Instead of vases and jars, biochemists use Erlenmeyer flasks and Pyrex bottles (in lots of different sizes). Here's a 👀 into our glassware cabinets. #EquippedToExperiment #GlasswareGlossary 1/n
— Brianna Bibel (@biochem_bri) April 18, 2018
Erlenmeyer flasks are a classic go-to “science icon” 👩🔬- they’re wider at the bottom & narrower at the 🔝, which makes them good for swirling liquids & their narrow 🔝 helps prevent gas escape (especially if you put in a stopper!) #EquippedToExperiment #GlasswareGlossary 2/n pic.twitter.com/kmeb3xKQwS
— Brianna Bibel (@biochem_bri) April 18, 2018
Beakers don't have a skinny top - they’re more like glass tumblers - But they do usually have a lip to help you pour & wide top makes them easier to get in & out of. We use beakers for preparing solutions or temporarily holding them. #EquippedToExperiment #GlasswareGlossary 3/n pic.twitter.com/5uHPoUr5Si
— Brianna Bibel (@biochem_bri) April 18, 2018
If we want to store liquids longer-term, we usually put them in Pyrex bottles. These are made of a very strong glass that can withstand the super hot temperatures & pressure of our autoclave (like a dishwasher but much much hotter) #EquippedToExperiment #GlasswareGlossary 4/n pic.twitter.com/W3FCDkcteb
— Brianna Bibel (@biochem_bri) April 18, 2018
Flasks, beakers, & bottles all have measurement lines, but they’re more of “estimates” If you want accurate measurements you’ll need to go elsewhere & that elsewhere depends on how much you need to measure & how accurate you need to be #EquippedToExperiment #GlasswareGlossary 5/n
— Brianna Bibel (@biochem_bri) April 18, 2018
So what are the biochemist’s “measuring cups”? When you want to measure ~50mL - 2L reasonably accurately, the graduated cylinders are your friends. #EquippedToExperiment #GlasswareGlossary 6/n pic.twitter.com/J1Vm5cDfRd
— Brianna Bibel (@biochem_bri) April 18, 2018
Graduated cylinders are similar to the beakers except they’re skinnier and have more measurement lines (graduations) (being narrower allows these lines to be more spread out). #EquippedToExperiment #GlasswareGlossary 7/n pic.twitter.com/I8rYyDytpf
— Brianna Bibel (@biochem_bri) April 18, 2018
For our purposes, graduated cylinders are usually plenty accurate for these larger volumes (when you have larger volumes, slight measurement error is “diluted out” like a💧 in a pool) but there are more accurate types of glassware... #EquippedToExperiment #GlasswareGlossary 8/n
— Brianna Bibel (@biochem_bri) April 18, 2018
Volumetric flasks are very accurate (and precisely so), but each is precise for 1 specific volume - each size has a “fill to” line for that 1 volume. They’re more accurate than a graduated cylinder but less multi-functional. #EquippedToExperiment #GlasswareGlossary 9/n pic.twitter.com/Zc9XJwLQCu
— Brianna Bibel (@biochem_bri) April 18, 2018
We’re mostly concerned about accuracy when measuring smaller volumes and for that, we use pipettes, which will be the subject of a separate thread. #EquippedToExperiment #GlasswareGlossary 10/n
— Brianna Bibel (@biochem_bri) April 18, 2018
