Final answer:
Allison will most likely use agar plates to grow bacteria and identify it by comparing the appearance of colonies to textbook images.
Step-by-step explanation:
Allison is conducting an experiment to identify the type of bacteria found on common surfaces by observing bacterial growth and comparing the colonies' appearance to textbook images. For the growth of the bacteria, one of the key pieces of equipment Allison will most likely use is an agar plate. Agar plates are petri dishes containing agar as a growth medium where bacteria can grow into visible colonies. The colony's size, color, shape, and form are characteristic of its bacterial species and can help in the identification process.
To perform her experiment successfully, Allison will also require other equipment such as inoculating loops to transfer bacteria to the agar plates, incubators for maintaining the right temperature for bacteria to grow, and possibly differential media to distinguish between different types of bacteria based on their growth and color change.