The idea of a practical examination in a subject is an old and established one in many fields, within chemistry, in widely differing areas of academics, and in many on-the-job training scenarios. In a dedicated course on chemical safety, we have found that "the unsafe lab practical" makes for a thought-provoking and yet fun final…

Safety skills are recognized as essential lab skills for students, necessitating the incorporation of active learning of chemical safety education into undergraduate curricula. Meaningful engagement of students in training and education on principle-based lab safety skills, chemical information sources, and general safety instructions is crucial…

Laboratory safety has received heightened attention due to a series of devastatingly tragic accidents in both academic and nonacademic settings. Consequently, chemistry departments at various academic institutions now offer some form of formal training in laboratory safety for entering graduate students. Although the extent of this training varies…

The Americans with Disabilities Act allows a student with a disability to bring a service dog into any facility where the public is allowed, including academic teaching and research laboratories. However, the presence of the service dog does have an impact on the safety of the student, the service dog, and others in the laboratory. This article…

Cola beverages are widely consumed and popular among students; they can be used as safe reagents to replace toxic chemical dyes. In this study, a safe and improved experiment is described, which successfully demonstrates Beer's law and adsorption process using activated carbon as the adsorbent and cola as the adsorbate. The results of this study…

While lab accidents that involved personal injuries or significant property damage are required to be reported by law, many minor lab incidents or near misses are less frequently reported, especially in an academic research environment. However, public awareness of these stories and incidents create valuable learning opportunities and can prevent…

In recent years, immersive technology tools have burgeoned. After the release of the affordable Oculus Go headset and the Merge Cube, there has been increasing use of virtual, augmented, and extended reality (VR, AR, XR) in classrooms. Of significance to chemistry educators are the virtual lab simulations developed by Labster and HoloLab Champions…

The calcium hydroxide solubility product constant ("K"[subscript sp]) lab is a familiar lab experiment outlined in the "Advanced Chemistry with Vernier" handbook. In an on-campus laboratory setting, students are afforded the opportunity to examine techniques, such as titration of a saturated base solution (Ca­(OH)[subscript 2])…

Technology and Engineering (T&E) education has traditionally included safety as a core component of its curriculum and instruction. Recommendations for safety instruction can be found in manual arts and industrial arts documents (Christy, 1938). Safety was emphasized across all grade levels, including the elementary grades (Miller & Boyd,…

The feasibility of the laboratory production of copper metal from a readily available, naturally occurring mineral malachite utilizing techniques that are consistent with the time period of around 4000 B.C.E. is presented. The starting materials are inexpensive and convenient and the procedure involves no hazardous reagents and produces no…

Forty-eight new secondary science teachers participated in a study that required a listing, discussion, and application of criteria to rank three chemistry laboratory procedures. The three similar lab procedures involved synthesis of a compound from its elements. The top criteria noted by teachers focused on procedural issues (i.e., timeliness,…

As a case involving forgotten goggles shows, negligence lawsuits take a damaging toll in terms of money, time, emotion, and self-worth. Educators' best defense is consistently discharging their duties to students in a reasonable, prudent manner. Science teachers should secure all dangerous chemicals, provide adequate supervision, develop proper…

Discussed are the potential hazards associated with nitric acid, inorganic and organic nitrate salts, alkyl nitrates, acyl nitrates, aliphatic nitro compounds, aromatic nitro compounds, and nitration reactions. (CW)

Discusses the advent of microscale experiments within undergraduate organic chemistry laboratories mainly resulting from environmental safety concerns involving waste disposal. Considers the cost savings in purchasing less reagents and chemicals, the typical glassware and apparatus, the reduced hazards from elimination of open flames, and other…

Laboratory experiences as a part of most U.S. high school science curricula have been taken for granted for decades, but they have rarely been carefully examined. What do they contribute to science learning? What can they contribute to science learning? What is the current status of labs in our nation s high schools as a context for learning…