Australia's Science Forum

Lyn,

Dry ice in the Wet Season can be fun, coz the little pellets all ice over with the moisture in the air!

I have in the past placed the bottle on/in a bucket full of warm water. However last time we did that we blew the bucket up too! Laugh! We had a piece of bucket in the Yr10 locker area, another in the Yr12 area (Opposite direction). Seriously though, we hose the unexploded bottles - remembering that the water in our hoses is at least 25 degrees. The heat moves things along. So yeah, drop unexploded bottles into a bucket of hot water and run really fast! And don't forget the basic recipe, which is fill the bottle to 1/4-1/3 dry ice whatever the volume of the bottle, to ensure that it will blow up.

Pringles can candle recipe: Take one Pringles can. Turn it upside down. Make a tiny tiny hole in the metal base of the can. Make a few airholes in the other end, which used to be the top, only now it's the base. (Is that clear? Hopefully. ) Replace the plastic cap. Run a piece of bunsen hose thru one of the airholes and fill the can with bunsen gas. Light a taper (maybe even one that has been taped to a metre ruler) and light the little hole. STAND WELL BACK! Hopefully, the gas will burn with a little flame UNTIL the half the gas is gone, and the can now has a 50/50 mix of gas and air. Then it will blow up! Yay!

Hi All
Just an up date on my ears
Doctor wants me to have a hearing test in about a months time
I said why so long he said to let the ears settle down first
So at the end of June a hearing test .
Ringing has stoped so hope all is good

Noona,

Hope the long term outcome is all good.

Oh dear Noona, so glad you are okay.
I'm very tentative with all that kind of stuff - give me a good spreadsheet to type any day.
I have had some excellent help though lately overcoming my high concentration HCl fears. My special needs teacher gave me some fantastic help. Who'd a thought it??
Hey Wendy - I know who you are talking about - looking forward to chatting with him about that one!

Cheers,

Searchie

So glad the ringing has stopped Noona! And wishing you all the best for a great hearing test later on.

Good news, Noona. Please don't forget to update us after your next test.

Hi all i have a dry ice problem. My HOD want the Year 9 students to handle dry ice and do,
(what are normally demo experiments) themselves. I am against this and feel these expts should stay demo only. Any feed back would be appreciated
Thanks
Rell
Irymple Secondary College

Rell,
I know that you are in Vic, not NSW, and so you are not governed by the CSIS Manual, but up here in NSW, the CSIS manual lists Solid CO2 an being a "Teacher Only" chemical. Not even senior students are allowed to touch it.

If you were in NSW, your teacher would be "Hung, drawn and quartered" if he gave Dry Ice to a Year 9 class.

The teacher should wear thick leather gloves, goggles and face protection.

Can you voice your concerns to your HOD (or is it the HOD that wants to do the experiment?)

Cheers
Ian

Hi all Its the HOD that wants to do this with Yr9. Does anyone in Vic know where i can find info on dry ice in schools
Thanks
Rell

Hi Rell, I'm in Vic too but couldn't find anything on dry ice. We recently had a yr 8 teacher do dry ice to make icecream. I decided that all I could do was warn & make sure they did the risk assessment appropriately. They are supposed to be trained & be safety conscious.

I have a work book that I keep & make sure I sign it everyday to say I've done my daily, weekly, monthly, termly checks on things etc... & other info like chemical degradation / lid seals checks & I also add in any pracs I believe to be particularly dangerous & that I warned & checked that the risk assessment was done.

I know that doesn't help the kids but I'd be a raving mess if I had to stop all these teachers. It's been pointed out to me before that I'm a lab tech & it's just my job to keep the chemicals safe & make sure the RAs are done. Not my job to question teachers. So I've stopped - UNLESS it's really dangerous & I can suggest a substitute. It's still up to the teachers whether they are happy with the substitute though.

Do I have a bad attitude???

Hi Rell & Kel,

Why dont you have a look on the Workcover web site, they MAY have an info sheet, just a thought, unless you contacted your education dept.
I am with you, it is way too dangerous to let yr9 lose with it

cheers
Lisa

Ian wrote:Rell,
I know that you are in Vic, not NSW, and so you are not governed by the CSIS Manual, but up here in NSW, the CSIS manual lists Solid CO2 an being a "Teacher Only" chemical. Not even senior students are allowed to touch it.

If you were in NSW, your teacher would be "Hung, drawn and quartered" if he gave Dry Ice to a Year 9 class.

The teacher should wear thick leather gloves, goggles and face protection.

Can you voice your concerns to your HOD (or is it the HOD that wants to do the experiment?)

Cheers
Ian

I'm with Ian, plus sorry it's Science not Home Science., my HT will not allow any food experiment in science labs. If your HT won't do anything maybe it's time to speak with the Principle or O.H. & S committee. As for not questioning teachers OMG especially on safety

Do I have a bad attitude???

Hey Kel,

Isn't it a requirement for the job??? Anyway, one can always question the teachers using the diminutive approach which I always use on kids: "I wonder why you thought that would be OK to do?" (Imagine raised eyebrows and quizzical look)

The one and only teacher who ever queried my qualification to have an opinion (on safety, experimental procedures etc) wasn't even a Science teacher. She informed me that I was "only the teacher aide that works in the Science Dept". Lucky for me all the Science staff attacked her with knives, metaphorically speaking, and My HOD kind of said "Step away from the irate lab technician, who is a valuable member of my staff, and no-one gets hurt."

So maintain the rage sister. OR take the stress less option and let them blow themselves up, while you maintain the Chem Store!

LOL DON'T UPSET THE LABBIE


just had to add, I had a HT years ago, who keep letting me know I was just a Lab ass. till one day while she we stilling going on at me, I picked the phone up, told the Burser I was going home, I felt like throwing up!!!!!! no pracs for her that day, she never did it again