A Brief Outlook on Laboratory Flasks

Flasks are probably the most common and recognizable types of laboratory glassware. This important laboratory equipment is mainly used for storing, measuring and heating liquids or chemical mixtures. Laboratory flasks are generally characterized by their shape, with a larger base and narrow open neck.

All laboratories should be well equipped with different types of flasks. They are primarily used for making solutions or for holding, containing, collecting, or sometimes volumetrically measuring chemicals, samples, solutions, etc. Flasks can be divided into different categories on the basis of its use.

Reaction flasks, which are usually spherical and are accompanied by their necks, at the ends of which are ground glass joints to quickly and tightly connected to the rest of the apparatus. They are usually made of thick glass and can tolerate large pressure differences.

Distillation flasks are intended to contain mixtures as well as to receive the products of distillation.

Reagent flasks are flat-bottomed flask. Most useful Reagent flask used in a laboratory is the Erlenmeyer flask. It has a unique shape of flat and sturdy base which heats liquids faster than other flasks. With a long narrow neck and flat bottom, it is quite popular as it enables better mixing of liquids.

Florence or round-bottom flasks are spherical with one or more long necks. There are some flat- bottomed Florence flasks that can sit without being supported. These flat-bottomed Florence flasks are produced of borosilicate glass as they are used for boiling over a Bunsen burner.

Other types of laboratory flasks include the Florence flasks and the volumetric flasks. The Florence flasks is also called boiling flasks as they are primarily used for uniform heating of liquids. It has a bottom that enables equal heating of the entire liquid. On the other hand the volumetric flask is used for mixing fixed volume solutions.

Make sure that you equip the lab with the above mentioned commonly used chemistry lab equipments for running your practice more efficiently.