Australia's Science Forum

As an independent school, we do not have to follow CSIS. Riskassess is up to date, whereas the only copy of CSIS that we have access to is nearly 20 years old. So lots of changes to chemical classification in that time that Riskassess is considering when determining the year code. If you don't have...

Does anyone have anything interesting planned for end of year/xmas class activities this year?

We use some broken burettes when we look at viscosity. Stopper one end, add your liquid, put a small ball baring in, stopper the other end and tip upside down. (tape the stoppers if necessary and leave a small air gap otherwise one stopper gets pushed out when you push the second one in). Could you ...

Thanks for the replies and ideas. The room i'm setting up was a dedicated data logging room. Long and skinny with a bench along one wall with lots of power points. Nowadays our data loggers are used in the labs and the room is just a dumping spot. I've put a tall gratnell draw system in and have ord...

Does anyone have a dedicated workstation setup for the repair of Physics equipment? If so what tools, equipment etc do you have there? I'd like to make a workstation where everything can be left permanently so I don't have to dig through cupboards and pull everything out just to fix something then h...

Yesterday I made up some phenolphthalein indicator as per B Dungey's The Laboratory i.e. 2g phenolphthalein in 600ml ethanol made up to 1L with distilled water. I noticed that it was bubbling ever so slightly so I left it loosly covered over night, not wanting to seal the bottle with a gas being pro...

Thank you for your replies.

I have a copy of "Laboratory Technicians Standards Draft" that is dated 16th August 2011. Does anyone know if this has gone any further?

I heat carefully in a bunsen too. Usually works.

My school uses Denbigh Admin. Not for chemicals but for student info etc. Our IT people can manipulate any part of the database so you may be able to have MSDS expiry date added.

Matt

Excel spreadsheet. If you add the right columns you can sort spreadsheets to do lots of useful stuff like show which SDS need updating/reprinting etc.

Different model but it might still be useful.
http://www.<URL removed, see forum rules>/z_pdfs/ap4660-001.pdf

I did this a few years ago and it worked properly. Air bubbles under the can? Maybe try another can of normal coke?

Variegated Coleus - leaves are green with a white center.

We sometimes use the webcam in our laptops pointed at the bench then displayed with the data projector.

I've used clear enamel spray as a sealing agent before. A few coats usually works well. Bunnings sells it.

There are two of us at my school. I'm here everyday and the other lab tech works 3 days a week.

You can model the Peppered moth scenario.
50 green toothpicks 50 red toothpick. Throw them over an area of grass. Give a class 5 minutes to find as many as they can. Count them up to see the change in the toothpick population/species. (food colouring for the toothpicks)