Australia's Science Forum

Hi judygee, Australian Scientific will be able to track some Iron Wire down for you. Chem-Supply has Iron Wire but I'm not sure of its purity, but here is the product code for this: IT015-25G. Keep in mind that the higher you go in purity for such products like Iron there may be a high price-tag inv...

Hi Wombat, It is lucky that you have rain water supply that only gives the conductivity range around 26uS. Modulab or Ultra Pure water can give results of around 0.5 to 0.01uS depending on whether the final ion transfer cartridge filter has been in use for some time. This equipment is very expensive...

To demonstrate the use of a Natural Indicator will be a fascinating observation. There are a series of Natural Indicators that I will list. Simply boil these in a beaker of distilled water until the colour leaches out and forms a dark solution. Red Cabbage Red Rose Pedals Beetroot Juice Collect this...

It’s a long story Ocker, I have been in the Chemical Industry for 3 Years since Uni, working in the Research and Development and Quality Control Laboratory at Bayer Australia. I was working developing Insecticides, Pesticides, Pest Control, Animal Health and Veterinary Science products during...

Just to re-iterate your post subject Michelle, I have a double degree in Chemistry and Physics and it really is an insult to qualifications relating to Salary outcomes. As I mentioned in my previous “post” that I understand the laboratory assistants/technicians/managers that are already ...

Another good cleaning aid is Hot Con. Sulfuric Acid. Place enough Acid into the crucible to submerse the stain then heat this using the technique for heating crucible on top of a Bunsen until it boils. Let this stand until the stain is completely gone. Otherwise allow for a few days and rinse the cr...

The only problem that you will face, whether you use the Dick Smith brand wire or the Nichrome wire, is getting the wire to fuse to the terminals. This will be achieved by a flux. Hopefully a Silver solder will have the flux inside the wire ready for immediate use. Silver solder will be a better cho...

Here are a few more stain removers for you. What happens is usually the Silver Nitrate becomes light sensitive and Silver begins to drop out of solution leaving the dark coloured stain, so all in all it is the silver you are trying to lift. Iodine is an excellent removal for Silver nitrate although ...

Although costly, Cartridge filtration can be a more viable asset in relation to having distilled H 2 O on hand, particularly when Water restrictions are becoming more dominant. Maintenance costs can play small part, after all replacement cartridges will need to be purchased and the initial set up co...

I have updated the item to include the web address, let me how it goes Ocker..

Just to re-iterate, Oxalic Acid should remove the residue. If all else fails, Concentrated Sulfuric Acid left for at least a few hours will remove any Rust residue. Fill the Test Tubes just passed the level of rust and let them stand. As a safety point, make sure the test tubes are adequately labell...

I have a magazine which I get delivered to my school address regarding Laboratory Technology, this ranges from Chemistry (both Instrumental and Non-instrumental), Physics, Chemical Engineering to Biology and Medicinal Chemistry. This magazine doesn't focus on School Laboratory Officers or Operations...

Just as a General Discussion point, How long would it take you guy's to complete a Chemical Inventory? It usually takes myself about a week to complete an inventory, counting the constant daily interruptions that occur. Obviously it comes down to whether there are a few Chem Store locations within S...

Plastic containers are usually made from a High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) as you may know it. This form of plastic, like all plastic material, has a permeable surfarce which means that an oily substance, in this case Plasticine, can absorb this oil. This leads to the container smelling for a cons...

Robyn, Reputable Chem-Suppliers will have Dist.H2O in 2/4/10/20L containers. You can also contact these people and see if they can supply the Water in larger quantities. Sometimes Chemical Suppliers can do this. They usually only advertise the most popular pack sizes due to supply V's demand. Check ...

Hi Nikki, Storage life of solid chemicals are fairly infinite, depending on a few factors though. 1. Whether the chemicals are contaminated, particularly from student use; 2. If there is moisture present inside the container or bottle. 3. Whether there is signs of deterioration or material breakdown...

There are some good recepe's and good ideas here, but keep in mind though, that Nutrient Agar can be as much as 5 times more expensive than that of Agar or Agar-Agar.

Most School Laboratories and certainly those that have Yr 11 and Yr 12 will no doubt have a good stock of bulk solutions. It is much more user friendly to make these solutions in quantities of 1L to 2.5L at one time. I try to make up my solutions in 2.5L Winchesters with various acids and alkalis in...

Just to re-iterate, it is easier in schools to have qualifications inside the Science discipline I think. Some parts of operating in school laboratories require, sometimes, strong areas of knowledge or experience in some aspects of the business. It helps with knowing specific techniques, recipes for...

Hi Lynda, There are many Dissolved Oxygen Determination Tests, but for ease I will list one for you.. The Following method is a Modified Winkler Titration, It does work well to give good results considering it is a Titrimetric Determination. Reagent List: Manganous Sulfate 36% Solution (30mL); Alkal...