow tube at the bottom for pouring into small openings.
Example:
Use a funnel so you do not spill the oil.
clamp
/klæmp/A tool used to hold something tightly and firmly in place during an experiment.
Example:
The flask was held steady with a metal clamp.
bunsen burner
A small gas burner used in a laboratory to heat substances safely.
Example:
She lit the bunsen burner to heat the liquid.
filter paper
A special paper used to separate solid particles from a liquid as it passes through.
Example:
The mixture was poured through filter paper to remove the sand.
litmus paper
A special paper that changes colour to show whether a liquid is an acid or a base.
Example:
Litmus paper turned red when dipped in the acid.
dropper
/ˈdrɑpər/A small glass or plastic tube with a rubber top, used to add liquid one drop at a time.
Example:
Use the dropper to add exactly three drops of the solution.
tongs
/tɑŋz/A tool with two long arms joined at one end, used for picking up or holding hot or dangerous objects.
Example:
He used tongs to lift the hot beaker off the burner.
gauge
/ɡeɪdʒ/An instrument used to measure and show the amount, level, or pressure of something.
Example:
The pressure gauge showed the tank was nearly full.
estimate
/ˈɛstəmət/A rough amount you work out by judgement rather than by counting exactly.
Example:
My estimate was about fifty people at the meeting.
accurate
/ˈækjərət/Exactly right, with no mistakes, because it was checked or measured with care.
Example:
The scales are not very accurate when they are cold.
survey
/sərˈveɪ/A set of questions asked to many people so that their answers can be counted and compared.
Example:
Two thousand people took part in our online survey.
median
/ˈmidiən/The middle value in a set of numbers when they are arranged in order.
Example:
The median salary was lower than the average because of a few very high earners.
mode
/moʊd/The value that appears most often in a set of numbers.
Example:
The mode of the test scores was seventy, since more students got that mark than any other.
deviation
/ˌdiviˈeɪʃən/How much a value differs from the average or expected amount.
Example:
A large deviation from the normal reading suggested a fault in the machine.
margin of error
The small amount by which a result might be wrong, expected in any measurement or survey.
Example:
The poll has a margin of error of three percent.
proportion
/prəˈpɔrʃən/The amount or number of one thing when compared to the whole.
Example:
A large proportion of the students passed the exam.
significant
/səɡˈnɪfɪkənt/Large or important enough to be noticed or to matter.
Example:
There was a significant improvement in the results this year.
threshold
/ˈθrɛˌʃoʊld/The level or point at which something starts to happen or change.
Example:
The temperature must reach a certain threshold before the reaction starts.
