bleh dithering over lab supplies. getting something specific to the lab vs. purposing cheap stuff that might work about as well
@JigmeDatse yeah, like...here's a practical example
you can buy special "boats" for weighing things on an electronic balance
like, disposable plastic dishes
buuut you can also kinda use other things, like those little plastic cups that they sell as restaurant supplies, to put small volumes of condiments in. they're maybe not quite as suited to the task but they're a heck of a lot easier to get and cheaper
@Alyx Ah, I think those probably work reasonably well. I guess maybe the fancy boats are very precisely calibrated, so you shouldn't have to tare the scale every time. Or maybe some other possible advantages.... I know that for a while Nalgene bottles were all the rage, because of their connection to chemistry labs...
@Alyx Tricky decision. If you manage to successfully work with the cheaper stuff, that's awesome, but if it becomes an exercise in frustration... Ick!!!!