The test tube is one of the most commonly used pieces of laboratory ware, available in many sizes ranging from less than 1 inch to 6 inches in length. The test tube was developed by Michael Faraday (1791-1867), the renowned British physicist and chemist, to replace the much larger wine glass test glass. Test tubes are the perfect shape and size to hold small amounts of substances, usually liquid, which are then manipulated in some way, such as being placed over the flame of a Bunsen burner.
The test tube has changed little since the early 19th century, although it is now made of plastic as well as glass.
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