Search found 160 matches

by DavidPeterson
27 Feb 2020, 11:46
Forum: Announcements
Topic: New Name?
Replies: 8
Views: 13291

Re: New Name?

Can't say I noticed...but I do only visit 2-3 times a year so don't remember what the page looks like
by DavidPeterson
17 Dec 2019, 08:34
Forum: Recipes and Pracs
Topic: Litmus solution
Replies: 3
Views: 5180

Re: Litmus solution

If it's turning red over time, possibly the solution is absorbing CO2 increasing the overall acidity. Make sure it's stored in a sealed bottle.
If this is what is happening, then a bit more NaOH to elevate the pH will return it to blue.
by DavidPeterson
21 Nov 2019, 09:40
Forum: Recipes and Pracs
Topic: Open Day Ideas
Replies: 87
Views: 78557

Re: Open Day Ideas

Got it. Thanks
by DavidPeterson
21 Nov 2019, 07:50
Forum: Free classifieds - 4 sale/swap/wanted/giveaway
Topic: Textbooks
Replies: 5
Views: 14396

Re: Textbooks

Same here. We have hundreds of Science and Maths texts to dispose of. The only group I've found in SA, who collect books to send to less fortunate overseas countries, don't want text books! I hate to throw away such a resource, but I can't keep storing them here. If anyone finds a group (especially ...
by DavidPeterson
21 Nov 2019, 07:44
Forum: The Lab Tech Position
Topic: NON Trained science teacher
Replies: 8
Views: 16158

Re: NON Trained science teacher

Not sure I'm paid excessively..my wife definitely thinks I'm not - but somewhere in the range of a 3-4th year teacher in SA (but without the benefit of 12 weeks holidays per year). Sad thing is that even though I've been here 20 years, this is as good as it gets - there's no moving up and I probably...
by DavidPeterson
20 Nov 2019, 14:41
Forum: The Lab Tech Position
Topic: NON Trained science teacher
Replies: 8
Views: 16158

Re: NON Trained science teacher

At the end of the day, it is not our responsibility to over-ride management decisions. I regularly over-ride 'management' decisions and consistently re-design practical activities (sometimes on the run) based on what I'd do if I was teaching the class. ie I provide what they need - not what they th...
by DavidPeterson
20 Nov 2019, 08:27
Forum: Safety with Chemicals
Topic: Radiation Supervisor
Replies: 2
Views: 3866

Re: Radiation Supervisor

Hello all! It's been a while since I've been on here since moving to the UK and then back (I don't even remember what my old username was!). I've been given some tasks left by the previous technician and HOD; and this is one of them - the radioactive sources. Do your schools have a radiation superv...
by DavidPeterson
20 Nov 2019, 08:19
Forum: Recipes and Pracs
Topic: Open Day Ideas
Replies: 87
Views: 78557

Re: Open Day Ideas

If anyone has a copy of the booklet referred to in this post, I'd be interested in a copy! Thanks in advance.

david.peterson790@schools.sa.edu.au
by DavidPeterson
20 Nov 2019, 08:16
Forum: Recipes and Pracs
Topic: Year 12 prac
Replies: 23
Views: 17363

Re: Year 12 prac

Hi Purple, RiskAssess labels Tollens' reagent as an 11-12 only chemical, due to it being highly corrosive to skin and eyes, not to mention the potential for explosive byproducts. I would not let year 7 or 9 run this experiment, we've only ever done it with year 11. As for a recipe, I've tried a few...
by DavidPeterson
20 Nov 2019, 08:10
Forum: Recipes and Pracs
Topic: Year 12 prac
Replies: 23
Views: 17363

Re: Year 12 prac

I'd be more worried about younger kids getting the Silver Nitrate all over the place and staining themselves, their clothes and benchtops! (Year 12s are bad enough!) Other than being impressive as a demonstration - As a Chemist, I don't believe the concept/theory of the reaction is relevant to any y...
by DavidPeterson
20 Nov 2019, 08:07
Forum: Recipes and Pracs
Topic: Cutting Magnesium ribbon
Replies: 12
Views: 7673

Re: Cutting Magnesium ribbon

Great idea!
I would have cleaned the oxidation off the surface of the magnesium first though......should be nice and shiny
by DavidPeterson
20 Nov 2019, 08:00
Forum: Chemistry and Labware - General
Topic: Water purifier - deioniser etc
Replies: 35
Views: 32167

Re: Water purifier - deioniser etc

I use these units, purchased from Scientrific:

Reverse Osmosis Deioniser System
Order code: SC93010

Very happy with these units.
by DavidPeterson
20 Nov 2019, 07:54
Forum: Chemistry and Labware - General
Topic: nitrogen dioxide & dinitrogen tetroxide
Replies: 14
Views: 14132

Re: nitrogen dioxide & dinitrogen tetroxide

I just generate my own NO2 / N2O4 and seal into flasks for equilibrium demonstrations
by DavidPeterson
22 Mar 2018, 14:39
Forum: Miscellaneous
Topic: Notice for experiments?
Replies: 8
Views: 7581

Re: Notice for experiments?

No warning is usually necessary (except for offal/phenolphthalein agar etc - then 24 hours is normally more than enough). I provide an on-call service. If they want something, they ask for it. If it fits what I would do if it were my class then I prepare it. I'm older than all my teachers and have b...
by DavidPeterson
15 Mar 2018, 10:21
Forum: Safety with Chemicals
Topic: When does a risk assessment need to be done?
Replies: 26
Views: 14911

Re: When does a risk assessment need to be done?

We also use RiskAssess..."Teacher only" is pretty self-explanatory!
by DavidPeterson
02 May 2017, 16:10
Forum: Safety with Chemicals
Topic: Potassium dichromate solution wine titrations
Replies: 5
Views: 6086

Re: Potassium dichromate solution wine titrations

I was just wondering if anyone used dichromate to illustrate the reactivity of primary v secondary v tertiary alcohol? It seems odd that a school lab would be without dichromate. Also rather than doing esterification prac, we often do the reverse and recover the carboxylic acid and alcohol - dichrom...
by DavidPeterson
24 Mar 2017, 10:38
Forum: Sourcing Materials & Eq Repairs
Topic: Laboratory decorations
Replies: 7
Views: 4555

Re: Laboratory decorations

Understand that some sites have room shortages, actually our school officially is over-capacity and we're supposed to be getting extra buildings. Luckily our timetabler & Assistant Principal is the senior Physics teacher so there's no way she'd ever put non-science classes in our labs. We do hav...
by DavidPeterson
23 Mar 2017, 14:47
Forum: Sourcing Materials & Eq Repairs
Topic: Laboratory decorations
Replies: 7
Views: 4555

Re: Laboratory decorations

But, if you have a number of teachers going in and out of the lab all day, especially non-science teachers you're likely to have more damage caused by the students.
Why on earth would non-science teachers be using laboratories? :?
by DavidPeterson
21 Mar 2017, 09:45
Forum: Recipes and Pracs
Topic: Fun ideas for teaching the periodic table
Replies: 2
Views: 2813

Re: Fun ideas for teaching the periodic table

We do Periodic Table BattleShips occasionally (or should I say, 'Periodically'?)
by DavidPeterson
23 Aug 2016, 10:40
Forum: Recipes and Pracs
Topic: Open Day Ideas
Replies: 87
Views: 78557

Re: Open Day Ideas

Thanks for sending me a copy, and thanks for compiling it all as a collection.
Most of the stuff we already do, but it's great to have it all in one document.