p20

0.025

0.02

0.015

0.01

0.005

0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Mass(Trial 1) in g Mass(Trial 2) in g Mass(Trial 3) in g

X axis: Volume in microlitres Y axis: mass in grams

 p200
0.25

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
0 50 100 150 200 250

Mass(Trial 1) in g Mass(Trial 2) in g Mass(Trial 3) in g

X axis: Volume in microlitres Y axis: mass in grams

 p1000
1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

Mass(Trial 1) in g Mass(Trial 2) in g Mass(Trial 3) in g

X axis: Volume in microlitres Y axis: mass in grams

 UB101 BIOMOLECULES LAB 1

ENSURING PRECISION IN TOOL USAGE: MICROPIPETTE AND

FINE BALANCE
1. Write the aim of the experiment (what and why)?
Ans: The experiment was designed to familiarise us with the use of micropipettes and a
fine balance. We primarily tested the accuracy of the three micropipettes by weighing
the water each could draw. Precision of the instrument was also studied by running
three trials for each micropipette. Although I am a little unsure if it should be referred
to as an instruments precision per se, because it involves random perturbations as well
as the precision to which the experimenter performs the measurement. This skill is
essential when one is working with chemicals in small amounts (usually in the order of
microliters), perhaps because of their rarity.
2. How precise are the three pipettes you are using?
On the precision of the micropipettes.
-> The p200 micropipette is the most precise whereas the p1000 is least precise.
Since precision tells us how close the measured values are to each other, the
standard deviation of the measurements helps us quantify the precision. The higher
the standard deviation, the more spread out the values are, so lesser is the precision.
We have compared the root of standard deviation (called the variance of the
distribution) of the three pipettes to estimate their relative precision.
Variance (x)=(xi-<x>)2 , <x>=mean

3. Pipette performance is influenced significantly by environmental factors such as

temperament and humidity.
Ans: Atmospheric pressure acting on the free surface of the water in the beaker is solely
responsible for the rise of fluid into the micropipette. The higher the pressure gradient
between the atmosphere and the micropipette suction bulb, the faster will the rise of
fluid be, and consequently, probability of accuracy is expected to be higher.
Also, if humidity is very high, gradient of moisture between the inside and outside of
the tube of the micropipette will be considerable. Hence water vapour/ moisture will
occupy the tube of the micropipette even before the measurement is made. Evidently
the reading recorded will be lower.

=

d=density of gas, R= universal gas constant, T=absolute temperature, M=avg molecular
mass
More moisture increases the average molecular mass of the gaseous mixture. Effect of
temperature is clear.
4. Historical details of the micropipette.
The micropipette was designed by Hienrich Schnitger, a postdoc at the University of
Marburg, Germany in the year 1957. He designed the equipment in order to measure
small amounts of an enzyme he required in his lab. This was a vast improvement
over the glass pipette he had to use. Its purpose was to help in making easy
measurements, unlike the previous model in which one had to make and calibrate
new pipettes and draw out the solutions with their mouths.

5. Curiosity
Instead of micropipettes based on spring action, we could make ones that use
magnetism. Electromagnets could be recharged from time to time. Backlash error
would be avoided.

References:
a) Gilson.com (General information about schematics of the micropipette)
b) The Scientist Magazine (history of the micropipette)