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Types of Lab Beakers

Lab beakers are multipurpose glass, or sometimes plastic, cylinders that can withstand heat and pressure, and they come in a variety of sizes. Laboratory personnel use the glassware to measure and store substances. Each beaker type has a specialized design that allows it to be used in a specific lab situation.

  1. Boiling Tubes

    • The boiling tube is a beaker with thick walls and a tall, cylindrical design that prevents the boiling over of liquids. These beakers are made of borosilicate glass that can be used in extreme temperatures.

    Thistle Tubes

    • The thistle tube has a stopper on top so the user can add substances during use. The end of the tube has a bulb and the top has a flared rim. The tube is specifically designed to fit into stoppers on other flasks.

    Centrifuge Tubes

    • Centrifuge tubes are specially designed for use in centrifuge machines, which are used to separate laboratory samples by spinning them. The tubes can be made of either plastic or glass and are generally smaller than the common lab beaker. The end is tapered and the shape of the taper depends on the type of substances that will be used.

    Thiele Tubes

    • Thiele tubes are triangle-shaped beakers that are usually used to establish the boiling point or melting temperature of a substance. The tube has a convection loop which will suck liquids up when they are at their correct boiling temperature.

    NMR Tubes

    • NMR tubes are beakers that are only used for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy samples. The tubes have thin walls and are only 5 mm in diameter. Additionally, the beakers are sealed with polyethylene caps.

    Test Tubes

    • Test tubes have thin walls and are cylindrical shaped. The beakers are commonly used to hold liquid solutions, mix substances, create cultures, and heat or cool liquids. The tubes have rounded bottoms and must be stored on a stand.

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