Glass Measuring Cylinders

Choose tall-form cylinders for most tasks with finer graduation spacing and better accuracy. Short-form (Hensgard) cylinders suit compact bench setups.

Select the smallest cylinder that accommodates your target volume. A 10 mL cylinder has finer divisions than a 100 mL cylinder. For large-volume media preparation, a 500 to 1000 mL cylinder is more practical.

For critical measurements, select cylinders with 1 mL or 0.5 mL divisions. Coarser graduations of 2 or 5 mL suit approximate work. Class A borosilicate cylinders offer the finest graduations for analytical use.

Class A cylinders meet strict traceable tolerances for quantitative analysis and certified lab work. Class B cylinders have tolerances twice as wide and suit general use and teaching environments.

Glass measuring cylinders measure and transfer liquid volumes during experiment preparation, reagent mixing, solution dilution, and density determination.

Class A cylinders meet strict tolerances for quantitative analysis. Class B cylinders have tolerances twice as wide and are used for general measurement and educational settings.

Place the cylinder on a flat surface and bring your eyes to the level of the liquid. Read the volume at the bottom of the meniscus for water-based solutions. Ensure the cylinder is vertical and stationary. If you need to fine-tune the volume, add the last few drops with a dropper or pipette rather than pouring more from the container, and if you overshoot, use a pipette to draw off the excess rather than tipping liquid back out. Never return any removed liquid to your original stock, since this risks contaminating the rest of your supply. Avoid lifting the cylinder while you pour into it, as this increases the risk of a spill.

A large cylinder used for a small volume has coarse graduation lines and more error. A cylinder that is too small requires multiple measurements. Use the smallest cylinder that accommodates your target volume.

Borosilicate glass cylinders resist most laboratory chemicals, dilute acids, bases, and organic solvents. Hydrofluoric acid and strongly alkaline solutions can etch glass. Avoid sudden temperature changes to prevent thermal shock.