Safety in the Lab! Trivia Quiz

Answer: No

Absolutely not! In some physics experiments you may be using electricity which can potentially kill someone if it isn't treated with respect. You may often have heard your parents warn you not to fiddle with plug sockets for the same reason.

Answer: Goggles

Goggles aren't really essential when using iron filings, but, there is nothing wrong with being cautious. In hospitals there are machines called MRI scanners and they are basically giant magnets. If you need an MRI scan and you have unknown iron filings in your eye, you could have an accident as iron is magnetic!

Answer: kg

If you know how heavy something is you can prepare yourself for any accidents that could happen. If the metal weight has a mass of 0.1kg it is not likely to do much harm if it was dropped on to your foot. If the metal weight has a mass of 10kg, it is more likely to cause an injury. To prevent heavy objects from falling to the floor, make sure everything is placed at the centre of the work surface.

The unit 'kg' stands for kilogram and is the scientific unit of mass.

Answer: Dyes

Food, sunflowers and water, when used in biology, are usually pretty harmless and as such there is no great need for goggles. When cutting pieces of food to discover its biology, care should be taken with sharp blades.

Dyes can for one stain clothing and can also stain the skin as well. If you get a dye in your eye, immediately alert your teacher or technician who will help you with eye-washing equipment.

Answer: 100 degrees C

Photosynthesis is the way that plants obtain their food. Unlike humans and other animals they make their own food instead of having to eat something else to get their energy.
If the liquid in the water bath is around the 100 degrees centigrade mark then it is classed as boiling water. If you put your hand in this you can expect a trip to your local hospital!

Answer: No, they could be poisonous

If the mushrooms have been picked from a woodland instead of being bought from a supermarket then you are advised not to eat them! Some mushrooms are so poisonous that they could even kill the person who puts the fungus in their mouth.

Answer: It is toxic

The chemical that is contained in the bottle with the skull and cross bones on may be all of these things but the label specifically indicates the chemical is toxic. An irritant is shown by a big cross with a small 'i' to its side, harmful is another big cross and flammable is a flame. These labels are commonplace in Europe.

Answer: All of these

When you first start studying science and chemistry all the chemicals you come across will be weak so nothing drastic is likely to happen to you. However, if a chemical spills onto your skin you can still get a rash, swelling or blister. Inform the teacher or technician immediately if this happens!
I remember on one occasion, when I was being foolish in the lab, that I carelessly tipped quite a concentrated specimen of sulfuric acid on my hand and it resulted in a nasty blister. Luckily for me it was only a small amount or it could have been a lot worse.

Answer: Lab coat

Whenever you watch medical or forensic science TV programmes such as "House MD" you often see the doctors and scientists rushing around with long white coats on; these are lab coats. As you begin to study more advanced science where you deal with more dangerous chemicals you will have to wear these.

Answer: Yellow - Orange

Whenever you leave your experiment for any reason, make sure the hole at the base of the Bunsen burner is closed and there is a visible orange flame. If you leave the flame as blue (very hot) which is hard to see, people could burn themselves. If the flame is lilac or apple green you are probably doing some flame tests!

I hope you enjoyed the quiz.