Importance of Scientific Instruments in the World

In government exams like SSC, Banking, Railways, etc we find many questions from the General Science section. This is a very broad section and sometimes questions are very factual. we will cover the General Science section comprehensively so that students can learn and get most of the questions correct in this section. In this article, we will discuss the importance of scientific instruments.

Importance of Scientific Instruments:

• Scientific instruments vary in size, shape, purpose, complication, and complexity. These include relatively simple laboratory equipment such as scales, rulers, stopwatches, thermometers, etc. Other simple tools developed in the late 20th  or early 21st century include the foldscope (an optical microscope), the SCALE (KAS periodic table), the Mas Spec Pen (a pen that detects cancer), and the blood glucose meter, etc.  However, some scientific instruments can be quite large and of considerable complexity, such as Particle accelerators or radio telescope antennas. 
  
• micro- and nanoscale technologies are advancing to such an extent that instrument sizes are shifting by the minute, including nanoscale surgical instruments, biological nanobots, and bioelectronics.  
  
• In the age of science and technology, Instruments increasingly rely on computer integration to enhance and simplify control. improve and expand instrument functions, conditions, and parameter settings; and optimization of sampling, collection, resolution, analysis (both in-process and post-process), and data storage and retrieval.  Advanced instruments can be connected directly or through middleware as a local area network (LAN)  and used as part of an information management application such as a Laboratory Information Management System; be further integrated. 
  
• Instrument connectivity can be further enhanced by using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, allowing, for example, widely separated labs to connect their instruments to a network managed by a workstation or a mobile device in another location. 

List of some important Scientific Instruments:

Serial No.	Scientific Instrument	Use
1	Compass	It is an instrument used by the sailors to determine the direction
2	Microphone	It converts the sound waves into electrical vibrations and magnifies the sound
3	Microscope	It is used to obtain a magnified view of small objects
4	Photometer	The instrument compares the luminous intensity of the source of light
5	Periscope	It is used to view objects above sea level (It is mainly used in submarines)
6	Potentiometer	It is used for comparing the electromotive force of cells
7	Odometer	An instrument by which the distance covered by wheeled vehicles is measured
8	Phonograph	An instrument for producing sound
9	Pyrometer	It measures very high temperature
10	Radar	It is used for detecting the direction and range of a plane with the help of radio waves
11	Rain Gauge	An apparatus for recording rainfall at a particular place
12	Radiometer	It measures the emission of radiant energy
13	Refractometer	It measures the refractive index
14	Saccharimeter	It measures the amount of sugar in the solution
15	Seismograph	It measures the intensity of earthquake shocks
16	Salinometer	It determines the salinity of the solution
17	Speedometer	It is used to measure the speed of a vehicle
18	Sphygmomanometer	It measures blood pressure
19	Spherometer	It measures the curvatures of surfaces
20	Stereoscope	It is used to view 2D pictures
21	Sextant	It is used by navigators to find the latitude of a place.
22	Spectrometer	It is used for measuring the energy distribution of a particular type of radiation
23	Stethoscope	It is used to hear and analyze heart and lung sounds
24	Stroboscope	It is used for viewing rapidly moving objects
25	Tachometer	It is used for measuring the speeds of aeroplanes and motorboats
26	Teleprinter	It is used for receiving and sending typed messages
27	Telescope	It views distant objects in space
28	Theodolite	It measures horizontal and vertical angles
29	Thermometer	It is used for the measurement of temperatures
30	Thermostat	It regulates the temperature at a particular point
31	Viscometer	It measures the viscosity of a liquid
32	Voltmeter	It measures the electric potential difference