What is erlenmayer flask?

An Erlenmayer flask is commonly used in most scientific laboratories and is used to mix, measure and heat up liquids.

• The Erlenmayer flask

The Erlenmayer flask was invented by a German chemist named Emil Erlenmayer in 1861, hence the reason it is called Erlenmayer. Usually made from clear glass, the Erlenmayer flask is also known as a conical flask due to its wide base, conical body and thin neck. This shape makes it easy to pour liquids yet still hold a considerable amount.

You will find that nearly all Erlenmayer flasks have measurement markings on the side of the glass. The Erlenmayer flask is predominantly used for mixing liquids, usually involving heating them up. The heat is normally generated from a Bunsen burner, which is placed underneath the flask that is positioned on a tripod with a gauze mat placed underneath.

You can view images of the Erlenmayer flask by click on the following links:

• upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Erlenmeyer

• www.micro-science.co.uk/images/detailed/0/erlenmeyer.jpg

If you are ever unsure of what an item is or its functions then it is always a good idea to try and do a little research, either using search engines such as Google.com and Yahoo!.com, or by looking it up in an encyclopedia or dictionary.