Beaker (glassware)

This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Beaker (glassware) is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:

Beaker

Beakers of several sizes
Uses Liquid volume containment
and measurement
Related items Fleaker

A beaker is a simple container for stirring, mixing and heating liquids commonly used in many laboratories. Beakers are generally cylindrical in shape, with a flat bottom. Beakers are available in a wide range of sizes, from one millilitre up to several litres.

They may be made of glass (very often borosilicate glass) or of various plastics. Beakers used for holding solutions of corrosive chemicals such as acids or other highly reactive chemicals, are often made of PTFE or other low reactivity materials. Beakers have a cylindrical shape, with flat bottoms so that that they can be set onto many different types of surfaces, and they usually have a thick top (lip) with a spout to make it easier to pour liquids.

Beakers may be covered, perhaps by a watch glass, to prevent contamination or loss of the contents. Beakers are often graduated—marked on the side with lines indicating the volume contained. For instance, a 250 mL beaker might be marked with lines to indicate 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mL of volume. The accuracy of these marks can vary from one beaker to another. The standard tall form graduated beaker is sometimes referred to as a Berzelius beaker.

A beaker is distinguished from a flask by having sides which are straight rather than sloping. The exception to this definition is a slightly conical sided beaker is called a Phillips beaker. Beakers are used more often in general chemistry than flasks.citation needed

See also

Wikipedia content modification information:

  • This page was last modified on 13 September 2008, at 16:56.

Wikipedia Authorship and Review

Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.

Wikipedia Usage Guidelines

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Beaker (glassware)".

The URL for this specific entry is:

All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.