A Graduated Cylinder is a piece of laboratory glassware suitable for accurate measurement of the volume of a liquid. Besides measuring the volume of liquids, it can also be used for measuring the volume of solids through water displacement. Graduated cylinders are usually more precise for this purpose than flasks and beakers. Often, the largest graduated cylinders are made of polypropylene due to its remarkable chemical resistance or polymethylpentene for its transparency. These qualities make it lighter and less fragile than glass.
A typical cylinder is usually narrow and high with a plastic or glass stem and a spout for easy pouring from the measured liquid. Certain types of cylinders boast of ground glass joints instead of a "spout" so that they can be closed with a stopper or connected directly with other elements..