A spot plate is used in laboratories for various tasks such as:
- Observation, to see how substances behave in certain circumstances
- Qualitative analysis to determine factors in dissolved or crushed samples
- Determining polarity of substances .
- Solubility testing of substances
- To test the reaction of substances in a lab environment.
- It can also be a non-reactive place for substances to be mixed together so that there is no outside influence.
- They are generally made from either ceramics or plastics and have a depression or small well in the middle, they may have more than one well and they may be different sizes. Plastic plates may be considered disposable while ceramics are usually re-useable. Polystyrene or glass can also be used with polystyrene again being less re-useable and also unlikely to withstand strong acids.
- They are often white because this allows delicate color formation to show more easily on a neutral background.
- They are commonly used in Biology and Chemistry tests so it is important to know how to use one if you are going to work in a lab.
- Using different substances in separate spot plates it is easy to create experiments where you compare the acidity or general PH levels between them with no outside influence.
