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Erlenmeyer flasks are conical glass or plastic laboratory equipment used to measure, mix, or hold fluids or chemicals. They have a large, round bottom for stability, a long neck for easy handling and clamping, and graduations for measuring fluids. They reduce fluid loss through evaporation, allow for heating without over-boiling, and are most commonly available in 250 and 500 mL sizes.
Flasks are a type of clear glass or plastic laboratory equipment used to measure, mix, or hold fluids or chemicals. Laboratory flasks come in a number of shapes, sizes and with a different number of openings, as determined by their intended uses. Along with test tubes, Erlenmeyer flasks, also known as E Spots or conical flasks, are among the more familiar pieces of laboratory glassware recognized by the general public. Named after their inventor, Erlenmeyer flasks are clear conical flasks topped with long, narrow necks that include a small, convenient spout inside the lip at the top of the glassware. The design of these flasks has proven particularly useful in a laboratory setting for a variety of reasons, including safety and filling a variety of experimental needs.
Erlenmeyer flasks are often marked with white dashes of volumetric measurements, or graduations, along one rim of the vessel to aid in measuring fluids. The large, round bottom of the flask allows the vessel to sit solidly and securely on a lab table without tipping over if lightly bumped or bumped by the pharmacist. The long columnar necks of Erlenmeyer flasks serve several purposes. They provide an easy area to move or carry the bottles by hand or with tongs if needed, and allow the bottles to be easily secured with metal clamps, for example over a heat source. Fluids mix easily in these vessels – rotated together by twisting the bottom of the flask – without significant risk of splashing.
Although they can be capped with rubber stoppers, the long necks of Erlenmeyer flasks also reduce fluid loss through evaporation. This advantage is especially useful for maintaining proper concentrations when the chemist is working with volatile fluids. The columnar necks also allow titration or distillation fluids to be heated inside Erlenmeyer flasks, without the usual risk of over-boiling the fluid, in coils or connected distillation tubes attached to the top of the flask.
Most Erlenmeyer flasks are made of glass, although some plastic containers are available. Though fragile, glass flasks are more useful in the commercial laboratory. Glass bottles can be heated without the risk of contaminating the substance contained with volatile substances potentially released from a plastic bottle. Heat sterilizing glass vials is also a simpler process than disinfecting and cleaning plastic vials. Erlenmeyer flasks come in a wide variety of sizes, although they are most commonly available in 250 and 500 mL (cc) sizes.
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