Australia's Science Forum

My HT is saying that this prac, which involves test tubes of hot metho, has been banned. She says that it's because of occasions where the metho has been heated over a Bunsen and the fumes have ignited. Has anyone else heard this? We use hot plates to heat a beaker of water to boiling, then put the ...

According to CSIS, orange (Years 11-12) for larger volumes, but green (years 7-10) for small volume dropper bottles.

Is anyone else unable to access Chemwatch OR RiskAssess today?
I can get on the internet - google, mail, this site etc but can't open the two sites I NEED!

We use the stillborn piglets from Dissection Connection. It freaks out some of the kids (and teachers) because some of the piggies are so cute.

Yes, we're the same.

I will bring this to the attention of the teacher involved - she IS of a child bearing age. But doesn't the fact that she didn't pick up on this herself show that the Risk Assessment wasn't even read???? I've just pointed it out to her, and she's not impressed. She's been doing this prac for years a...

One of my teachers is making a polymer with borax and PVA. According to RiskAssess, borax is a teacher only chemical, while CSIS (really old, I know) says it's suitable for years 7-12.

Ammonium acetate has the molecular weight of 77.08.
I wouldn't trust the bottle. I've bought chemicals from Silform before and they've been wrongly labelled.
Try contacting Silform for their advice.

Yes, I can't get in either. I've got as far as the login page, but then it comes up with a server error.

Hi Shanna
I searched on Chem Watch and found VWR copper(II) nitrate hemi(pentahydrate). UN No 3085. I can't get an SDS from the Chem Supply site.

Wow, that poem brought me to tears.

Our canteen does it (or at least I do it for them), but as the cleaners are contracted workers, I'm told they don't have to.
Doesn't make sense to me - their chemicals are still on our school grounds. But if I kick up too much of a fuss I'll end up having to do it.

So what proportions did you use, Rae? I might give it another go.

We couldn't get ours to work either.
I'm assuming it was the very old conc. acid.

I buy it too, but "The Laboratory" has the following method for preparation. 17.3g copper (II) sulfate, hydrated 100g sodium carbonate, anhydrous 173g sodium citrate, hydrated 1L distilled water 1. Dissolve sodium carbonate and citrate in approx 750mL distilled water by warming. Filter. 2....

When you've got pages of inappropriate chemicals try clicking on the column header 'relevance' a couple of times.
I have found it then sorts according to the closest match to your search.

We bought two from Education Matters in 2011.

This is taken from the Risk Assess site. zinc metal powder (zinc dust, flowers of zinc) Class: 4.3 PG: II Teacher CAS: 7440-66-6 UN: 1436 Potential hazards Fine powder ignites on heating and forms explosive mixtures with sulfur, bromine and iodine, or if dispersed finely in air; otherwise harmless.

Goodbye Noona.
You will be so sadly missed on this forum.
Enjoy this next phase of your life.
Carol

We are.
The HT thinks that it gives the class enough of an idea of what is going on, and is safer. She doesn't tell them that it's pretend.
And it's actually been a long time since anyone has used it.