If you are wondering how to distinguish a beaker from a normal glass or other container, read these helpful hints:
- A beaker can usually be found in a science laboratory as it is often uses for mixing, stirring and heating liquids in experiments.
- It is commonly made of a very strong glass that will not shatter when heated over a flame from a Bunsen burner. They can also be made of other materials, aluminum for example.
- To help it stand up on its own without falling over and to distribute heat evenly throughout the liquid when over a burner, it has a flat bottom. Beakers are usually a similar shape to a cylinder which makes it easier to grab hold of with a pair of tongs when heating.
- Some beakers also have a type of lip that allows for easy pouring. This is useful when mixing one liquid with another.
- Just like measuring jugs, beakers also come in various sizes that can hold anything from a few millimeters up to a few liters. As they are used in scientific experiments, having the measurements along the side of the beaker makes it easier to be more accurate when adding volumes.
- A beaker can be distinguished from a flask as it has straight rather than sloping sides.
