#1 Science Forum For Lab Technicians

Other than the starch, do the chemicals for this prac keep? I have had a teacher cancel 3 times now.

Solution B - 1% potassium Iodide, 0.2% Sodium thiosulfate, water
Solution C - 10% of 30% H2O2, 1% H2SO4

Marama T wrote: ↑13 Nov 2024, 11:06 We didn't end up getting any, but we looked at the lamps they sell for reptile enclosures. We were looking on the Kmart website.
https://www.kmart.com/buddypuppy-reptil ... A113658544

Thats Kmart in the US!

With the new efficient globes, what are people using for heat lamps?

We were using the old microscope spotlights, but I am having trouble finding 240V 25W 22BC globes.

Awesome! I made some a while ago but they weren't as good as these!

RosalieL wrote: ↑08 Nov 2024, 08:06 I would be suggesting something like this instead

https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/the- ... xperiment/

They are doing that one, but wanted to show how bad methane is.

I have a teacher who wants yr 10 students to essentially fill a vented soft drink bottle with natural gas and heat it with a lamp to show the effect of greenhouse gases.

What are your thoughts? I kinda feel like they are making a potential bomb, but maybe I am being over cautious?

Do we HAVE to use a corrosive cabinet? I've worked in about 20 schools, and only a couple have had one - and I don't have one where I am permanently now.

I store my droppers in a second prep room (it is across the hall from me). I would never have room in the chem store!

What concentration do you use for Methylene Blue? I have 1% at the moment but some teachers say it is still too dark.

It's only for junior students dying onion cells.

You will also need to look if it is spark proof with no powerpoints. Is that an actual requirement? I haven't heard/read that before (or if I have, I don't recall). Or is it a "recommended" thing? Well, it is in Safe Work Australia https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/...

You will also need to look if it is spark proof with no powerpoints.

When I started here, I found asbestos and asbestos containing samples. It made me very nervous about our "random rock" boxes, so I did throw many away (the ones I knew were asbestos were collected, the ones I had no idea about went in the bin). Many of the samples we did have were not grea...

AMAZING!

Thanks for that!

At the moment they are being put aside until I have more time to figure it all out.

Have you set up a repair bench for yourself? I want to organise a dedicated space, and would love to see how others have done it. At the moment I have everything on a desk, but it is so disorganised, you can't actually sit at it! I would love to see photos of your set up, or your dream set up! Inspi...

I bought these about a year ago, and half have issues already. Has anyone else had issues with them or ideas about what the problems I am having are? The main one that has stopped working is the 5A, but in some cases, it is everything. I have opened them up, but I can't see any obvious issue - no ch...

That is the question, right?

I am talking about hook-up wires with either banana plugs or alligator clips. Is it worth spending the time to solder them?

Marama T wrote: ↑25 Sep 2024, 09:45 And yet you can buy it at Bunnings for household cleaning and laundering.

You can also buy concentrated hydrochloric acid at Bunnings for cleaning, bleach at Coles...

It is allowed in NSW public schools 7-12 under CSIS but in my experience, not many schools allow it.

That looks amazing!

I sign the lab tech part and leave it open, or if the risk is high, get the HT to sign their part. No one double-checks what we normally sign anyway. It is normal to have just us check that part anyway.