About this puzzle
Walk into any school science lab and you will see most of these words on a shelf or a safety poster. The list covers glassware like the Beaker, Flask, Test Tube, and Petri Dish, measuring tools such as the Balance, Thermometer, and Stopwatch, and the safety gear every student should know: Goggles, Gloves, and a Lab Coat. It finishes with the thinking side of science, Hypothesis, Variable, Data, and Conclusion.
The notes below explain what each tool does and how to use it safely, so this lab word search works well on the first day of a science class, before a lab safety quiz, or as a sub plan. Middle schoolers will know most of the words, and younger scientists can learn the names before their first real experiment.
The 28 words in this puzzle
Every word, with a short note. Handy for teaching the vocabulary before or after solving.
In every version (12)
- Beaker
- A beaker is a wide glass container with a flat bottom and a small spout for pouring. Its markings give only rough measurements, so it is best for mixing and holding liquids.
- Data
- Data are the facts and measurements collected during an experiment. Scientists record data in tables and graphs so patterns are easier to see.
- Flask
- A flask is a glass container with a narrow neck. The cone-shaped Erlenmeyer flask is popular because liquids can be swirled inside without splashing out.
- Funnel
- A funnel guides liquids into containers with narrow openings. Lined with filter paper, it can also separate solids from liquids.
- Gloves
- Lab gloves protect your hands from chemicals and keep samples clean. Take them off before touching your face, phone, or door handles.
- Goggles
- Safety goggles protect your eyes from splashes, chips of glass, and fumes. They should stay on the whole time an experiment is running, even during cleanup.
- Hand Lens
- A hand lens is a small magnifying glass for looking closely at rocks, leaves, or insects. It is a good first tool for young scientists.
- Lab Coat
- A lab coat protects your skin and clothes from spills. Many are made of cotton or flame-resistant fabric and button up the front so they come off quickly.
- Microscope
- A microscope uses lenses to magnify things too small to see, like cells. Always start with the lowest power lens and focus before switching to a stronger one.
- Ruler
- A ruler measures length. Science labs use the metric side, marked in centimeters and millimeters, because scientists around the world share the metric system.
- Stopwatch
- A stopwatch measures how long something takes, such as a reaction or a rolling ball. Timing several trials and averaging them gives more reliable results.
- Test Tube
- A test tube is a thin glass tube closed at one end, used to hold small amounts of a substance. A rack keeps test tubes upright.
Added in Medium and Hard (8)
- Balance
- A balance measures mass by comparing an object to known weights or with an electronic sensor. A triple beam balance is a classic in school labs.
- Experiment
- An experiment is a careful test of a hypothesis. Running several trials and recording every result helps show that the outcome was not just luck.
- Hypothesis
- A hypothesis is a testable prediction, often written as an if-then statement. An experiment is designed to check whether it is supported or not.
- Petri Dish
- A petri dish is a shallow, round dish with a lid, used to grow bacteria or mold. It is named after German scientist Julius Petri.
- Pipette
- A pipette is a slender tube for moving small, measured amounts of liquid, often a few drops at a time. Simple plastic pipettes have a squeeze bulb at the top.
- Slide
- A microscope slide is a thin, flat piece of glass that holds a sample for viewing. A tiny square of glass called a cover slip goes on top to keep it flat.
- Thermometer
- A thermometer measures temperature. In science labs, temperatures are usually recorded in degrees Celsius, where water freezes at 0 and boils at 100 at sea level.
- Tongs
- Lab tongs let you safely grip hot beakers, crucibles, or other objects. Never touch glassware that has just been heated, since hot glass looks the same as cool glass.
Added in Hard (8)
- Bunsen Burner
- A Bunsen burner makes a single gas flame for heating. It is named after German chemist Robert Bunsen, and a steady blue flame is hotter than a yellow one.
- Conclusion
- The conclusion explains what the data showed and whether the hypothesis was supported. A surprising result is still useful, because it teaches something new.
- Cylinder
- A graduated cylinder is a tall, narrow tube marked for measuring liquid volume accurately. Read it at eye level, at the bottom of the curved surface called the meniscus.
- Eye Wash
- An eyewash station sprays clean water to rinse chemicals out of the eyes. Safety rules say to flush the eyes for at least 15 minutes and tell the teacher right away.
- Fire Blanket
- A fire blanket is a sheet of fire-resistant fabric used to smother a small fire by cutting off its oxygen. Many school labs keep one mounted on the wall.
- Observation
- An observation is information gathered with the senses or with tools. Good lab notes describe what was actually seen, heard, or measured, not what was expected.
- Spatula
- A lab spatula is a small, flat metal tool for scooping powders and crystals. Scientists use it instead of fingers so samples stay clean and hands stay safe.
- Variable
- A variable is anything that can change in an experiment. In a fair test, scientists change only one variable at a time and keep the others the same.
A few facts to share while you solve
- The Erlenmeyer flask was designed in 1860 by German chemist Emil Erlenmeyer, and its shape has barely changed since.
- The petri dish was introduced in 1887 by Julius Petri, who worked in the lab of famous germ scientist Robert Koch.
- Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff used a Bunsen burner flame and a prism to discover two new elements, cesium and rubidium, in the 1860s.
Four versions of this puzzle
Pick a version with the buttons above the grid. Each one has its own grid and answer key, and your progress on each is saved separately in this browser.
| Version | Words | Grid | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 12 | 12 × 12 | The 12 most familiar words, reading forward across and down. |
| Medium | 20 | 15 × 15 | Twenty words across, down and diagonally. No backwards words. |
| Hard | 28 | 17 × 17 | Every word, in all eight directions including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. |
| Large print | 12 | 11 × 11 | The 12 most familiar words on a small grid with big letters. No backwards words. |
Hard and large print versions
Hard science lab word search: all 28 words on a 17 × 17 grid, hidden forward, backward, up, down and along both diagonals, with filler letters borrowed from the word list. Print it without the word list for an extra challenge. Play the hard version, or see all hard word searches.
Large print science lab word search: the 12 most familiar words on a 11 × 11 grid, printed with big letters and a big word list, and no backwards words. Play the large print version, or see all large print word searches.
Printing this word search
Press Print / PDF above the puzzle. You get a clean one-page sheet with the title, the grid, a word list with tick boxes, and optional name and date lines. The answer key prints on a second page. Prefer a file? Download it as a PDF or an image to print later or drop into a worksheet. Whatever version is showing on screen is the one that prints, and the large print version prints with bigger letters.
How to play online
- Find a word from the list in the grid. Scanning for its first letter is the quickest way.
- Drag across the word from its first letter to its last. On a phone, you can also tap the first letter, then the last.
- Found words get highlighted and crossed off. Stuck? Hint circles the first letter of a word you haven’t found.
Read the full guide to solving word searches, with tips that make big grids much faster.
Questions and answers
Which lab safety words are in this puzzle?
Goggles, Gloves, Lab Coat, Tongs, Eye Wash, and Fire Blanket are the main safety words, and the notes for Bunsen Burner, Microscope, and Thermometer include safe-use tips. It makes a good warm-up before going over your class lab safety rules or a safety contract.
What age is this lab word search for?
It fits about grades 4 through 9. Younger students may not have used a pipette or Bunsen burner yet, so the notes help introduce them. Middle and high school students can use it to review equipment names before a lab practical.
Is there an answer key for this science lab word search?
Yes. Choose Print / PDF above the puzzle and keep “Add an answer key page” ticked. The key prints on its own page, with every word highlighted. While playing online, Show answers outlines any words you haven’t found yet.
Can I print copies for my class or group?
Yes. Every puzzle on BetterWordSearch is free to print for personal, classroom, library and homeschool use. Print as many copies as you need. To change the words or make several different versions of the grid, use the word search maker.
What changes between Easy, Medium, Hard and Large print?
Easy hides the 12 most familiar words, reading left to right and top to bottom. Medium uses 20 words and adds diagonals. Hard hides all 28 words in every direction, including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. Large print uses the same words as Easy on a small grid and prints with big letters.
