Australia's Science Forum

I work at Penrith but live in the Blue Mountains as do many staff and students. We had one family, a year 12 girl loose their home. I live at Woodford and on the southern side so for the moment are quite safe but things can change very quickly! the school had a fundraiser and raised over $2000 for t...

Hi katie

I get most of my MSDS from the Chem Supply web site at chemtalk.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=451

John

Sorry I can not help with a copy of this video but an interesting sideline for you. My wife is the teacher librarian here and she was reading a book to a Y2 class. Can not remember the exact title, was something about a missing video, and one boy asked “what’s a video?” Most of th...

Staff also did it here this year. I would have to agree, very basic for anyone who has any previous OH&S etc. knowledge. Like Sunray I found it very easy but other staff members who had no previous knowledge did find it a bit more of a challenge, but all still worked through it ok. If you are th...

Adding a few weeks long service to the next hols and the wife and I are off to Chile. Our “daughter” (actually an exchange student who lived with us for 12 months back in 1999) is getting married, so it a wedding then some sightseeing. So I am brushing up on my Spanish. A good friend who...

What exactly do you mean by chemical bingo? We made a game we call element bingo – laminated cards with the Chemical Symbols to mark off and small cards with the symbol and name to pull from the “hat” . Kids like it, was easy to make.

John

You can get it at coles, woolies in their spice etc section

John

To give Max one” brownie point” in my experiance they usually do manage to get the orders filled and correct – there are a few supplies out there, that I will not name, where I think their “pickers” cannot count pass 20 ( fingers and toes!!) and have know idea what the...

Hi All Can I just make a quick comment about sending things overseas, especially to Pacific Island Countries? Can I please just ask that anyone that is thinking of sending things overseas to be very discerning in just what you send! Sadly the Pacific Islands have become a bit of a dumping ground for...

I purchased a roll from Bunnings -in their painting section.

John

We have a no Denim policy here which really does not worry me. My biggest bug bear about our dress code is male staff members are expected to wear ties in winter time.- terms 2 and 3. I always say the world is a dangerous enough place and laboratories even more so without having a rope around your n...

I can attend both Staff and Faculity meeting. In saying that there is know pressure to either way to attend or not! I go depending on what is on the agenda and I am free do leave when things move onto teacher stuff!

John

Sue

I get mine from BOC at Weatherell Park

Hi Rosemary

Bromine water is a class 8 (corrosive) dangerous good with a sub class 6.1 (toxic) so it is more suitable to store with your acids than in a flammable cupboard. I store mine at the bottom of my acid store in its own separate plastic container with a lid.

John

Don't know how it compares in price but I purchase my plaster of paris from Bunnings! The Penrith Store carries it so would presumme all stores would?

John

Hi All Well I am off the Friendly Islands (Tonga) these holidays. My wife – the teacher librarian here at school and I are taking 14 staff and students to visit and work (not to much) in a school over there. This will be our 4th trip to Tonga to visit our sister school in the village of Nukun...

Hi Ian The most important thing is to store your chemicals as per their dangerous goods class, ie all toxic together, all oxidisers together and so on! The MSDS will give you that info. As far as giving away chemicals,over he years (way to many) I have worked in a number of different labs both priva...

We have done this prac for years with no trouble- the teacher or myself just add it for the students- you are only using 2mls at a time and with the appropriate PPE ie safety glasses we have not had a problem. If you do not have Sodium Iodide(13.5g) you can use Potasium Iodide (15g)

John

Old method we have here for Ph Buffer 10.1
Never made this up, so don’t know how good it is but you could give it a try!

Dissolve 6.75g NH4Cl in 500mls distilled water Add 57mls.conc. NH4OH and dilute to 1lt.

John

Hi

Just back from 4 weeks in Europe! Took a bit of long service leave, visited France, Austria and Italy were it was blue skies, no rain and over 30 every day. Bit of a shock to the system to be back in freezing Penrith after swimming in the Mediterranean!!

John