The page numbers refer to the pages in the pdf. (The numbers in brackets are those given in the actual bulletin)
3(1) News and Comment
Smurfin’ SSERC, Learned Societies – educational meetings, Institute of Biology, Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Physics, Biotechnology – teachers’ conference, Scottish biotechnology project
4(2) More ramblings
5(3) How to find us Location map for SSERC
6(4) Air rifle experiments
Many teachers will have thought hard and deep about air rifle experiments following the events in Dunblane.
7(5) Microwave ovens
Safety, use and maintenance of microwave ovens.
8(6) Liquid nitrogen
Although many teachers will be unfamiliar with handling liquid nitrogen, we do surprisingly often get enquiries about its use and recently had a report of an accident. The article looks at the cause of this accident and other hazards.
10(8) Accident report: Unilab Klystron Power Supply
A senior pupil got an electric shock when working with this obsolete equipment.
11(9) False economies
The provision of too few technicians may have an adverse effect on health and safety
12(10) Mercury exposure
Some reassurance
12(10) Lack of training – a cause of accidents
Two recent incidents reported to us underline the key preventive role of sound, practical training.
13(11) Wrongly polarised plotting compasses
It is commonplace for the polarity of a plotting compass to become reversed. We are indebted to Andrew Barclay of Moray House Institute for suggesting the following variation to the usual method for correcting this.
14(12) Laser radiation
What is laser radiation like, how do you show it, what use can you make of it? These are perhaps the first questions a teacher faces when introducing the laser to a class for the first time. This article describes ways of tackling them.
21(19) Extraction solvents for plant and animal lipids
Separation, isolation and analysis of mixtures of lipids by thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a popular practical activity in senior school biology. Recently we were asked by a school to suggest suitable substitute extraction solvents for this activity.
22(20) Ice hangers
A handy tip for making ice cubes easier to handle.
22(20) Chromobacteria
Suggestions for suitable media for the culture of the coloured bacterium Chrornobacterium lividuin.
23(21) Equipment Notes Oscilloscopes
Four single trace oscilloscopes and one inexpensive dual trace model have been tested. The report cross references with advice on oscilloscopes given in Bulletin 176.
28(26) Equipment Offers
31(29) Cumulative index Index to Bulletin Issues 180-189
34(32) IOB Meeting Booking form
The page numbers refer to the pages in the pdf. (The numbers in brackets are those given in the actual bulletin)
3(1) Editorial
Made it – just! Swinging – doors and pendula, Open house- STS Helpline
4(2) News and Comment
Welcome back! Meeting reports, TIMS Survey
5(3) School prosecuted
After an accident in which two thirteen old pupils suffered burns the Health and Safety Executive has successfully prosecuted a school.
6(4) Sportswear in practical areas
Recently we have had enquiries from schools about the latest fashions in lightweight sportswear and whether or not these are acceptably safe garments for laboratories and workshops.
6(4) Mouse allergies
Reported allergies to the plastic in computer mice.
7(5) Accident with copper/sulphur mix
We have had a report from a school of an accident concerning the reaction of copper and sulphur.
8(6) Phosphatase enzymes in plants
A reliable and relatively simple practical procedure is described which should prove useful for investigative work in both biology and chemistry courses in the new Scottish “Higher Still” Arrangements.
12(10) Laser radiation interference
The article describes how to set up a large scale demonstration of Newton’s rings, measure the wavelength of light with a ruler and estimate the diameters of microscopic cells or particles.
16(14) Technicians’ News
UK Technicians’ Conference, S/NVQ occupational standards, ASE Technician membership, Esso sponsored courses
18(16) Technical Tips and Trade News
0-rings on burettes, Bargains for titrators (pipette fillers & burettes), Microscope lamps – spares, Manganese(IV) oxide granules, Two in one (Hanna meters)
19(17) Interfacing Notes X – Y plot
Many teachers and students will now be familiar with datalogged information plotted against time. Usually they can predict the shapes of graphs as per the text-book. Bring back a bit of wonderment to your science teaching. Plot one parameter against another and forget about the time! We show also one solution to that Holy Grail of Chemistry teachers – volume on the X-axis in a titration plot.
22(20) Dataloggers – three compared
The features and benefits of three dataloggers are summarised.
23(21) Hazardous chemicals manual – a preview
Sample pages of the forthcoming second edition of the SSERC Hazardous Chemicals Manual are provided on the following two page spread.
26(24) Laboratory Power supplies
In our third article on laboratory power supplies we review products from Harris, Shaw and Weir. Changes to the Griffin range are also announced.
32(30) Equipment Offers
The page numbers refer to the pages in the pdf. (The numbers in brackets are those given in the actual bulletin)
3(1) News and Comment
SSERC e-mail address, Dates for the diary, Micromouse, Postgraduate opportunities, Hazardous Chemicals manual, Festive season closure
4(2) Guest Article
The Special Teaching Service by – Phil Harrass Private HMI (aka Gregor Steele)
5(3) Safety Notes
Accessible plug fuses, Polarity fault on IEC connectors, Hazardous chemicals manual, RIDDOR : Telephone reporting, Farm visits by pupils, Risks from working with MDF, Laser pointers, Dangerous fuses
8(6) Super! Wow! Neat! Amazing! Spectacular
These are the words that Educational Innovations Inc. use to describe their products. We thought we would have a look for ourselves.
10(8) Technical Tips The lead tree
Demonstrating displacement of metals and redox reactions may be made topical for the festive season.
10(8) Congratulations! (lEE Teacher of the Year)
James (Jim) Johnston has been named as Technology Teacher of the Year by the Institution of Electrical Engineering (lEE).
11(9) Measuring lead in water and soil
A simple method for use in the field is described. This requires little more than a small supply of the reagent, a set of stoppered test tubes and some bits of paint colour charts. Concentrations in the range of a few parts per million are easily measured.
14(12) Programmable controllers – Part 1
The article is based on a student teacher’s personal account of the use of a programmable controller – the BASIC Stamp – for learning and teaching in school or college technology courses. A brief overview is also provided of the features of a small selection of similar devices currently on the market.
16(14) PASCO Science Workshop
Science Workshop can turn your PC or Mac into a virtual instrument for capturing and analysing experimental data. In this test report we take a critical look at the system – the software, the 500 Interface and force and motion sensors.
22(20) Trade News
It has been announced that Philip Harris and NES Arnold have merged to form a large, new company.
22(20) Corroding clips (DNA kits)
Problems due to using an older and now incorrect recipe for the buffer used for the gel electrophoresis tank.
23(21) Safety notes
23(21) Smart Box interface
We have come across a fault condition in a batch of Smart Box Computer Interfaces manufactured by Economatics throughout most of 1993 and in the early part of 1994.
23(21) Edu-Elequip apparatus
We have been sent information by a school indicating that a type of cord grip employed by Edu-Elequip is ineffective.
23(21) Power supply modifications
We have been contacted by Unilab concerning a Power Supply Module being offered for sale by Rapid Electronics.
24(22) Addendum : Klystron power supply
In a recent Bulletin issue we reported on the cause of an electric shock and recommended control measures to prevent an event like this from recurring.
24(22) First aid
On behalf of some Councils, Allen Cochrane here at SSERC has recently been looking at the problem of the scale of provision of trained first-aiders.
26(24) Switching-on genes
A simplified protocol is described for demonstrating the induction of the enzyme 13-galactosidase in strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli
30(28) Biotechnology news
Scottish Biotechnology Project, “What’s what in Biotechnology?” Additional organisms and techniques
30(28) Trade news
djb Microtech, Crocodile Clips, Sciencesoft Calculator, Exploring Space, Pumps and pipettors – again!
32(30) Equipment Offers
