Everyday Lab Safety
Before starting a lab where you'll be heating liquids, you should always do this with long hair or loose clothing.
What is tie it back (or secure it)?
You need to measure out exactly 45ml of water for a plant experiment. This tool will give you the most accurate volume reading.
What is a graduated cylinder?
A runner completes a 5km race. In meters, how far did they run?
What is 5,000 meters?
"The solution turned dark purple and smelled like peppermint." State whether this is qualitative or quantitative.
What is qualitative?
"It rained last night because the grass is wet." Identify which part of that sentence is the observation and which part is the inference.
What is: "the grass is wet" is the observation, and "it rained last night" is the inference?
You notice a small crack in the glass of a beaker before pouring hot water into it. This is what you should do instead of using it.
What is report it to the teacher and get a new one?
If you want to check whether an ice cube is melting faster at room temperature or in a sunny spot, you would use this tool.
What is a thermometer?
A bottle of sports drink holds 1.5 liters. How many milliliters of liquid is that?
What is 1,500ml?
"The puddle covered an area of 12cm2 and was 3mm deep." State whether this is qualitative or quantitative.
What is quantitative?
Why can two scientists look at the exact same set of observations and arrive at different inferences?
What is because inferences rely on prior knowledge, personal experiences, or different logical interpretations?
A student accidentally spills a small amount of vinegar on their desk during an investigation. This is the correct immediate action.
What is notify the teacher immediately?
A scientist wants to compare the mass of a dry sponge to a wet sponge. They should use this laboratory instrument.
What is a Triple Beam Balance (or balance)/digital scale?
An insect is 15 millimeters long. What is its length in centimeters?
What is 1.5cm?
When reading the level of water in a cylinder, you should align your eyes with this part of the curve (also known as the MENISCUS).
What is the bottom?
Two cars race down a ramp. Car A is heavy and goes 3 meters. Car B is light and goes 1 meter. A student says "Car A went further because it is painted red." Explain why this inference is poorly supported.
What is because color does not logically affect speed/distance, while weight/mass is a relevant variable?
When heating a liquid in a test tube using a burner, you should never point the open end of the tube here.
What is toward yourself or anyone else?
This wide-mouthed glass container is great for mixing liquids or holding large amounts, but isn't as accurate for fine volume measurements as a graduated cylinder.
What is a beaker?
A sack of flour has a mass of 2.5 kilograms. What is its mass in grams?
What is 2,500 grams?
Convert this qualitative observation into a quantitative one: "The rock is very heavy."
What is giving its exact weight or mass (e.g., "The rock has a mass of 4.2kg)?
Bread dough left in a warm room rises to double its size, while dough left in a cold fridge stays flat. Make a clear claim about the effect of temperature on dough.
What is "Warm temperatures cause bread dough to rise faster/more than cold temperatures"?
Explain why running, rushing, or carrying glassware with one hand creates a hazard in the laboratory.
What is it increases the risk of slipping, dropping glass, or spilling dangerous materials?
You are setting up a station to test how fast four different liquids dissolve sugar. Name two pieces of lab equipment you'd need to hold and measure the liquid samples.
What are test tubes (with a rack) and a graduated cylinder (or beakers)?
You need 400 milligrams of a solid chemical for an experiment. How many grams is this?
What is 0.4 grams?
A student writes in their journal: "The reaction made a loud fizzing sound (85dB) and got warm (32ºC)." Identify one qualitative element and two quantitative elements in that description.
What is: Qualitative = "fizzing sound" or "got warm"; Quantitative = 85dB and 32ºC?
When answering a scientific reasoning question, why is pointing out an effect (like "leaves turning yellow") not the same as explaining the cause?
What is because yellow leaves are an observed outcome/symptom of a problem, not the underlying reason/cause itself?