The Function of an Erlenmeyer Flask

Erlenmeyer flasks feature a distinctive conical shape.

The Erlenmeyer flask bears the name of its inventor, Richard August Carl Emil Erlenmeyer (1825-1909), a German chemist. It features a wide base and narrow mouth. Most scientific glassware manufacturers use borosilicate glass in the manufacture of Erlenmeyer flasks. Borosilicate glass, in comparison to less expensive soda-lime glass, exhibits less expansion and contraction as it undergoes temperature changes and is therefore less likely to shatter when heated and/or cooled.

Boiling

The conical shape and borosilicate construction of Erlenmeyer flasks make them well suited to the boiling of liquids. The shape prevents liquids from splashing while boiling, and the borosilicate resists thermal shock from drastic temperature fluctuations, such as when moved from a hotplate directly to a countertop.

Mixing

Chemists use Erlenmeyer flasks in any situation in which they wish to minimize the possibility of splashing. Due to its conical shape, Erlenmeyer flasks are less prone to liquids splashing out of the container, particularly when the flask is swirled.

Microbiology

Microbiologists sometimes use Erlenmeyer flasks as containers for cell cultures. This application again relates to the flasks' conical shape, as the biologist may place the culturing flask on an "orbital shaker" that constantly swirls the flask.

References

• University of Delaware: Physical Properties
• Mountain Empire Community College: Erlenmeyer Flasks
• "Protocols for Neural Cell Culture"; S. Federoff and A. Richardson; 2001

Resources

• "The Journal of Chemical Education"; The Origin of Pyrex; W. B. Jensen; May 2006
• Dartmouth College: Erlenmeyer Flasks and Beakers