04/10/13

Today at my internship, I prepared yet another set of buffers. (I have made so many buffers now that it has become a procedure in which I can carry through while sleeping!) When last week, however, my buffers were created from solids (the various powdery substances), today, the six buffers I was told to prepare was created from liquids. The three were: CH₃COONa, NH₄HCO₃ and (NH)₂SO₄. I was told to measure out 0.4 mL and 0.2 mL of CH₃COONa and NH₄HCO₃ while measuring out 1.68 mL and 2.4 mL of (NH)₂SO₄. After this process, I diluted the solutes with distilled water to get a final volume of 6 mL for each of the six tubes I prepared. [all had a molarity of 0.5M]

            Once these steps were done, I quickly calibrated the pH meter using three beakers containing solutes with pH 7, 9 and 10 respectively. After this preliminary step was completed, I measured the pH levels of the six solvents I had concocted and labeled them accordingly. (In the end, the pH levels of all 6 tubes came about roughly to the estimated 8)

Today, like the week before, I spent the entire time consumed with preparing these buffers. In retrospection, I can definitely say that my science capability and knowledge—more specifically that my laboratory skills—has improved tremendously. My current capability to go in and prepare a buffer or a test solvent based on measurements (numbers) alone never fails to amaze me. Next week, I am hoping to be doing something other than preparing buffers and actually moving towards working with the capillary electrophoresis machine.