lab safety
Why should you always wear safety goggles during a lab experiment?
To protect your eyes from chemicals, heat, and broken glass.
This state of matter has a definite shape and definite volume.
What is a solid?
This particle has a positive charge and is found in the nucleus of an atom.
What is a proton?
This number on the periodic table tells how many protons an atom has.
What is the atomic number?
This law explains why chemical equations must be balanced, since matter cannot be created or destroyed in reactions.
What is the Law of Conservation of Mass?
What should you do if glassware breaks during a lab?
Tell the teacher immediately and do not touch the broken glass with your hands.
This state of matter has a definite volume but no definite shape.
What is a liquid?
This particle has no charge and is also found in the nucleus.
What is a neutron?
The horizontal rows on the periodic table are called this.
What are periods?
When a solid turns directly into a gas, like dry ice, this process occurs. Name the process and explain the particle motion that makes it possible.
What is sublimation? (Particles gain enough energy to break free from the solid structure directly into gas form.)
Why is it dangerous to eat or drink in the science lab?
Food or drink can become contaminated with chemicals, leading to accidental poisoning or harmful reactions.
The process when a liquid changes into a gas.
What is evaporation (or boiling)?
This negatively charged particle orbits outside the nucleus of an atom.
What is an electron?
The vertical columns on the periodic table are called this, and elements in the same one share similar properties.
What are groups (or families)?
These elements are found in Group 17, are highly reactive, and often combine with alkali metals to form salts.
What are halogens?
A student notices a chemical spill on the lab table. What are the safe steps they should follow?
1) Tell the teacher immediately.
2) Avoid touching the chemical.
3) Follow teacher instructions for cleaning/disposal using proper safety equipment.
The change when a solid goes directly to a gas without becoming a liquid first.
What is sublimation?
This number tells how many protons are in an atom and determines the element’s identity.
What is the atomic number?
These are the elements found along the “stair-step line” that share properties of both metals and nonmetals.
What are metalloids?
A student accidentally spills a strong base on their skin. What immediate safety procedure should they follow, and why?
What is rinsing the area thoroughly with water and telling the teacher immediately, because bases can cause chemical burns if left untreated?
During an experiment, a student accidentally gets an unknown chemical on their skin. What is the correct response and why?
Immediately rinse the area with plenty of water at the safety sink/eyewash station and tell the teacher right away. Quick washing reduces absorption of harmful chemicals into the skin.
The state of matter where particles are superheated and electrically charged, found in stars and lightning
What is plasma?
This model of the atom shows electrons moving in regions called orbitals instead of fixed paths.
What is the Electron Cloud Model?
This group of elements is known as the “noble gases” because they are very stable and rarely react.
What is Group 18?
These versions of the same element have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. Explain how this affects their atomic mass but not their identity.
What are isotopes?