Suggestions: · Cut up lino has many uses · Cork tiles from Bunnings work well · Wood boards and nail rats by the paws. Wrap wooden boards in cling film first so they stay relatively clean. Ensure nails are correct length so they don’t go through to the other side. Recommend boards to be min.1cm…
Technical Tips
Blue Tac Storage
• Dividing into portions with backing paper • Roll and flatten them back to the “original” shape and place them between some wax or baking paper, store inside a zip lock bag • Keep in a PET (polyethylene) plastic container away from UV light. • Store in plastic container but discard after 1 year •…
Making a Cloud Chamber
I just made one last week. We got a kilo of dry ice pellets from BOQ in Welshpool and used a small aquarium with black felt from Spotlight, lining the bottom of the aquarium and Isopropyl alcohol (100%) to moisten the felt. You then tip the aquarium upside down on top of the lab tray…
Chromatography- listing different inks
Faber Castell Connector Pens Bic Intensity Dual Tip Artline stamp pad ink. Parker’s Quink Ink Ecoline Black food colouring Artline 200 Fine 0.4, Black Artline 210 Medium 0.6, Blac Crayola ultra clean washable markers Solvents: Water, 1% salt solution, 95%ethanol
Methyl Orange Aqueous Recipe
Dissolve 0.1g of methyl orange in 75ml of DI water, then dilute to 100ml.” pH range of 3.1 – 4.4
Hot Glue Guns
Suggestions: We often use hot glue guns here and the best way I have found to unblock is to leave the gun on, standing up with the nozzle pointing down, also remove the stick if possible. This way any glue build up can drip out of the nozzle, the longer you leave it the better…
Water Baths
Has anyone used a Sous vide immersion circulator as an alternative to a water bath for the Year 11 Human Bio experiment on amylase metabolism? Purchase a large plastic tub and use with a 25L Sous Vide Immersion Tank $32 each (Kitchen Warehouse) and the Sous Vide from Wildfires Smokers – Inkbird ISV 100W $90…
Spring Balances – Repairing
You cannot repair a spring once it has gone past its elastic limit. The best solution is to ensure the end cap doesn’t come off – that’s how the spring over-stretches. Glue the base/ end cap to the tube, to prevent students over stretching the springs. Sikaflex glue is recommended. Superglue works well. A drop each…
Methyl Cellulose Suspension
(This is used to slow down protozoa for microscope): Method 1: Heat is needed to dissolve and make a suspension of the Methyl cellulose powder, but it is important to have icy cold water on hand to cool the mixture down and stir fast! 3% aqueous Methyl cellulose: Heat 100ml of deionised (DI) water to 85°C…
Methylene Blue
Methylene blue hydrate is a different dye to regular methylene blue. Although methylene blue is a hazardous chemical, it is used in a dilute solution as a stain in microbiology and as a redox indicator in Chemistry (for the “Blue Bottle” demonstration with glucose solution). The two chemicals are similar, but in different forms: the hydrated one…