Question

On which of the following "graduated" pieces of laboratory glassware can you measure most accurately to the tenths of a milliliter?
250 mL beaker
1000 mL graduated cylinder
50 mL beaker
25 mL graduated cylinder

Answer 1

A graduated cylinder is a piece of laboratory glassware, cylindrical in shape and graduated, used to accurately measure out volumes of liquid reagents for use in reactions. They are generally more accurate and precise for this purpose than beakers or Erlenmeyer flasks, although not as precise as a volumetric flask or volumetric pipette. They come in a variety of sizes for different volumes, typically 10 ml, 25 ml, 50 ml, or 100 ml, 500ml, and up to 2 liters. Measuring cylinders are sometimes used, if they can measure the quantity desired.

Determine the volume contained in a graduated cylinder by comparing the bottom of the meniscus (the curved surface of the liquid) to the nearest graduation, at eye level.