Stirrer

Another common lab tool in biology and chemistry lab is the magnetic stirrer! It consists of a rotating magnet or a stationary electromagnet that creates a rotating magnetic field. This causes the magnetic stir bar to stir/mix the solution. The magnetic stir bar is either coated with Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or glass (less often) so that it does not react with the solution.⠀
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The advantages of using the magnetic stirrer include 1) consistent stirring (for reproducibility), 2) limiting risks of contamination & 3) allowing long duration mixing e.g. overnight/ multi-hour stirring. In some cases, it is combined with a hot plate so that stirring & heating of the solution can occur at the same time.