Safety First
Tell safe lab habits from dangerous ones.
Setting up the bench…
What this lesson covers
Why it matters
A lab is exciting — and a little dangerous. The gap between a great experiment and an accident is a handful of simple habits.
Predict first
Why should you never taste a chemical to identify it?
Lab safety: protect your eyes and hair, never taste chemicals, smell by wafting, label bottles, and never heat a sealed container.
- It might be poisonous or corrosive — correct
- It wastes the chemical
- It is a rule with no real reason
What you do
Sort each lab habit: safe, or unsafe?
Check yourself
How should you smell a chemical?
Wafting brings a safe whiff; never inhale directly or taste.
Why never heat a sealed test tube?
Trapped gas expands and the sealed tube can explode — always leave an opening.
- Waft the vapour gently towards your nose — correct
- Put your nose to the mouth and inhale deeply
- Taste a little first
- Pressure builds up inside and it can burst — correct
- It will not get hot
- It wastes gas