A method comprising: collecting pressure data while dispensing fluid at a given rate in a range of 5 μL/sec to 400 μL/sec from a pipette tip attached to a pipette , the pressure data including a plurality of pressure values measured at an internal portion of the pipette and taken over a given time interval, and the plurality of pressure values including a maximum pressure value and a minimum pressure value; estimating a pressure range value between the maximum pressure value and the minimum pressure value; and responsive to the pressure range value being greater than or equal to a first threshold, determining that the fluid included a liquid, or responsive to the pressure range value being less than the first threshold, determining that the fluid did not include a liquid; estimating a pressure area ratio that identifies at least two pressure data curves, each of the at least two pressure data curves corresponding to at least a portion of the plurality of pressure values, wherein the pressure area ratio corresponds to first and second pressure data curves with the pressure area ratio being a first maximum area that corresponds to the first pressure data curve for a first time interval to a second maximum area that corresponds to a second pressure data curve for a second time interval, wherein the maximum area refers to the integral of the respective pressure data curve and corresponds to a maximum pressure value and minimum pressure value for the respective pressure data curve; comparing the pressure area ratio to a second threshold ; and responsive to the pressure area ratio being greater than the second threshold, determining that the fluid included a sufficient amount of the liquid, or responsive to the pressure area ratio being less than or equal to the second threshold, determining that the fluid did not include a sufficient amount of the liquid. collecting pressure data while dispensing fluid at a given rate in a range of 5 μL/sec to 400 μL/sec from a pipette tip attached to a pipette , the pressure data including a plurality of pressure values measured at an internal portion of the pipette and taken over a given time interval, and the plurality of pressure values including a maximum pressure value and a minimum pressure value; estimating a pressure range value between the maximum pressure value and the minimum pressure value; and responsive to the pressure range value being greater than or equal to a first threshold, determining that the fluid included a liquid, or responsive to the pressure range value being less than the first threshold, determining that the fluid did not include a liquid; estimating a pressure area ratio that identifies at least two pressure data curves, each of the at least two pressure data curves corresponding to at least a portion of the plurality of pressure values, wherein the pressure area ratio corresponds to first and second pressure data curves with the pressure area ratio being a first maximum area that corresponds to the first pressure data curve for a first time interval to a second maximum area that corresponds to a second pressure data curve for a second time interval, wherein the maximum area refers to the integral of the respective pressure data curve and corresponds to a maximum pressure value and minimum pressure value for the respective pressure data curve; comparing the pressure area ratio to a second threshold ; and responsive to the pressure area ratio being greater than the second threshold, determining that the fluid included a sufficient amount of the liquid, or responsive to the pressure area ratio being less than or equal to the second threshold, determining that the fluid did not include a sufficient amount of the liquid. <EOS>