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Is a 2mg scale accurate enough?
| Q: |
I recently found a source where I could purchase some 5-MeO-AMT, and after reading about it I noticed the doses were relatively low. Also in the Research Chemical FAQ you said that a scale is necessary, so I looked around. Most scales that measure in milligrams [.001 of a gram] cost anywhere from $350-1000's. I checked out eBay.com, and they had a scale that measured low as .002 mg's. I asked a friend if it'd be ok, but he said I would have +/- uncertainties, my weight will be off, and ect. I wasn't to sure of what that meant, or if he is right, so now im going to ask you, since you are the bible of all that is chemically related. I appreciate the help. |
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| A: |
Unfortunately scales are expensive, but with many of the chemical materials available these days, it's important to be able to measure extremely accurately. As you say, 5-MeO-AMT is used in very small dosages of around 3-5 mg. A scale which has .002 gram readability (2 mg) is not going to be anywhere near accurate enough to measure doses this small directly. A scale of this sort is generally accurate to +/- .002 gram (2mg) at best. ".002 gram readability" means that the readout will only increment in 2mg jumps and will be off by as much as 2mg in either direction. So if you measure approx 5 mg of material, the scale could read anywhere from 2-8 mg, even when the scale is being used extremely carefully. Obviously in the case of a material like 5-MeO-AMT, this is definitely not accurate enough, as the difference between taking 2 and 8 mg of material is huge.
Scales of this sort need to be used on rock solid surfaces, with no air movement around them, at consistent temperatures, by someone who has practiced with the scale or they become even less accurate. Generally, a 2mg accuracy scale is not intended for use in measuring 2mgs, but rather for measuring 25mg or more, relatively accurately.
Using scales that aren't accurate enough to measure 1-5mg of a chemical directly doesn't mean they aren't useful, however. Using 'liquid measurement' techniques, scales like this can be used to get highly accurate doses even at 1 to 5 milligrams. Liquid measurement technique involves weighing a quantity of material that you can measure accurately (with this scale, say 50 or 100mg) then mixing the chemical with a known volume of a solvent (usually water or ethanol [drinking alcohol]) and using an eyedropper or graduated syringe to measure out known amounts of liquid. Liquid measurement techniques are used in industry & medicine and (when done properly) can result
in accuracy far beyond what can be achieved when attempting to weigh individual doses using a
scale. For more information about liquid measurement, see Liquid Measurement Techniques.
Hope this helps.
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