When you do experiments, you need laboratory instruments used for the activity. Rubicon Science has four types of laboratory instruments, namely:
- Chromatography
- Microscopy
- Osmometry
- Spectrometry
To know what these lab instruments are used for, read through below.
The use of chromatography
Chromatography is a separation technique. It is based on the principle where the molecules in the mixture are applied into the solid or onto the surface, and the fluid stationary phase separates from each other while moving using a mobile phase.
The separation process may include molecular characteristics that are related to the following:
- Adsorption (liquid-solid)
- Partition (liquid-solid)
- Affinity or differences
These are based on their molecular weights. Due to the differences, some components of the mixture stay longer in the stationary phase and move slowly in the chromatography system. Others will pass rapidly into the mobile phase and leave in the system faster. In this technique, three components form the basis of chromatography, namely:
- Stationary phase
- Mobile phase
- Separated molecules
Microscopy and its use
Microscopy is another technique used in microscopes to view objects and samples that can’t be seen with the naked eye. The general term used is light microscopy, where light is transmitted from the source, which is the opposite side of the sample on the objective lens. The light passes through the condenser, focusing on the sample to have maximum brightness. After the light passes through the sample, it will go through the objective lens magnifying the image of the sample and to the oculars where the image is enlarged and viewed.
Osmometry
The advanced analytical method to determine the osmotic concentration of solutions is called osmometry. The osmotic concentration of the colloidal system is expressed in OSm or osmoles per unit of volume or weight. In the context of clinical and formulation, osmolarity is a solute, small as ions, which requires exceptional sensitivity to the milliosmole range.
In tonicity, measuring the total solute concentration of samples, the osmometers define the extent to a solution that moves water through a semipermeable membrane through osmosis. It is called the tonicity. The three types of tonicity in osmometry are:
- Hypotonicity
- Hypertonicity
- Isotonicity
Spectrometry
Spectrometry works on these factors:
- a measurement of interactions between matter and light
- the measurements and reactions of wavelength and radiation intensity
Spectrometry is an approach to studying and measuring the specific spectrum and is widely used for spectroscopic analysis.
There are different types of osmometry. There are several osmometer configurations developed to measure the concentration of solutes in several types using colligative properties options. The vapor-phase osmometry exploits the relationship between the vapor pressure and boiling points to measure solute concentration.
All these are available at Rubicon Science.