Micropipette Reading draws an adjustable micropipette, from 2 µL to 1000 µL, set to the volume you type. Students read the digits in its volume display from top to bottom and place the decimal point by the pipette’s size: the same digits 1, 2 and 5 mean 1.25 µL on a 2 µL pipette, 12.5 µL on a 20 µL one and 125 µL on a 200 µL one. As on a Gilson Pipetman, digits after the decimal point are red, and a line across the display marks the decimal point too, so it stays clear on a black and white copy.
Teachers use it for lab skills lessons, quizzes and lab practicals, so students can practice reading a micropipette before they handle a real one. Pick the size, type a volume or pick one at random, and the figure follows; a volume the pipette can’t be set to is caught, and the box says why. Copy the figure, or download it as a PNG or SVG for a test, worksheet or slide.
Copy the figure straight into a test, worksheet or slide, or download it as a PNG or SVG. Printing the page prints
just the figure. Share link copies the page’s address with your settings in it, so anyone who opens it sees this
exact figure, and presets save settings you use often in your browser. It’s free, with no sign-up.
How do you read a micropipette?
Read the digits in the volume display from top to bottom, then place the decimal point by the pipette’s size. On a 20 µL pipette (a P20) the three digits stand for tens, ones and tenths of a µL, so 1, 5, 7 reads 15.7 µL. On a 200 µL pipette (a P200) they stand for hundreds, tens and ones, so 1, 5, 4 reads 154 µL. A quick check: the reading can never be more than the pipette’s size.
What do the red numbers on a micropipette mean?
On Gilson Pipetman pipettes, the red digits are the ones after the decimal point, in µL. A 10 µL or 20 µL pipette has one red digit at the bottom, the tenths. A 2 µL pipette has two, the tenths and hundredths, so 0, 8, 5 with the 8 and 5 in red is 0.85 µL. A 100 µL or 200 µL pipette has no red digits, because it reads in whole µL. Other makers mark the decimal point differently, so check the pipettes in your own lab.
Which micropipette should I use for a volume?
Use the smallest one whose range includes the volume, since a pipette is least accurate near the bottom of its range. Each is used from a tenth of its size up to it: a P2 from 0.2 to 2 µL, a P10 from 1 to 10 µL, a P20 from 2 to 20 µL, a P100 from 10 to 100 µL, a P200 from 20 to 200 µL and a P1000 from 100 to 1000 µL. So 15 µL goes on a P20, 150 µL on a P200 and 750 µL on a P1000.
What is the difference between a P20 and a P200?
The number is the largest volume it measures, in µL. A P20 goes up to 20 µL in steps of 0.1 µL; a P200 goes up to 200 µL in steps of 1 µL. Their displays look alike, so the same digits 1, 2, 5 read 12.5 µL on a P20 and 125 µL on a P200. That is why the generator prints the size above the display. Turn it off if the question gives the size instead.
Why won’t the generator take the volume I typed?
A real micropipette can only be dialed within its range and in steps of its bottom digit, so the generator checks what you type the same way. A 20 µL pipette goes from 2 to 20 µL in steps of 0.1 µL, so 25 µL is out of range and 12.53 µL can’t be dialed. The box says why, and for a volume between steps it gives the nearest one, here 12.5 µL. The figure keeps the last volume that worked until you fix it.
Can I print a micropipette figure in black and white?
Yes. Under Color, choose Black and white: the red digits turn black, and the pipette and its tip are drawn in black outline on white. Keep Line at the decimal point on, and the line across the display still shows students where the decimal point goes.
Which tip goes on which micropipette?
Tips are color coded by the volumes they hold. The figure draws a clear tip on the 2 µL and 10 µL pipettes, a yellow tip on the 20, 100 and 200 µL ones, and a blue tip on the 1000 µL one, the colors most labs use, and the plunger button’s cap is yellow or blue to match. Turn off Tip on the end to draw the pipette without one.
Biology Figures Micropipette Reading