Australia's Science Forum

Have found this post by Robdean. Have a read and next time don't throw out the red stuff. Were the dropper bottles you used quite clean? Or the beaker you used to transfer liquid from the bottle wasn't contaminated in any way? It might be worth your while to have a browse through the search function...

The science budget should cover coloured cardboard and white cardboard for making all types of posters etc. We order packs of 100 sheets for the white cardboard and 50 sheet packs of multi-coloured cardboard. Our supplier is SBA/Office National which also handles school supplies ie, glue sticks, sci...

SDS copper(ll)nitrate hemipentahydrate. Hope this attachment works. Don't take any notice of the name of the attachment. It is the SDS for your chemical. Revision date is 19.10.2015. You won't need to replace the SDS for another five years. Sorry for the messing around but I have never tried to add ...

Don't go straight to the Sigma-Aldrich site. Google the chemical name first then choose Sigma-Aldrich SDS. I tried going straight to the company site and ended up having no joy. Let us know if you had any success.

Sigma-Aldrich has the SDS for that chemical. It is UN1477. I have an old bottle of copper nitrate that has mostly gone to liquid. I use it when needed for flame tests as it it definitely a concentrated solution.

Thanks for the update Margaret.

Just Google - School science laboratory technicians national standards 2013 - that was the latest edition put out. As to whether any school administration has looked at it and started to implement what is in there is another thing altogether.

Why hasn't the teacher given you a photocopy of the prac that they need and specified the number of groups which will do the prac. That way you don't have to guess what is needed. It shouldn't be up to you to remember how this prac may have been done elsewhere. I usually supply the dirt in a plastic...

Check the following http://www.practicalchemistry.org. Look for the standard techniques section and you will find a procedure for handling liquid bromine in ampoules and making up bromine water. It is a Nuffield Foundation site with science related information.

I still have a number of 1ml ampoules in storage but will not make up the solution myself. If a chemistry teacher wishes to make up their own solution then that is fine by me. I have watched an experienced chemistry teacher have a mishap while making up a solution from an ampoule and he received bur...

Was curious as to why there was a problem getting the battery covers off the STELR multimeters. Have just had a look at the STELR multimeters that we have. Undid the tiny screw of the battery cover with a small Phillipshead screwdriver and then used a flathead screwdriver to carefully lever the edge...

Forgot about Science Assist, was just focussed on the other stuff. Science Assist now has quite a bit of information on their site. I especially like the SOP's that are there. Procedures for diluting concentrated acids, dissections, operating lasers etc. Download them and put them in a folder/s. Let...

For the new people in Labby land you will definitely need to have your science department buy "The Laboratory - A Science Reference and Preparation Manual (Revis) by B. Dungey. Can be bought through Southern Biological or possibly ordered through a good book store. When you get your copy do not...

I do this demonstration outside the labs on a grassed area that has a flat patch of dirt. I use a large metal tray with a layer of sand on it. I place a 400ml beaker almost half filled with sugar on this bed of sand on the metal tray and then pour conc.sulfuric acid over the sugar till there is abou...

I printed off all the information on the chemicals and because the printer tried to fit everything on the A4 sheet I will need a very large hand lens to read the damn thing. #-o I think it could have been a little more user friendly and because the type is so tiny it is a little hard to compare with...

Why isn't the PSA referring to the 2013 Laboratory Technicians Standards report for job descriptions?

I know I'm not in NSW but please put on your list training/supervising teachers in how to do a variety of practicals that they are not familiar with before they get to the classroom.

I was buying food dye, amongst other things, for science and because there were not enough bottles of red dye I threw in a bottle of cochineal (which is red). The register came up with an alert. Turns out there is 18% alcohol content in the bottle of cochineal food dye. As if I would slip out into t...

It is time you had a chat with your IT guy to let him know that access to this site is very important for you to be able to do your job. You can also let him know that as part of your job, you will also be looking for further information on the internet with regards to the safe use and disposal of c...

Thanks Lou. I don't know what went wrong with the demo. The flour may have had some moisture in it from being kept in the fridge perhaps. Anyhow hopefully the next time it will work. Might try the lycopodium and see if it still has some spark left in it.