Beakers are used in scientific research and have various uses such as storing fluids, measuring liquids, and mixing tools. They are made of glass and can resist rapid changes in temperature and corrosive materials. They can also be marked with volume measurements. Beakers are different from flasks and can be purchased from scientific supply companies. They can be sterilized in a dishwasher after use.
A beaker is a specialized piece of glass that is designed to be used in scientific research. You may have worked with a beaker yourself, if you’ve ever taken a chemistry class. Tumblers are cylindrical in shape, with a flat bottom so they can be set on various surfaces, and typically have a thick lip with a spout to facilitate pouring of liquids. There are numerous uses for beakers, making them quite abundant in the scientific community.
It is important to differentiate a glass and a flask, as these two pieces of glass are both used extensively in laboratories and are very different. A glass is a cylinder with flat sides, while a flask has tapering sides that come together to create a neck. These chunks of glass are used a little differently, though they’re both indispensable in any mad scientist’s workspace.
Classically, a glass is made from glass that has been specially treated to handle rapid changes in temperature. The glasses can be placed in situations well below freezing and can also be heated quickly without breaking. Some beakers are also designed to resist corrosive materials such as those found in a laboratory and may have labels indicating this, often on the bottom of the beaker. In some cases, special handling makes a glass fragile and it’s a good idea to handle glasses with care.
It is also common for a glass to be marked with volume measurements so that the fluids in the glass can be easily measured. Beakers can be used to store an assortment of fluids, as containers for chemical reactions, as mixing tools, and to measure various liquids used in the laboratory. You may even see people drinking from glasses, echoing the ancient origins of the word “glass,” which comes from the Latin bicarium, or “drinking vessel.” As a general idea, it’s a good idea to keep drinking and experimental glasses separate, for obvious reasons.
Beakers are available from any scientific supply company, while specialist scientific glassware companies can offer a range of highly specialized beakers for specific uses. In all cases, beakers are generally designed to go through the dishwasher safely, allowing people to sterilize them after each use, reducing the risk of contaminating a chemical reaction or experiment.
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