Conical flask with black liquid

A conical flask is a flat bottomed flask with cylindrical neck and of course a conical shaped body (hence the name). It is also known as an Erlenmeyer flask so called after the German chemist Emil Erlenmeyer who is said to have designed it in the mid 1800's. The shape of the flask allows its contents to be mixed by 'swirling' as can be seen with the coloured liquid in this image.