Australia's Science Forum

The first year I was here we followed the recipe for soap making out of the chem context book. I was still stirring 3 periods later, it wouldn't trace. So since then I set up the following prac for them for soap making from a recipe I have used for years that traces fairly fast and they always get g...

I had a message left on my mobile on a sick day asking which fume cupboard was leaking because the repairman was at school to fix it. I would have thought the one with the big yellow A-frame sign next to it saying danger slippery floor, might have given them a clue. I ignored the message. I have a t...

Good luck with keeping "some equipment" in there, even my flammable cupboard has gone rusty and the doors stick in the tracks because of all the excess moisture, plus I guess from chemical gases. My room has two side vents that open up to the outside, has good air flow because I leave the ...

If he isn't that worried about his health, then I wouldn't be either.
E.

Is that the det chemwatch or from chemwatch themselves who charge approx $89 per year to use the site?
Estelle

Heard a bang yesterday in lab 4 and some yelling from the teacher. Year 12 physics boys mucking around and knocked over 10 litres of liquid nitrogen. One student is banned from any pracs until the end of term (big deal!!) and he said he didn't mean it and said the lid should have been on properly. (...

Hi Ian, We get test tagged every year. Don't get a choice, some guy turns up, tests every piece of electrical equipment in the whole school and charges something like $1.50 to $2.00 PER ITEM. He even tested my personal CD player, glass grinder and about 15 power packs that the police gave to us afte...

I run the exhaust system 24/7. I put in a written complaint about the chem store 2 weeks ago because I slipped on the floor, which has like a covering of dew on it permanently now. Also the bottom of the exhaust vent has about 5mm of liquid in it with black greasy stuff in it. Have had two inspectio...

Thought maybe you had finally had enough of someone and were trying to hide them )

We did that experiment up on the back hill. We couldn't find any pieces of the bottle after it went off and there was a big divot in the ground. You might want to get your hearing tested to make sure you haven't done any permanent damage. Or at least get it recorded somewhere, you should have rung G...

Just letting you know that I kept the leftover phenolthalein agar in the fridge over the holidays wrapped well in gladwrap and we used it in the biology class yesterday with success. I tried it before sending it out to class just in case, but the reaction in the sulfuric worked just fine. Saved me w...

I had an enquiry from another high school to see if we are allowed to dissect rats in NSW schools and if so where can we get them from.
I think she is hoping that we aren't allowed to do them.
Estelle

I think there must be a difference in some of the quaility because some alum makes cloudy crystals and the other makes lovely clear ones. So, I let them practice with the cheap stuff and for the students that are really keen they then get the dearer alum. I have tried contacting someone at the nsw R...

Good alternative Rita,
I always wonder what will happen if a tax audit happens to me and I have diligently kept all my receipts. In a few years time they aren't going to show anything because they fade away to nothing. Maybe its a way to legitimately do a tax dodge.

Hi eveyone,
I have been asked to source a science dictionary that will be suitable to purchase for a class set. Can anyone recommend a dictionary and supplier of them?
If you have an ISBN that would be great.
Thanks Estelle

Hi all, Yes it still worked after reheating the mix. I ended up having enough for probably 5 classes. The bio teacher forgot to tell me he only needed enough for 4 groups and then he ended up having bio students away on an excursion and having to "babysit" year 10 in the same class so didn...

Does anyone know if the phenolphthalein agar will still work if you have to reheat it? I made a tray of it yesterday to be ready for a prac period 4 and the cleaner left me a note to say she came in, in the dark and threw her bunch of keys on the bench not knowing I had some dishes setting. Said she...

I ordered metal test tube holders and they all rusted in the drawer I hadn't even used them. They did replace them though. I Have the same problem with the bossheads and clamps I think they are being made cheap overseas but still being sold for the same price. If price reflected quality I wouln't ca...

Thanks for the photo.
Actually, I think a couple of our students got suspended for having a set up like that.
They weren't using it for flame tests though!!
Estelle

I think they are the bottles I got to put the water conditioner for the marine studies class in. They were going through the stock bottle at a rate of knots, so I bought those bottles to put it in. That way, they only put two drops per bucket of water, not half a 250mL bottle at a time like they see...