Lab glassware
Consider the laboratory glassware below and a brief description of how each piece of glassware is used.
| beaker conical flask | |
  | Beakers and conical flasks are used as containers NOT for measuring because the lines show approximate volumes only. The capacity of each is given on the side. Conical flasks are preferable to beakers when swirling of the contents is required. |
| graduated cylinder | |
 | Graduated cylinders are used to measure approximate volumes of liquids (to the closest 2 or 5 ). |
| pipette and filler | |
 | Pipettes are used to transfer a fixed volume of liquid (often 10 or 25 ) between containers. SAFETY NOTE:The pipette is filled by suction using a filler. Never suck up the liquid using your mouth!!! One type of filler is a bulb. Be careful NOT to force the bulb onto the pipette stem because the glass can break. Note that pipettes are calibrated so that designated volume is delivered when the pipette is filled so that the bottom of the meniscus is on the line. |
| burette | |
 | Burettes can be used to deliver any volume up to their capacity (often 50 ). A pipette is more accurate than a burette for a fixed volume such as 25 or 10 . Burettes readings are reported to two decimal places. As is standard practice with graduated scales, the level of the liquid in the burette is read to the closest division (0.1 ) PLUS one more digit which is an estimate of the level of the liquid between the lines. The reading from the diagram would be 10.58 . Note that the burette must be clamped in a vertical position to ensure consistency of readings. |