A graduated cylinder is a laboratory glass instrument witch is used to measure liquid volumes with less precision than a volumetric flask ou a volumetric pipette.
There are lots of types of measuring cylinders witch can bem ade out of glass or plastic. Tehir volumes can vary between 5 and 2000 mililiters.
The graduatred cylinders has the particularity of having intermediate volumes in his scale.
How to read a volume in a graduated cylinder?
As mencionated earlyer the graduated cylinder is used to measure liquid volumes but there are some precautions that we need to have in order to make a correct Reading of this glass apparatus.
If we talk about laboratory glassware in general we maite notice that the liquid has a round shape. This is called the meniscos, witch we need to be very carefull with it. In order to have a proper reeding ofd the graduated cylinder, we need do draw na imaginary line right in the bottom of the meniscos.
The following picture will help to illustrate this:
Has you can see the liquid inside the graduated cylinder has a round shape and the most accurate measurement is made right bellow the meniscos.
Another precaution that we need to have in mind is the fact that our yey level should be in line with the bottom of the menicus, in order to have a more precise reading of the liquid.
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