A boiling flask is a type of laboratory glassware that is used for heating, boiling, and distilling liquids. It is made of borosilicate glass and has a round bottom with a long neck that is used for attaching a condenser or other laboratory equipment. In this article, we will discuss the definition, meaning, and origin of the boiling flask, as well as its associations, synonyms, and antonyms.
Definitions
A boiling flask is a type of glassware used in chemistry and biology laboratories for heating, boiling, and distilling liquids. It is also known as a round-bottom flask or Florence flask. The flask is designed with a round bottom to allow for even heating and has a long neck that can be attached to other laboratory equipment.
Origin
The boiling flask was invented in the mid-19th century by a German glassblower named Heinrich Geissler. He used borosilicate glass to create a flask with a round bottom and a long neck that could withstand high temperatures without cracking. The design was quickly adopted by chemists and biologists around the world and is still used today.
Meaning in different dictionaries
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a boiling flask is “a round-bottomed flask with a long neck used especially in laboratory distillations”. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “a flask with a round bottom and a long neck, used for heating liquids in a laboratory”.
Associations
The boiling flask is commonly associated with chemistry and biology laboratories, where it is used for heating, boiling, and distilling liquids. It is also associated with scientific research and experimentation.
Synonyms
The boiling flask is also known as a round-bottom flask or a Florence flask.
Antonyms
There are no specific antonyms for boiling flask, but other types of laboratory glassware that are used for different purposes include beakers, test tubes, and pipettes.
The same root words
The boiling flask does not have any specific root words, but it is made of borosilicate glass, which is a type of glass that is resistant to high temperatures and thermal shock.
Example Sentences
- The chemist heated the solution in a boiling flask to distill it.
- The biology lab had a set of Florence flasks for growing bacteria cultures.
- The round-bottom flask was used to heat the reactants for the chemical reaction.
- The student carefully attached the condenser to the neck of the boiling flask.
- The experiment required a set of borosilicate glass flasks, including a boiling flask, a beaker, and a test tube.