Have you ever been doing a science experiment when you realized you needed to measure out an extremely small amount of liquid, and do it with great accuracy? You probably thought your eye droppers would be enough, but you were mistaken – now you need 1 micro liter of hydrochloric acid but there’s no way in heck you could measure that with just your eye dropper. What do you do? It sounds like you’re in need of a micropipette.
Micropipettes are extremely delicate scientific instruments used in laboratories to accurately measure amounts of liquid as small as 1 µl (1 microliter). They are obviously very useful for certain kinds of scientists such as chemists but really have applications in almost all scientific fields.
How to Use a Micropipette
Micropipettes are rather simple to use, as they’re more or less used the same way you would use an eyedropper. However, it’s extremely important that you’re very careful when using a micropipette, especially the very small ones, as they’re very fragile and can break easily.
This video is a good example of how someone uses a micropipette:
How Much do Micropipettes Cost?
The cost of micropipettes varies greatly depending on several factors
- brand
- disposable or reusable
- digital or non-digital
Packs of typical disposable micropipettes can be acquired for pretty cheaply, at price of $20 or so. Digital micropipettes, on the other hand, can be upwards of several hundred dollars. What it really comes down to is what your intended use for them is, and how serious you are about your work. If you’re simply a chemistry student looking to do an experiment in your chem lab, then the disposable ones should do. On the other hand, if you’re a professional scientist and you would be using a micropipette frequently, you’re probably better off investing in a nice digital one that will last a long time and eventually pay for itself (by saving you time, trouble, and other things).
Where to Buy Micropipettes
Micropipettes aren’t exactly something you’re going to find at your local Walmart. However, they can be readily obtained from any sort of scientific supply store, or if you want to keep it really simple, you can find them online at many places such as Amazon.
