5 tube balancing argument

[Francois Coulier]

On 9 Oct 1996, John Dixon wrote:

> Some one here was doing 5 minipreps (equal volume) and was loading a 12
> hole microcentrifuge, when he found that the balance tubes had been
> cleared away. He was about to fill another sixth tube to balance 3
> opposite 3, when I said that you can balance five anyway. This started a
> massive debate, which has now come down to three positions. 
> 
> I reckoned that if you put three tubes in, in a triangle ie in holes 1,5,9
> these are balanced. Then you can balance the two others opposite each
> other in holes 2 and 8.

I routinely, and for years, balance my tube this way. No centrifuge crash
so far, so the tubes MUST be balanced.

> 
> One guy maintains that this is not balanced at all, on the grounds that
> you can split the fuge into two halves where one half has two tubes and
> the other has three, therefore it must be unbalanced. I am not convinced.
 
What does this guy say about balancing 3 tubes? Is he still able to split
the rotor in 2 equal halves?


Francois Coulier
INSERM Unite 119
27 bd Lei Roure
13009 Marseille
France

tel (33) 91 75 84 11 (October 18, 1996=> 33 (0) 4 91 75 84 11)
fax (33) 91 26 03 64 (October 18, 1996=> 33 (0) 4 91 26 03 64)
email: coulier at infobiogen.fr