Australia's Science Forum

We have good success with the 10/10/10 bouncing ball recipe.
!0ml water/10mlPVA glue/10mlBorax powder

Joy

My teachers are loving the Science Essentials Australian Curriculum edition by Macmillan.

joy

We bought our digital microscopes last year from AIS. Don't make the same mistake we did. Ask about the operating system required because the one we bought only works on Windows XP or older, nothing newer. All our computers use newer Windows than that so we have to have a dedicated laptop that still...

If the teacher insists on doing the tests with blood how about you get him some dog blood from your local vet? Its a compromise that might work.
Joy

Great advice, thanks Rosalie and Voice.
Joy

The principal has just asked me to come up with some colour suggestions for our new labs that are being built. Sounds like fun. Im thinking something light and neutral. Beyond that I have no idea. Any of you guys have colour schemes that seem to really work?

Joy

Thanks guys. I have found out that the teacher also did a similar experiment where glycerol is added to the potassium permanganate. I googled and discovered this produces white smoke and a purple flame. How nice! Specky for the kids no doubt but it would have been nice to have been informed!! :redca...

All you chemists out there I need your expert advice! Yesterday a teacher did an experiment with potassium permanganate and sulfuric acid. No notice, no information just "do we have these chemicals, great see ya later" type thing. So I googled "potassium permanganate and sulfuric acid...

The thing that concerns me about labels is the heading "Nonhazardous." Often a substance is classed as a dangerous good but nonhazardous so the label has the word nonhazardous as the main heading. I think its a bit misleading to the lay person.
Joy

I did a bit of measuring and found out that the new prep rooms and storage rooms in the new building are half the size of our present rooms. So it looks like we will be moving all our equipment into a smaller area and there will be no office space so I will be going back and forth between buildings ...

Our school was successful in getting govt funding for a new science centre. Now the problems begin. The design chosen by our principal is not one that the teachers or I would have chose. There will be two labs (one set up for physics/general science and the other for chem/biology) each with its own ...

After talking to my firefighter hubby I have decided to supply extra long matches! That's about all I can do - the rest is going to be up to the teacher. The main danger I can see is the lighting of the fuels and the possibility of them being knocked over. Some fuels are going to be placed in crucib...

Not sure if this has already been covered. If it has please forgive me. Does any one do pracs where flammable liquids are set alight? A teacher here plans to do a 'burning things' prac and Im a bit unsure because I haven't come across burning of petrol, diesel, metho and kero in the labs before. I e...

I have had some further advice about this experiment. The main danger is the extreme temperature that is reached and in the small chance of the test tube bursting - well nasty, nasty thought. The difficulty is in convincing inexperienced teachers (males are the hardest) to take care. They think &quo...

Any idea why potassium chlorate is banned in NSW? I have had a teacher doing this experiment recently and had a difficult time convincing him to be careful with it but my msds only states that it is moderately harmful. The worst part seems to be that it emits toxic smoke. Teacher wanted to do the ex...

Heres what I have decided to do. Install paper towel dispensers and liquid soap dispensers - one set in each lab. No more cloth towels! :yuck: As for wiping up benches I think I will try the chux hanging over each sink. It will be good to get rid of the present system where teachers rush into the pr...

This is interesting as I have recently put it to my head teacher that we install soap dispensers and hang a towel in each lab. I am getting sick of towels being taken from prep room and ending up being used to wipe benches. I find I have to wash them far more regularly than once a term! I have even ...

In the past our HST ran a science quiz for junior classes - the quiz was given out as homework and students could enlist their family to help - there was a small prize for the best entry. That teacher left so last year I organised a display of interesting hands on science gadgets in the library and ...

rae wrote:Joy
what company required the EUD??

Lorrae

It was Crown Scientific.
Joy

We've done this with grade nines before but only as a demo. We use large test tubes to accommodate the jelly bean or gummie bear (the tt gets thrown out afterwards), and it is done in a fume cupboard. The chemical we use is potassium chromate not potassium chloride. The kids don't think it is that s...