Are you a chemistry enthusiast who often has to prevent liquids and measure them accurately? If so, then you must know about the two most commonly used lab equipment – the beaker and the graduated cylinder. Although both of these pieces of equipment are designed for working with liquids, they work in different ways and serve distinct purposes. In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between a beaker and a graduated cylinder in detail to help you understand which is best suited for your needs!
What is Beaker?
Beakers are laboratory containers that consist of a flat base and cylindrical body that tapers up to the mouth. Beakers can typically hold anything between 50ml and 1 liter in volume, and they often come with scales molded into the side to identify the liquid’s volume precisely. Beakers are made from either plastic or glass and are commonly used for experiments or holding chemicals of different kinds.
These containers can also be used for mixing solutions or studying boiling points at high temperatures. Beaks have remained popular throughout the years due to their reliability, durability, low cost, and ease of use; Beaker cylindrical containers offer an essential piece of laboratory equipment suitable for many lab procedures.
What is Graduated Cylinder?
Graduated cylinders, also known as measuring cylinders or mixing cylinders, are a type of laboratory equipment used to measure the volume of a liquid.
- Graduated cylinders are typically made from glass or plastic and feature various scales, like milliliters (mL) or liters (L), to help accurately measure specific volumes.
- They feature a narrow stem, notched at the top for pouring liquids and an octagonal base for stability. Graduated cylinders should be selected in accordance with their required precision and accuracy as well as compatibility with different materials and temperatures.
- Graduated cylinders are used both by scientists and everyday people alike in many different industries including biology laboratories, food processing plants, and pharmaceutical companies.
Difference between Beaker and Graduated Cylinder
Beakers and graduated cylinders are both popular lab tools that are commonly used in chemistry experiments.
- Beakers are cup-shaped containers with a spout, usually made of glass or polypropylene plastic.
- Beakers can be used to mix, heat, or measure liquids.
- In contrast, graduated cylinders are used specifically to measure the volume of an object by measuring how much liquid it displaces.
- Graduated cylinders feature a number of tiny lines on their side that indicate measurements in milliliters or cubic centimeters.
Beakers and graduated cylinders have different functions, so they should not be confused when selecting lab equipment!
Conclusion
The main difference between beakers and graduated cylinders is that beakers have a flat bottom while graduated cylinders have a rounded bottom. Beakers are generally used for mixing, while graduated cylinders are better suited for measuring. However, both types of glassware can be used for either purpose depending on the situation. Now that you know the difference between these two types of glassware, you can use them more effectively in your science experiments.
