Organic reactions run faster at higher temperatures and slower at lower temperatures. Many reactions commonly run in an organic laboratory need to be heated in order to proceed at a satisfactory rate. The most convenient way to heat a reaction is by boiling it in a solvent in a conical vial round bottom flask. It is easy to observe whether or not a liquid is boiling, and because of the laws of thermodynamics, once boiling begins the temperature cannot rise any higher. To control the temperature of the reaction, simply choose a solvent with a boiling point at this temperature.