Australia's Science Forum

Ive found the best way to store them is attached to a wire coathanger. Keeps them untangled and you can see easily how many are on the hanger. Then just hang the coathanger up. Easy Peasy.

Hi Everyone, Does anyone know where I can purchase some GHS Posters and the little pictogram stickers for our chemical containers and dropper bottles etc. Ive tried to find them but am having no luck. Im planning on putting a poster in each lab, so the students and teachers get to know these new sym...

We also have a hooter rather than a bell for lockdown and evacuation.
Evacuation is woop woop noise. Lockdown sounds like truck reversing.
They are very similiar to each other and very confusing to everyone.

Thanks sunray. This way worked perfect. I did get my above recipe out of the "Working in Science" book. But i will stick to your way. Much easier.

Hi Everyone, I just made a fresh batch of buiret reagent using 1.5g cop sulfate, 6g potassium iodide, 500ml dist water and 300ml of 10% NaOH. It was blueish in colour and worked well (our egg whites went purple). But now Im about to put into dropper bottles etc and its already gone brown. Did I do s...

Hi Labbie
I think what you have done is a fantastic idea, but do you have an actual list of the chemicals and then the codes. Like you said...
silver nitrate = 43.

Thanks

Thanks Lorrae. That sounds easy enough.

Thank you so much AnnNos!!

Hi all,

If in the CSIS Package it is telling me to "Neutralise" a chemical, what do i do?

Does it depend on the chemical?

First chemical i looked up for disposal.....Acetic Acid. Says neutralise before disposing down the sink.

Neutralise with what and how?

Please help!!

Hi everyone, I am just wondering if anyone of you organised Lab Assistants out there has ever made up their own listing from the csis package on "Disposal of Chemicals". I currently check the csis package so that i know what to do with the waste, but my teachers have requested that I do th...

Hi Everyone, Do we all still use Borax? The MSDS (Material safety data sheet) contains a strong warning "May damage fertility" or "cause harm to the unborn child" ?? I have teachers who wish to use it this time of year for "fun pracs". I am concerned. But do we all use ...

Hi Everyone, My school has an abundance of old outdated textbooks. I contacted Lifeline book donations and they will NOT accept out of date textbooks as they have to pay to get rid of them (fair enough). Has anyone donated textbooks overseas, for example to Africa? Does anyone know how this works? D...

Hi, I do have flame test spray bottles. I usually make up a "bucket" solution and add 5ml of ethanol. Works great when the bottles are made up fresh. After a while the spray bottles get clogged up and just refuse to work (because of the chemicals i think). Also we do this prac as demo only...

Hi Everyone,

Just wondering....Is Zinc Powder a teacher only chemical? I have looked in CSIS and could only find Zinc Dust (which to me is the same as Zinc Powder).

I realise Zinc Metal, Granules and Foil are all ok for years 7-12, but concerned about the powder???

Thanks

Hi Everyone, My year 12 Chemistry teacher is about to do the Sulfate Content of Lawn Fertiliser Prac with her class. She wants to use a fertiliser that actually makes the prac work. Last year we used Hortico Lawn Food and the prac didn't work. Can anyone tell me what she should use instead? Thanks.

Thanks guys. Found it.

Hi Everyone, At the wonderful St Marys Science Course I did last week, it was mentioned that there is a Blank Risk Assessment copy in the CSIS package that I can photocopy and use. I was told the only time us DEC staff need to do a Risk Assessment is when the teachers are doing an experiment which f...

Thank you to everyone who replied to my question yesterday. Is the Man Dingo experiment banned in schools (or elephant poo experiment)??? Lots of you still do it, but some are saying they dont. We have two teachers here who are disagreeing over whether this experiment is permitted or not. Please hel...

Hi Everyone,

A teacher has just asked me if they are still allowed to do the Man Dingo Experiment???

Its the burning of sugar and sulphuric acid i believe.

She thinks it may be banned. She was going to do it in her room in the fume cupboard.

Any answers???

Thanks heaps.

Hi Labbie, I would love the copy of the letter from Richard Morante. Fax no is 02 42571744. just mark it attention lab asst. Still think we need to stop the confusion though. There were quite a few public school lab assistants at Phil Crisps lecture thinking that we all need to change to his system....