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Chemistry vocabulary · Laboratory Equipment and Techniques

Centrifuge

Meaning in chemistry, with examples

/ˈsentrɪfjuːdʒ/nounCommon term

In chemistry, centrifuge means: A machine that spins samples at high speed so that heavier particles or solids collect at the bottom of the tube and can be separated from the liquid.

In Turkish: santrifüj, santrifüj cihazı

How it is used

Used in analytical, inorganic and biochemistry labs. It is both a noun and a verb: you centrifuge or spin down samples, balance the rotor and set the speed in rpm or g. The clear liquid on top is the supernatant.

Example sentences

  1. Always balance the tubes in the centrifuge before you start it.

  2. Centrifuge the suspension for five minutes and pour off the supernatant.

Common collocations

  • centrifuge tube
  • spin down
  • balance the centrifuge
  • centrifuge at 3000 rpm
  • filtrationA method of separating a solid from a liquid by passing the mixture through filter paper or another porous material that lets only the liquid through.
  • precipitateAn insoluble solid that forms when two solutions are mixed and separates out of the liquid. As a verb, the word means to form such a solid.
  • pipetteA thin glass or plastic tube used to measure and transfer a precise volume of liquid. Volumetric types deliver one fixed volume; micropipettes handle microliters.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Laboratory Equipment and Techniques

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