Australia's Science Forum

Smiley, I thought of throwing them at the wall - similar concept I suppose

I'm trying to clean up some beakers after the students made crystal gardens using waterglass and cobalt chloride, magnesium nitrate and manganese sulfate. I managed to scrape out the bulf of it, but I've now had the beakers soaking (in just water) for a few days and I still can't shift the residue. ...

I don't know, Fiona, but maybe some sort of floor exercise whilst balancing a bottle of acid in one hand and a base in the other? Could be spectacular if things go bad!

Not sure how it applies to schools, but out in the big wide world of agriculture, chemicals must be in a locked store with floor bunding (to contain any spills). Herbicides are stored separately to other pesticides and powders are stored above liquids. The store should be ventilated and with access ...

I like the photo idea. I think I'll do that anyway!

Need some clever suggestions, which I'm sure I'll get. We've just purchased 10 Moh's Scale of Hardness Sets. All the rock samples are numbered but with a glued on label. I know that they'll be lucky to last one period with our new batch of excited Year 7s next year and I'll be left with 90 un-number...

Lyn
Seems like your method resolves my mind-numbing dilemma. May not be strictly correct, but it's not like we're not treating them as toxic substances also.

I've had a look in CSIS which does state that the DGs be stored according to their primary classification, this means that there are probably "a few" things in our chem store that are not stored correctly, I think I will go with the flow for now because to rearrange could be quite complica...

It is both a 5.1 and 6.1, so our's is stored with the oxidising substances, which should all be stored together.

Wow, that's encouraging! I was expecting it to be only good for a short period. Thanks for the info.
M.

In relation to the "ready to use" bromine water, does anyone know how long it lasts for, both unopened and opened?
Thanks
M.

Kathryn I'm familiar with the types of hand gel you're talking about. A couple of questions to ask: Is the hand gel for the use of the teacher or the students? If it's just for the teacher, can they put it out of reach of the students? Does the bottle have any warnings such as "keep out of reac...

Thanks, J, I'll put the ready made on my shopping list for next time. I managed to half fill 8 dropper bottles from what was already there, don't know how old it is or how effective, but that's all they're getting! It makes you wonder what all the contact with these chemicals must have on us. I ofte...

Wow, I didn't realize how seasonal this job could be. I see that there have been a few posts this week already about Bromine water. A teacher here has also asked for 10 dropper bottles of bromine water. Having caught a whiff of this stuff once, I don't think I'd want to use it outside of a fume cupb...

Tigger I found in a DEET publication that suggests soaking in hot water, then try heating with a bunsen, rotate for even heating and while it's still hot tap gently with a wooden spatula handle (tap in the direction it has to move to come out). Next suggestion is to try soaking in kerosene for about...

noona Where do we park when coming to the conference, you mentioned parking was tight? If anyone needs a lift to the motel in the afternoon, I'm happy to help out. I'm not so sure how I'll go in the morning, especially Thursday as I haven't been to that part of the world in ages and I'm not sure wha...

Ian I work in a "need to know" world, I know what I need to! To answer your question, my husband looks after the training for Forensic Services (ie crime scene) for NSW. He loves physics, but struggles to get his head around basic biological concepts. He has proved to me that you don't hav...

Ian We may not agree on the bio/physics argument but I agree with you on this. All the benefits of the school life eg not working school holidays (for the lucky amongst us), no weekend work, etc but none of the stresses of being a teacher, eg taking work home, working back late, coming in on weekend...

I agree with reading the warning then making a sensible judgement. If we obeyed every warning that gets around now, we may not make it out of the house of a morning. I suppose the laws have swung so far to one side because of people (and employers) making some stupid decisions in the past. Here's to...

I've probably mentioned elsewhere that I'm an ex-nursery person and never encountered anyone contracting any illness from the potting mixes (although we did have this weird apprentice :crazy: who claimed that the fungal spores she had breathed in had come out through her skin and caused this very st...