1. (Examples of both horizontal and vertical windows are shown)
Pipetting Basics
How to read a pipet
(Examples of both horizontal and vertical windows are shown)
p10 (pipets ml)
tenth’s place
one’s place
ten’s place
Example: 1.5 ml 5 1
p20 (pipets 2-20 ml) 5 5
ten’s place
one’s place
tenth’s place
Example: 5.5 ml
p50 (pipets 5-50 ml)
tenth’s place
one’s place
ten’s place
Example: 21.5 ml
p100 (pipets ml) 2 1 5 7 5 2
hundred’s place 1 7
ten’s place 5 5
one’s place
Example: 75 ml
p200 (pipets ml)
p1000 (pipets ml) 9 5 1 5 5 9
thousand’s place 1
hundred’s place
hundred’s place 5
ten’s place
ten’s place
one’s place
one’s place
Example: 150 ml
Example: 950 ml

2. Things to remember when using a variable
volume pipet!
Make sure you have the right pipet for the
volume being pipetted.
When adjusting, do not force the pipet beyond
the range of its volume. Often, this ruins the pipet.
There are two stops to the pipet. The first is for
aspirating the liquid. The second is for pipetting
the last bit of liquid back out.
Do not puncture the bottom of the well.
To pipet:
1. Place the tip firmly on the pipet.
2. Push the top button down to the first stop.
3. Gently place the tip into the liquid you are pipetting.
4. Allow the button to slowly come back up.
5. The fluid should come up into the pipet tip as
the button rises.
6. To pipet out, place the tip into the well and slowly
press the button down to the second stop.
7. Keep holding the button down as you raise the
pipet tip out of the fluid you have just pipetted out.
8. Practice by pipetting 20 ml, 10 ml, 5 ml, and then
2 ml into the wells of your pipetting stations.