Australia's Science Forum

I have a phototropism monitor, almost antique, and I've forgotten how to use it. I know you wind it up and start it somehow and it then turns. The clear container on the top is to allow the sunlight to register......but on a little plant?, or what? It's by Griffin and George Ltd. London.

I recommend this experiment. We put a male and a female zebrafish together on Momday. On Tuesday the female laid eggs and the male fertilised them. We collected the viable eggs (mine made about 300!) and then we observed the cell division of the embryos. Every 15 mins the cell divides. Now Friday we...

We are trialling a Veski program and they are coming to our school on Monday to set up "Bioeyes". These are wee fish (I think). Males and Females are put together on Monday, the kids sort viable eggs Tuesday, on Friday they observe wee baby fish. I think! Has anyone else done this? if so, ...

I'll try and get some photos up next week. My area was rebuilt last year. The HOD, myself , the Principal, Physics (and IT) teacher (whose wife is an architect) and the architect, all had heaps of input. We wrote the list of requirements and most of these were met. We have ended up with a fab area f...

I have done the grated carrot and sugar to draw out an infected splinter, the biol teacher explained the science tho'.
And I have heard that the reason some peoples feet stink so bad is the toxins being emitted.

The teacher and his class did the pea DNA extraction and I did the banana one, mine worked more quickly and we got a great microscope slide from it. And mine smelt better. I printed it from chemtalk, so thanks guys! The pea one worked but was more involved and as said, not as easy to get a good slid...

Mine is sp.gr.0.91 and about 25%. It depends what it's for. I usually do (from my recipe book) 112ml of 0.88 into water up to 1 litre for 2M=2N. This I take for 1M to be about 56ml up to 1L. (also what The Laboratory says). 18% is roughly 3 quarters so non analytically how about 56ml up to 750ml. Th...

Does anyone know if these ideas are still current. I need a new periodic table poster. The one I have is a Time Life one. Thanks.

I use a mercury spill kit, and then save it for chem pick up, I don't put any heavy metals or toxic ones into the general waste.

Hmmm interesting. My old "Handbook of Laboratory Solutions" is 200ml ethanol up to 1 litre as well, but the Methyl Orange/Bromocresol green ind is just water? so I don't get it. Maybe the alcohol dissolves it better or alternatively preserves it longer??? I make mine up with ethanol and wa...

It's in the Yr 8 book, "another way to make hydrogen", after the HCl and Mg pop test. With the Ca we just use water tho". Rate of reaction is diff strengths of HCl and Mg I think.

I'd try HCl, dilute. A lot of chemistry is reactions that in the real world would be considered foolhardy. We used to make Nitric Dioxide near an open window and issue a warning , now it gets done in the fume cupboard.

I make it in trays of the required thicknesses and then just a sharp knife or razor to cut from there. Most of the time the students do that cutting.

Milk kaleidoscope is my favourite. Full cream milk in a petri dish with a couple of drops of different food-colours in the "corners" and then a drop of detergent (morning fresh) in the middle. How many drops of water fit on top of a coin? And the pH column. 20 fun filled minutes!

Done it for years, works well. I use beakers with paper towel around the inside of beaker sawdust, dirt, or vermiculite in the middle. Put seeds between the glass and the paper. Put in a warm spot , not too warm tho'. Dont over water. When they germinate you should get the different colours, as per ...

Thanks for your input everyone.

Spent one week putting science dept back together after refurb. Welcome back everyone.

I have to unload all my chemicals into my new storage room. I have a vented flammables cupboard, (3's), I have a wall of lined shelving, at the end are 2 double full length cupboards with doors but not sealed, and a big sealed but not vented fire cupboard. I have exhaust fans. I don't have many 4's....

Somewhere not that long ago, (last year), there was a post regarding storing class 4 chems together and how it could be done safely. Could someone please direct me to it. I don't want to have to search every post.

What do you have? Our refurb has a hand held shower (no drains tho'). Does anyone know if we have to have a double eye washing thingy? And what do you recommend? Sorry about the late query but we're still nitpicking prior to taking on occupation.