A teacher asked me to get some swan neck glass tubes... I dont really know if that is the right name for it, but they look like 'Z' to me. Been looking through my mountain of catalouges without any luck, so I was wondering if you clever ones know where I can get them from?
I was asked the same think. it is for prac yr12 bio about microbes. I think it represents O2 free environment. Kids put it through cokr into conical flask with clear broth and see if microbes grow.
So any help will be much appreciated
lada
Just go to a brewing shop and buy Air Locks for the Pasteurs expt
Plastic ones are only about $5 each, and reusable. Much easier than trying to bend glass.
And the whole class has a uniform unit for ass pracs etc.
They fit into a holed stopper, and then into a flask
Do a search for Pasteur's experiment and also look at the glass tubing thread. I think this is what you want to know about. I am at that stage as well and I share with you there are times when I curse his experiment. Someone in one of those threads suggested using rubber tubing instead.
We use the swan necks in chemistry for the fermentation pracs.
For the Pasteur prac in biology I give them a short length of glass tubing with rubber tubing attached. I loop the rubber tubing into a circle with the free end pointing up, using copper wire to hold it in place. The glass tubing is pushed through a rubber bung which fits a large test-tube.
They get great results.
I love this site! I've been following this thread thinking "I have no idea what they are all on about" and here I am back from morning tea with this very request on my desk! I think I'll see if there are any brewery shops in town...
Rosalie
Hi all,
We've been doing this experiment for a few years now, and using some funny looking things that I made ages ago. But when I read about the plastic air locks (which we've been using in Chem for Fermentation), I suggested to the Bio teacher we give these a go.
I love it when they think I'm a genius!!! Thanks for the tip!
Ellice.
I've just rung around just about every shop in Tamworth to ask if they sell these S-bend air locks. Big W said they had a different sort, but not the S-bend. Does anyone know if these will do the same job? Sorry I can't give more info...
I am just going to try it out with our bio class. They will do one set up with an S plastic tubing and two others with this air lock which you could not call S shape, more like an elipse with open end. It is used for fermentation so it will do the same job.
lada
What great suggestions! I made some very artistic, creative ones a few years ago... they did the job, but don't look very 'professional'... off to the Grog shop - anyone want to join me for the afternoon???
hic hic
Rosalie - Big W probably have the 2-part airlock; the principle is the same. The removable (round) top piece fits inside a sleeve in the bottom part which contains water. This allows excess CO2 from the fermenter to escape (through the water sitting in the sleeve) whilst preventing airborne bugs coming in. Remove the top piece to expose to air.
