All Practical skills and safety articles – Page 15
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Resource
Chemistry stinks - class smelling activity
This class practical introduces concepts of chemistry and smell. A number of common chemicals with distinctive smells have been chosen to help students get their nose around different functionalities in chemistry. This is done via a series of solutions, which can be smelled using smelling sticks.
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Experiment
Handling liquid bromine and preparing bromine water
Find out how to handle liquid bromine and prepare bromine water safely using these health, safety and technical notes.
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Experiment
Titrating sodium hydroxide with hydrochloric acid
Use this class practical to explore titration, producing the salt sodium chloride with sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. Includes kit list and safety instructions.
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Experiment
Testing the hardness of water
Try this practical with your students to measure the hardness of water samples and investigate the effect of boiling. Includes kit list and safety instructions.
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Feature
Practical science at a distance
Eleanor Crabb discusses the advantages and practicalities of teaching experimental skills online
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Experiment
Fat-pan fires and the conditions for combustion
Use this demonstration to illustrate the conditions required to start combustion, and how to put out a pan fire safely. Includes kit list and safety instructions.
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Experiment
Preparing and using cobalt chloride indicator papers
Make your own cobalt chloride indicator papers, which can be used to test for the presence of water. Includes kit list and safety instructions.
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Experiment
Generating, collecting and testing gases
Read our standard guidance on generating, collecting and testing gases during practical experiments, including carbon dioxide, hydrogen, oxygen and chlorine.
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Experiment
Making glass
Try this class practical to make samples of glass using lead oxide, zinc oxide and boric acid. Includes kit list and safety instructions.
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Experiment
Reacting copper(II) oxide with sulfuric acid
Illustrate the reaction of an insoluble metal oxide with a dilute acid to produce crystals of a soluble salt in this class practical. Includes kit list and safety instructions.
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Resource
Inspirational chemistry book
A collection of resources, aligned with GCSE bodies, to support learners in England, Wales, and N Ireland.
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Experiment
Extracting iodine from seaweed
Discover how ribbon seaweed (or kelp) can be used as a source of iodine in this demonstration or class experiment. Includes kit list and safety instructions.
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Resource
What happens when things burn?
This resource presents chemists as real people and not stereotypical ‘mad scientists’ whose lives are completely dominated by science.
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Resource
Scurvy - the mystery disease
This resource contains activities for students which uses the story of scurvy to investigate the scientific method, and how science was done in the past.
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Ideas
Teaching with microscale reactions
Katherine Haxton explores using microscale reactions in the teaching lab.
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Resource
Modern Chemical Techniques book
This book teaches about modern chemical techniques without heavy emphasis on maths or physics. It includes descriptions of instruments and their applications. All of the chapters are available for free via Learn Chemistry. Follow the links below to buy a copy from our online shop for £19.95. If you’re a ...
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Experiment
Detergents, soaps and surface tension
A series of brief experiments on the effects of detergents and soaps on the surface tension of purified and hard water. Includes kit list and safety instructions.
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Resource
Gas volume
Calculate the gas volume created through the reaction of metals with acids. Includes kit list and safety instructions.
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Opinion
The end of practical work in UK schools?
Mary Whitehouse considers what the results of Ofqual's consultation on GCSE science practical assessment mean for teachers and students