Question

what is the function of an erlenmeyer flask?

Answer 1

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An erlenmeyer flask is a cone-shaped container with neck, so you can hold the flask or attach a clamp or use a stopper. It is very similar to a beaker. Here's a pic: http://www.greatglas.com/images/erlenmeyer-flasks.jpg

Now the use is obviously for putting chemicals and components, but to be more specific...the tapered sides and narrow neck of this flask allow the contents of the flask to be mixed by swirling, without risk of spillage, making them suitable for titrations. Such features similarly make the flask suitable for boiling liquids. Hot vapors condense on the upper section of the Erlenmeyer flask, reducing solvent loss. Erlenmeyer flasks' narrow necks can also support filter funnels.

The last two attributes of Erlenmeyer flasks make them especially appropriate for recrystallization. The sample to be purified is heated to a boil, and sufficient solvent is added for complete dissolution. The receiving flask is filled with a small amount of solvent, and heated to a boil. The hot solution is filtered through a fluted filter paper into the receiving flask. Hot vapors from the boiling solvent keep the filter funnel warm, avoiding premature crystallization.

Erlenmeyer flasks are also used in microbiology for the preparation of microbial cultures. Plastic Erlenmeyer flasks used in cell culture are pre-sterilized and feature closures and vented closures to enhance gas exchange during incubation and shaking.

Answer 2

Hmm... It is suitable for heating liquids using a Bunsen burner and for the preparation of microbial cultures in microbiology.

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@mallorybeezletoff98 Saying about function, 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.
ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erlenmeyer_flask

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