This provides information on how to conduct DIY experiments.
General tips
10mm diameter glass Petri dishes hold approximately the volume of 2 10mm plastic Petri dishes.
Powerdered substances are much less dense than granular ones, probably less than half as dense.
The more ingredients you add to the same volume of water, the more gelling agent you need.
When using agar, the melting point of the gel is rather high, but particularly with some mixtures, if stored at a high temperature without ventilation, a film of liquid will form on all (inner) sides and ruin the plate.
Recipies
General purpose
Ingredient
Parts
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Water
16
½ cup
10 small spoonfuls
16 spoonfuls
Gelling agent
1
1 package
1.5 mL (granules)
9 mL (powder)
Chicken bouillon
1
1 cube
1.5 mL
3 mL
Sugar
1
1 tablespoon
1.5 mL
3 mL
End volume:
2 plastic Petri dishes
2 glass Petri dishes
Marine bacteria
Ingredient
Parts
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Water
9 spoonfuls
16 spoonfuls
400 mL (from ocean)
Gelling agent
9? mL (powder)
8.0 g (powder)
Chicken bouillon
1.5 mL
3 mL
8.0 g
Sugar
1.5 mL
3 mL
20.0 g
Aquarium salt
1.5 mL
3 mL
0.0 g
End volume:
1 glass Petri dish
2 glass Petri dishes
8 glass Petri dishes
Table salt is not a viable alternative to aquarium salt.