Types of Laboratory Glassware

• Choose the right type of glassware for each experiment. Aaron Graubart/Stockbyte/Getty Images

  The three most common types of glass used in laboratory glassware are soft soda-lime glass; hard borosilicate glass; and pure fused quartz glass, which comprises 99-percent silica. It's important to consider the composition of laboratory glassware when conducting experiments, because some types are better able to withstand specific environmental conditions (e.g., high temperatures) than others. For example, glassware made of pure fused quartz is better able to withstand quick changes in temperature than its counterparts.

Erlenmeyer Flask

• The most common type of lab glassware is the Erlenmeyer flask, also known as the E-flask or conical flask. Erlenmeyer flasks have a flat-bottomed, conical base and a short cylindrical neck that ends in a flared rim. This shape allows the experimenter to swirl solutions without spilling the liquid, and slows evaporation. Erlenmeyer flasks have graduations along the side that allow an approximate measurement of volume.

Büchner Flask

• The Büchner flask, also known as a sidearm or vacuum flask, has virtually identical physical characteristics to the Erlenmeyer flask, with the addition of a side-mounted pipe on the neck of the flask, and thickened glass that can withstand use as a vacuum environment. When attached to a vacuum source, and used in conjunction with the Büchner funnel that sits atop the flask, the side-mounted pipe creates a vacuum that allows for efficient suction filtration of liquid samples.

Boiling Flask

• A boiling flask (sometimes referred to as a Florence flask) is a spherical flask with a thin neck and a layered edge around its mouth. The spherical design readily distributes heat when boiling liquids, and the neck makes it easy to clamp the flask at an appropriate height above a heat source.

Volumetric Flask

• Volumetric flasks come with etched markings that permit precise measurement of a given volume (e.g., 250 ml). Scientists often use volumetric flasks to prepare solutions of a specific concentration. This usually requires dissolving a standard amount of solid material in a small amount of fluid, and then filling the volumetric flask to the marked level. To ensure accurate fluid measurements, it's important to use volumetric flasks at or near 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).

Graduated Cylinder

• Graduated cylinders are tall, narrow tubes equipped with a wide base for stability. These general-purpose measuring containers come in a wide variety of sizes, and their printed graduations are generally accurate to about 1 percent.