FUNNELS AND FLASKS

Laboratory funnels are funnels that have been made for use in the chemical laboratory. There are many different kinds of funnels that have been adapted for these specialized applications. Filter funnels, thistle funnels (shaped like thistle flowers), and dropping funnels have stopcocks that allow the fluids to be added to a flask slowly. A powder funnel with a short and wide neck/stem is more appropriate for solids as it prevents clogging.

Laboratory flasks are vessels or containers that fall into laboratory equipment known as glassware. They are usually referred to as flasks in the laboratory and other scientific settings. Flasks come in several shapes and a wide range of sizes. Still, a common distinguishing aspect in their forms is a more comprehensive vessel “body” and one (or sometimes more) narrower tubular section at the top called necks which have an opening at the top. 

Laboratory flask sizes are specified by the volume they can hold, typically in metric units such as millilitres (mL or ml) or litres (L or l). Laboratory flasks have traditionally been made of glass but can also be plastic. Flasks can be used to create solutions or hold, contain, collect, or sometimes volumetrically measure chemicals, samples, keys, etc., for chemical reactions or other processes such as mixing, heating, cooling, dissolving precipitation, boiling (as in distillation), or analysis.