One question, does a centrifuge use centripetal or centrifugal force??? I thought it was centrifugal force at first but then I checked on the internet and it was saying that it is centripetal force.
@allroundgirl123 When referring to centrifuges, usually the term centrifugal force is used. However, it is not a "real" force. Centripetal force is the "real" force which acts inwards, while centrifugal force appears to act outwards. I'm not an expert in physics, so if you want more details about this, check out your inbox as I just sent you some links (I can't insert them here) - the links also provide some good examples to help understand the concept :)
@Amorquies When you centrifuge your sample, the pellet will form on the side of the tube that is facing outwards. So, if you place the hinge on the outside, your pellet will form on the hinge side. This makes it easier to pipette out the supernatant without disturbing the pellet, as your pipette tip can rest against the other side of the tube (without being blocked by the tube lid) as you remove the liquid.
@8Avenger If you are worried that your protein may be coming out in the flow through, keep the flow through, and run a sample of it on an SDS-PAGE gel. If you see a band, then some of your protein leaked out through the membrane.
Also, just make sure that your filter's MW cut off isn't too close to your protein's molecular weight or else you run the risk of your protein going through.
@luciferin1 Not balancing the tubes puts extra strain on the spindle. Depending on how imbalanced the tubes are, and how fast the rotor is spinning, you can badly damage the centrifuge....and even other objects (and people) around it. So always balance your tubes!
For many tabletop centrifuges, you can simply look at the tubes to see if they balanced. But for certain high speed centrifuges, you need to check their mass to make sure they are balanced.
One question, does a centrifuge use centripetal or centrifugal force??? I thought it was centrifugal force at first but then I checked on the internet and it was saying that it is centripetal force.
allroundgirl123 1 month ago
@allroundgirl123 When referring to centrifuges, usually the term centrifugal force is used. However, it is not a "real" force. Centripetal force is the "real" force which acts inwards, while centrifugal force appears to act outwards. I'm not an expert in physics, so if you want more details about this, check out your inbox as I just sent you some links (I can't insert them here) - the links also provide some good examples to help understand the concept :)
labtricks 1 month ago
@labtricks Thank you!
allroundgirl123 2 weeks ago
Why must I place the centrifuge tube with the hinge towards the outside of the centrifuge rotor?
Amorquies 5 months ago
@Amorquies When you centrifuge your sample, the pellet will form on the side of the tube that is facing outwards. So, if you place the hinge on the outside, your pellet will form on the hinge side. This makes it easier to pipette out the supernatant without disturbing the pellet, as your pipette tip can rest against the other side of the tube (without being blocked by the tube lid) as you remove the liquid.
Try it out both ways and you'll see! =)
labtricks 5 months ago
@labtricks thank you so much! :) And I shall
Amorquies 5 months ago
Could you tell me, during the diafiltration process, how would you know if you were losing protein?
8Avenger 7 months ago
@8Avenger If you are worried that your protein may be coming out in the flow through, keep the flow through, and run a sample of it on an SDS-PAGE gel. If you see a band, then some of your protein leaked out through the membrane.
Also, just make sure that your filter's MW cut off isn't too close to your protein's molecular weight or else you run the risk of your protein going through.
labtricks 7 months ago
What will happen if I don't balance the tubes I put in the centrifuge?
luciferin1 7 months ago
@luciferin1 Not balancing the tubes puts extra strain on the spindle. Depending on how imbalanced the tubes are, and how fast the rotor is spinning, you can badly damage the centrifuge....and even other objects (and people) around it. So always balance your tubes!
For many tabletop centrifuges, you can simply look at the tubes to see if they balanced. But for certain high speed centrifuges, you need to check their mass to make sure they are balanced.
labtricks 7 months ago
Very helpfull ! thanks mate ;)
coolnet12see 11 months ago