Australia's Science Forum

Hi all,
Im in the Southern Highlands, NSW and was wondering if anyone knows where to purchase swan-neck flasks? These are to be used for the Modelling Pasteur's experiment year 12 Biology.
Thank you so much for your help Tammy

we used coiled clear plastic bunsen tubing, attached to a glass rod, inserted thru a rubber stopper with a hole. (cheap and easy!)

If this doesn;t make sense, i can photograph it...

Yes please Narelle, I also think a new teacher is after the very same thing.

Thanks Narelle01
we are using these, but the bio teacher would like the glass ones, if I can get them, still post a piccy for every one

here you go!

Hi Tammie,
I'm at Oxley!!
We have made our own in the past. It's not hard and the kids can do it if they are careful.
Not much help I know but maybe one of your teachers has some experience bending glass and could help.

Lorrae

we also use the plastic tubing - WORKS really well

how do you sterilise plastic tubing?

it needs to be sterlaized?
I just send it out 'as is' , maybe they do it in the class???

To sterliaize just use milton, good enough for babies etc, good enough for us. Cold water.

They have to boil the broth for 15mins with the attached tubing, any nasties will be killed. No need to sterilise.
Lada

Ours are similar - easy to make and easy to replace if needed.

I use the plastic ones from a home brew shop. You can buy them with bungs that fit. I sterilize them using NaOH sterilizer from the shop as well. It is essentially 4M NaOH, which is then used at 5mL/L. Beats the hell out of trying to bend glass, especially with short notice.

Hi, it's not all that difficult to bend glass tubing and fit it through rubber stoppers.
Just takes a little patience. Some artistic variation does occur between the swan necks but this does add to its individuality.
Keep a set and re-use each year.

Yes I have a set of artistically creative 's' bends. Every now and then a couple get broken so I have to be creative again. No problem.
J

I do the same as Smiley. We had good results this year.
Ellice