Australia's Science Forum

Any creative ideas on how to store and transport sets of quadrants?
Kathryn

We ended up going with Vernier. My HoD managed to get some of the cost from Capital budget due to our previous loggers basically becoming obsolete due to the school changing over from PC to Mac's. The teachers have been very happy with Vernier and we are purchasing a few more items this year.

Good morning all Looking for ideas on storage of separating funnels. We have only had a few so they have been in a drawer but with an expected big increase in Chemistry students next year, I have purchased a bunch more. They could do with a tidier, safer way to be stored. Thanks in advance. Kathryn :)

Sherbet

using tea as an acid / base indicator; https://blog.doublehelix.csiro.au/colou ... lemon-tea/

Getting them to engage in anything is a challenge atm

Thanks everyone. As it was actually for first aid I bought the nitrile gloves from Westlab - they seemed to have the best price.

Suggestions for where to purchase the cheapest disposable gloves?
Thanks
Kathryn

As I said, I have done that and the colour has not changed.

Hi all Looking for updated advice on potassium permanganate disposal. I have followed the Science Assist recommendations of adding 2M sulfuric acid then 10% sodium bisulfate but the colour has hardly reduced. So now I have gone from having 250mls 0.1M pot. permanganate to having about 2L - still dar...

laboratory safety checklist pg 157

"Is the first aid kid available ?"

Kathryn

I have a soft copy SDS for hand sanitiser and list it in the register. However I don't provide a copy of the SDS in every classroom. For things like flyspray, I now choose to have the SDS for one brand and let that cover all brands. I can't see I am ever going to get staff to only purchase one brand...

I do the chemical registers for the whole school. We have a company trying to persuade us to purchase their software for this (not going to happen) however they are saying there is a $3000 fine for any SDS missing and that things like toner cartridges need to be included. I have never thought about ...

Hi. I am opening an ancient post. The students are going to do an experiment this week looking at the catalase reaction with 6% hydrogen peroxide and comparing to manganese dioxide as an inorganic catalyst. Has anyone done this using Southern Bio catalase? I am wondering what dilution of the catalas...

Yes Riskassess has it as 5.1 and so does the original container which is why I am reluctant to move it out of Oxidisers.

Hi all Just started the annual chemical inventory and SDS update and have noticed a discrepancy in ferric nitrate classification. The original container (which is old) and Riskassess class it as DG 5.1 whereas the SDS has it as DG8. It has always been stored with the other oxidisers but now I am not...

I keep getting logged out as well - for instance just then when I clicked on the reply button. Gets tiresome.
Kathryn

Hi all Looking for suggestions as to what an unusual fungi might be. (Sorry I don't have a photo.) It was a dark colour but had a very metallic sheen to it. Definitely fungi and just on our normal nutrient agar. The swab was just taken from somewhere within the lab. Never seen anything like it befor...

We have the Hexogel Electrophoresis unit from STEM Reactor. Can run 6 gels at the same time. We have been very happy with the unit and with the service from STEM reactor. Mostly we do the candy dye extraction but once per year we get in one of the DNA simulation kits.
Kathryn

We have ordered an new incubator for next year. Our Thermoline has given up after 20yrs service. Repair was going to cost approx $800. We had the 43L but have decided to go to the next size up, 80L. Getting a Thermoline again.

Managed to find the calculations from last year - it is more complicated than just weighing out a percentage as they have to be made from combining potassium thiocyanate and iron nitrate. If anyone is interested I will put up what I am doing.

Hi Hoping someone can help me out with making standard iron solutions. The chem students are going to be doing the Colorimetric analysis of iron in foods (Pearson) and need standard solutions of iron: 0.0050% 0.0025% 0.0013% 0.0010% 0.0005% Why doesn't the textbook provide instructions on how to mak...