Scientific instrument
Encyclopedia
A scientific instrument can be any type of equipment, machine, apparatus or device as is specifically designed, constructed and often, through trial and error, ingeniously refined to apply utmost efficiency in the utilization of well proven physical principle, relationship or technology to facilitate or enable the pursuit, acquisition, transduction and storage of repeatable, verifiable data, usually consisting of sets numerical measurements made upon otherwise unknown, unproven quantities, properties, phenomena, materials, forces or etc., preferably as those characterized over time by an increasing degree of accuracy and precision and, typically, those initially derived as isolated or dependent variable results from, or empirical observations made during, the course of such experimental procedures as are firmly based upon the scientific method and long accepted tenants of experimental design.
Scientific instruments are part of laboratory equipment, but are considered more sophisticated and more specialized than other measuring instruments as scales
, meter sticks, chronometer
s, thermometer
s or even power or waveform generators. They are increasingly based upon the integration of computer
s to improve and simplify control, enhance and extend instrumental functions, conditions, parameter adjustments and data sampling, collection, resolution, analysis (both during and post-process), storage and retrieval. Individual instruments can also be connected as a local area network
(LAN) and can be further integrated as part of a laboratory information management system (LIMS), that in addition to having Internet
access to databases of such physical properties as compound spectra libraries through the World Wide Web for results comparisons and advanced data analysis as well as the obvious usefulness of now ubiquitous email for rapid exchange of informational text and images, consultation and peer review.
Some scientific instruments can be quite large in size, like particle colliders that can be several miles in circumference or radio-telescope antennas and antenna arrays used in astrophysics. As you might expect, the converse or nanoscale also has been added to the list of the realm of scientific instrument applications and research, with much of the activity centered around the use of miniaturization in the field of medicine, particularly as non-invasive imaging has exploded on the diagnostic arts and minimally invasive tools and robotics have extended the reach of surgeons of every stripe. In fact, instruments on the scale of a single molecule may soon interact with our bodies at the cellular and biochemical level to collect diagnostic information and provide highly precise medication delivery mechanisms.
Scientific instruments can be found on board sounding rockets, satellites or planetary rovers and controlled by radiotelecommunication.
Scientific instruments are part of laboratory equipment, but are considered more sophisticated and more specialized than other measuring instruments as scales
Weighing scale
A weighing scale is a measuring instrument for determining the weight or mass of an object. A spring scale measures weight by the distance a spring deflects under its load...
, meter sticks, chronometer
Chronometer
Chronometer may refer to:* Chronometer watch, a watch tested and certified to meet certain precision standards* Hydrochronometer, a water clock* Marine chronometer, a timekeeper used for celestial navigation...
s, thermometer
Thermometer
Developed during the 16th and 17th centuries, a thermometer is a device that measures temperature or temperature gradient using a variety of different principles. A thermometer has two important elements: the temperature sensor Developed during the 16th and 17th centuries, a thermometer (from the...
s or even power or waveform generators. They are increasingly based upon the integration of computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s to improve and simplify control, enhance and extend instrumental functions, conditions, parameter adjustments and data sampling, collection, resolution, analysis (both during and post-process), storage and retrieval. Individual instruments can also be connected as a local area network
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
(LAN) and can be further integrated as part of a laboratory information management system (LIMS), that in addition to having Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
access to databases of such physical properties as compound spectra libraries through the World Wide Web for results comparisons and advanced data analysis as well as the obvious usefulness of now ubiquitous email for rapid exchange of informational text and images, consultation and peer review.
Some scientific instruments can be quite large in size, like particle colliders that can be several miles in circumference or radio-telescope antennas and antenna arrays used in astrophysics. As you might expect, the converse or nanoscale also has been added to the list of the realm of scientific instrument applications and research, with much of the activity centered around the use of miniaturization in the field of medicine, particularly as non-invasive imaging has exploded on the diagnostic arts and minimally invasive tools and robotics have extended the reach of surgeons of every stripe. In fact, instruments on the scale of a single molecule may soon interact with our bodies at the cellular and biochemical level to collect diagnostic information and provide highly precise medication delivery mechanisms.
Scientific instruments can be found on board sounding rockets, satellites or planetary rovers and controlled by radiotelecommunication.
List of scientific instruments
- AccelerometerAccelerometerAn accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration, also called the four-acceleration. This is not necessarily the same as the coordinate acceleration , but is rather the type of acceleration associated with the phenomenon of weight experienced by a test mass that resides in the frame...
, physical, acceleration - AmmeterAmmeterAn ammeter is a measuring instrument used to measure the electric current in a circuit. Electric currents are measured in amperes , hence the name. Instruments used to measure smaller currents, in the milliampere or microampere range, are designated as milliammeters or microammeters...
, electrical, Amperage, current - AnemometerAnemometerAn anemometer is a device for measuring wind speed, and is a common weather station instrument. The term is derived from the Greek word anemos, meaning wind, and is used to describe any airspeed measurement instrument used in meteorology or aerodynamics...
, wind speed - CaliperCaliperA caliper is a device used to measure the distance between two opposing sides of an object. A caliper can be as simple as a compass with inward or outward-facing points...
, distance - CalorimeterCalorimeterA calorimeter is a device used for calorimetry, the science of measuring the heat of chemical reactions or physical changes as well as heat capacity. Differential scanning calorimeters, isothermal microcalorimeters, titration calorimeters and accelerated rate calorimeters are among the most common...
, heat - DNA sequencerDNA sequencerA DNA sequencer is a scientific instrument used to automate the DNA sequencing process. It can be also considered an optical instrument as it generally analyses light signals originating from fluorochromes attached to nucleotides....
, molecular biology - DynamometerDynamometerA dynamometer or "dyno" for short, is a device for measuring force, moment of force , or power. For example, the power produced by an engine, motor or other rotating prime mover can be calculated by simultaneously measuring torque and rotational speed .A dynamometer can also be used to determine...
, torque - ElectrometerElectrometerAn electrometer is an electrical instrument for measuring electric charge or electrical potential difference. There are many different types, ranging from historical hand-made mechanical instruments to high-precision electronic devices...
, electric charge, potential difference - ElectroscopeElectroscopeAn electroscope is an early scientific instrument that is used to detect the presence and magnitude of electric charge on a body. It was the first electrical measuring instrument. The first electroscope, a pivoted needle called the versorium, was invented by British physician William Gilbert...
, electric charge - Electrostatic analyzerElectrostatic analyzerAn electrostatic analyzer or ESA is an instrument used in ion optics that employs an electric field to allow the passage of only those ions or electrons that have a given specific energy. It usually also focuses these particles into a smaller area...
, Kinetic energy of charged particles - GravimeterGravimeterA gravimeter or gravitometer is an instrument used in gravimetry for measuring the local gravitational field of the Earth. A gravimeter is a type of accelerometer, specialized for measuring the constant downward acceleration of gravity, which varies by about 0.5% over the surface of the Earth...
, gravity - InclinometerInclinometerAn inclinometer or clinometer is an instrument for measuring angles of slope , elevation or depression of an object with respect to gravity...
, slope - Interferometer, optics, infrared light spectra
- MagnetographMagnetographA magnetograph is one of two types of scientific instrument:* A special type of magnetometer that records a time plot of the local magnetic field near the instrument; or...
, magnetic field - MagnetometerMagnetometerA magnetometer is a measuring instrument used to measure the strength or direction of a magnetic field either produced in the laboratory or existing in nature...
, magnetic flux - Mass spectrometer, compound identification/characterization
- MicrometerMicrometerA micrometer , sometimes known as a micrometer screw gauge, is a device incorporating a calibrated screw used widely for precise measurement of small distances in mechanical engineering and machining as well as most mechanical trades, along with other metrological instruments such as dial, vernier,...
, distance - MicroscopeMicroscopeA microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...
, optical magnification - NMR spectrometer, chemical compound identification, medical diagnostic imaging
- OhmmeterOhmmeterAn ohmmeter is an electrical instrument that measures electrical resistance, the opposition to an electric current. Micro-ohmmeters make low resistance measurements. Megohmmeters measure large values of resistance...
, electrical resistance/impedance - OscilloscopeOscilloscopeAn oscilloscope is a type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences using the vertical or 'Y' axis, plotted as a function of time,...
, electric signal voltage, amplitude, wavelength, frequency, waveform shape/pattern - SeismometerSeismometerSeismometers are instruments that measure motions of the ground, including those of seismic waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other seismic sources...
, acceleration - Spectogram, sound frequency, wavelength, amplitude
- SpectrometerSpectrometerA spectrometer is an instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically used in spectroscopic analysis to identify materials. The variable measured is most often the light's intensity but could also, for instance, be the polarization...
, light frequency, wavelength, amplitude - TelescopeTelescopeA telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
, light magnification (astronomy) - Time-of-flight mass spectrometer, see mass spectrometer
- TheodoliteTheodoliteA theodolite is a precision instrument for measuring angles in the horizontal and vertical planes. Theodolites are mainly used for surveying applications, and have been adapted for specialized purposes in fields like metrology and rocket launch technology...
, angles, surveying - ThermocoupleThermocoupleA thermocouple is a device consisting of two different conductors that produce a voltage proportional to a temperature difference between either end of the pair of conductors. Thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature sensor for measurement and control and can also be used to convert a...
, temperature - VoltmeterVoltmeterA voltmeter is an instrument used for measuring electrical potential difference between two points in an electric circuit. Analog voltmeters move a pointer across a scale in proportion to the voltage of the circuit; digital voltmeters give a numerical display of voltage by use of an analog to...
, voltage
List of scientific instruments manufacturers
- 454 Life Sciences454 Life Sciences454 Life Sciences, is a biotechnology company based in Branford, Connecticut. It is a subsidiary of Roche, and specializes in high-throughput DNA sequencing.-History and Major Achievements:...
, United States of America - Agilent TechnologiesAgilent TechnologiesAgilent Technologies , or Agilent, is a company that designs and manufactures electronic and bio-analytical measurement instruments and equipment for measurement and evaluation...
, United States of America - A. Reyrolle & CompanyA. Reyrolle & CompanyA. Reyrolle & Company was a British engineering firm, which for many years was one of the largest employers on Tyneside.-History:The company was founded by Alphonse Constant Reyrolle, a Frenchman, in 1886 at Fitzroy Square in London to produce scientific instruments. He moved the business to...
- Beckman CoulterBeckman CoulterBeckman Coulter Inc., is a company that makes biomedical laboratory instruments. Founded by Caltech professor Arnold O. Beckman in 1935 as National Technical Laboratories to commercialize a pH meter that he had invented, the company eventually grew to employ over 10,000 people, with $2.4 billion in...
, United States of America - Bruker Biosciences Corporation
- Cambridge Scientific Instrument CompanyCambridge Scientific Instrument CompanyCambridge Scientific Instrument Company was a company founded in 1881 by Horace Darwin and Albert George Dew-Smith to manufacture scientific instruments....
, United Kingdom - JEOLJEOLis a manufacturer of electron microscopes and other scientific instruments. Its headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan, with 25 subsidiaries and two associated companies....
, Japan - LECO Corporation, United States of America
- Malvern InstrumentsMalvern InstrumentsMalvern Instruments is a Spectris plc company.Founded in the late 1960s, the company is a manufacturer and supplier of laboratory analytical instruments,was influential in the development of the Malvern Correlator...
, United Kingdom - MTS Systems CorporationMTS Systems CorporationMTS Systems Corporation is a testing and sensing solutions company located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a southwest suburb of Minneapolis.MTS is a provider of mechanical test systems, material testing, fatigue testing and tensile testing services as well as motion simulation system and calibration...
, USA, mechanical - Novacam TechnologiesNovacam TechnologiesNovacam Technologies Inc. specializes in designing and manufacturing advanced metrology and imaging systems for industrial and bio-medical applications. Novacam’s fiber-based optical profilometers and Optical Coherence Tomography systems are based on low coherence interferometry...
, Canada - Oxford InstrumentsOxford InstrumentsOxford Instruments plc is a United Kingdom manufacturing and research company that designs and manufactures tools and systems for industry and research. The company is headquartered in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England, with sites in the United Kingdom, United States, Europe, and Asia...
, United Kingdom - PerkinElmerPerkinElmerPerkinElmer, Inc. is an American multinational technology corporation, focused in the business areas of human and environmental health, including environmental analysis, food and consumer product safety, medical imaging, drug discovery, diagnostics, biotechnology, industrial applications, and life...
, United States of America - Polymer CharPolymer CharPolymer Char is a technology-based company which designs and manufactures instrumentation for Polymer Analysis.- History :Polymer Char was founded by Dr. B. Monrabal in 1992 in the Valencia Technology Park, in Spain, being registered with the name of Polymer Characterization, S.A.Its initial goal...
, Spain - REXMED, Taiwan
- Shimadzu Corp.Shimadzu Corp.is a manufacturer of precision instruments, measuring instruments and medical equipment, based in Kyoto, Japan.The company was established by in 1875. X-ray devices, the spectrum camera, the electron microscope, and the gas chromatograph were developed and commercialized in advance of other...
, Japan - TechtronTechtronTechtron Appliances was established in 1938 by Mr Geoffrey S.V. Frew, and manufactured electronic equipment to order in North Melbourne, Australia. The name was derived from the words 'Technical' and 'Electronic'....
, Melbourne, Australia - Thermo Fisher ScientificThermo Fisher ScientificThermo Fisher Scientific is a large life sciences supply company that was created in 2006 by the merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific.-Predecessors and merger:...
, United States of America - Waters CorporationWaters CorporationWaters Corporation is a publicly traded laboratory analytical instrument and software company headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts. The company employs more than 5,000 people, with manufacturing facilities located in Milford, Taunton, Massachusetts; Wexford, Ireland; Manchester, England; and...
, United States of America - Eltra GmbH, Germany
List of scientific instruments designers
- Jones, WilliamWilliam Jones (optician)William Jones was an English maker of optical and other scientific instruments who later formed a partnership with his younger brother Samuel Jones. W. & S. Jones were among the most successful scientific instrument makers in London during the late 18th and early 19th centuries...
- Kipp, Petrus JacobusPetrus Jacobus KippPetrus Jacobus Kipp was a Dutch apothecary, chemist and instrument maker. He became known as the inventor of the Kipp apparatus, chemistry equipment for the development of gases.-Biography:...
- Le Bon, GustaveGustave Le BonGustave Le Bon was a French social psychologist, sociologist, and amateur physicist...
- Roelofs, ArjenArjen RoelofsArjen Roelofs was a Dutch astronomer.-Early life:Roelofs was born on the Hommema-sate near Hijum in Friesland, as the youngest of four sons and two daughters. His father was Roelof Pytters, a tenant farmer and tax receiver. His mother was Neeltje Alberts from Finkum...
- Schöner, JohannesJohannes SchönerJohannes Schöner was a renowned and respected German polymath...
- Von Reichenbach, Georg FriedrichGeorg Friedrich von ReichenbachGeorg Friedrich von Reichenbach , German scientific instrument maker, was born at Durlach in Baden on August 24 1772.-Early life:...
History of scientific instruments
- History of science and technology in the People's Republic of ChinaHistory of science and technology in the People's Republic of ChinaFor more than a century China's leaders have called for rapid development of science and technology, and science policy has played a greater role in national politics in China than in many other countries. China's scientific and technical achievements have been impressive in many fields...
Museums
- Boerhaave MuseumBoerhaave MuseumMuseum Boerhaave is a museum of the history of science and medicine, based in Leiden, the Netherlands. The museum hosts a collection of historical scientific instruments from all disciplines, but mainly from medicine, physics, and astronomy.-Introduction:...
- Deutsches MuseumDeutsches MuseumThe Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of technology and science, with approximately 1.5 million visitors per year and about 28,000 exhibited objects from 50 fields of science and technology. The museum was founded on June 28, 1903, at a meeting of the Association...
- Royal Victoria Gallery for the Encouragement of Practical ScienceRoyal Victoria Gallery for the Encouragement of Practical ScienceThe Royal Victoria Gallery for the Encouragement of Practical Science was an adult education institution and exhibition gallery in Victorian Manchester, a commercial enterprise intended to educate the general public about science and its industrial applications....
- Whipple Museum of the History of ScienceWhipple Museum of the History of ScienceThe Whipple Museum of the History of Science holds an extensive collection of scientific instruments, apparatus, models, pictures, prints, photographs, books and other material related to the history of science. It was founded in 1944, when Robert Whipple presented his collection of scientific...
Related topics
- InstrumentationInstrumentationInstrumentation is defined as the art and science of measurement and control of process variables within a production, or manufacturing area....
- InstrumentalismInstrumentalismIn the philosophy of science, instrumentalism is the view that a scientific theory is a useful instrument in understanding the world. A concept or theory should be evaluated by how effectively it explains and predicts phenomena, as opposed to how accurately it describes objective...
, a philosophic theory - List of collectibles
See also
- tron, a suffix to denote a complex scientific instrument, like in cyclotronCyclotronIn technology, a cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator. In physics, the cyclotron frequency or gyrofrequency is the frequency of a charged particle moving perpendicularly to the direction of a uniform magnetic field, i.e. a magnetic field of constant magnitude and direction...
, phytotronPhytotronA phytotron is an enclosed research greenhouse used for studying interactions between plants and the atmosphere.-External links:*...
, synchrotronSynchrotronA synchrotron is a particular type of cyclic particle accelerator in which the magnetic field and the electric field are carefully synchronised with the travelling particle beam. The proton synchrotron was originally conceived by Sir Marcus Oliphant...
, ...