What are the differences between an agar plate and a Petri dish in microbiology experiments?

An agar plate is a specific type of Petri dish that contains a solid growth medium called agar. Petri dish is a broader term that refers to any shallow, flat, circular dish used in microbiology experiments. The key difference is that an agar plate contains agar as a solid medium for microbial growth, while a Petri dish can be used with various types of media, including agar.