A pipette is used to dispense a precise volume of liquid. It must be used together with a pipette bulb or pipette pump. Pipettes take practice. Before using the pipette to obtain experimental data, you should practice a few times with water. This allows you to get a feel for how to use the pipette. First, squeeze the bulb to remove the air. Place the bulb gently on top of the pipette. You do not need to jam the bulb on top. It simply rests against the pipette to make a seal. Release the bulb slowly to draw liquid into the pipette. Do not allow the liquid to splash up into the bulb. When you have drawn up enough liquid, replace the pipette bulb with your index finger or thumb. When this point on, use your finger to control the flow of liquid into the receiving container. Graduated pipettes are marked every .1 milliliter, which means that they can be used to measure liquid volumes to the hundreds place. Notice that the marking started zero at the top and increased down the length of the pipette. To use a pipette, draw up slightly more liquid than you need to dispense. It is not necessary to pull liquid all the way to the zero line. Remember, after drawing up enough liquid with the pipette bulb, you will use your finger to control the flow. Record your initial measurement to the hundreds place. Release liquid into your receiving container until the desired amount has been dispensed. Record this final volume to the hundreds place. The volume dispensed will be calculated by difference. The final volume minus the initial volume equals the volume dispensed.