Because you may be measuring
different kinds and different volumes of materials. A 100 ml graduated cylinder
would be useful for measuring water to make up a solution. However, if you were
supposed to add 50 microliters of another material to the water, that cylinder
would be useless for measuring such a small amount. You would need a special
pipette. If you were working with solid material like soil, neither the
cylinder nor the pipette would be very useful. A wider container like a beaker
would be better.
The type of glass used is dependent
on the final use ie. oven, microwave, freezer, etc. Other uses might be for
table wares, lighting, decorative pieces or electrical insulators.
