Glass wares used in volumetric analysis

• BEAKERS: Beakers are the workhorse glassware of any chemistry lab. A beaker is a simple
container for stirring, mixing and heating liquids. Beakers are generally cylindrical in shape, with
a flat bottom. Beakers are available in a wide range of sizes, from 1 mL up to several litres.

• ERLENMEYER FLASKS: This type of flask has a narrow neck and a flat bottom. It's good for
swirling, storing, and heating liquids. For some situations, either a beaker or an Erlenmeyer flask
is a good choice, but if you need to seal a container, it's much easier to put a stopper in an
Erlenmeyer flask or cover it with parafilm than it is to cover a beaker.

• GRADUATED CYLINDER: Graduated cylinders are used to measure volumes accurately. They can
be used to calculate the density of an object if its mass is known. Graduated cylinders usually are
made from borosilicate glass, though there are plastic cylinders, too. Common sizes are 10, 25,
50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 ml.

• VOLUMETRIC FLASK: A volumetric flask is a piece of laboratory glassware that is used to prepare

and measure chemical solutions. It is used to make up a solution to a known volume. Volumetric
flasks measure volumes much more precisely than beakers and Erlenmeyer flasks.

• BURETTE: Burets or burettes are used when it is necessary to dispense a small measured volume
of a liquid, as for titration. Burets may be used to calibrate the volumes of other pieces of
glassware, such as graduated cylinders. Most burets are made of borosilicate glass with PTFE
(Teflon) stopcocks.

• PIPETTE: Pipets (pipettes) are used to measure and transfer small volumes. There are many
different types of pipets. Examples of pipet types include disposable, reusable, autoclavable, and
manual.