Chapter Overview
During this unit, students demonstrate safe practices, including the use of personal protective equipment, such as safety goggles. They also learn the locations and use of other types of safety equipment, such as fire blankets, eye wash fountains, safety showers, and fire extinguishers. Students are introduced to safety information contained in MSDS/SDS. Students also learn to conserve and dispose of materials appropriately. Finally, students develop their own science notebooks to collect, record, and analyze data and information.
Main Ideas
Scientific investigations should be conducted in a safe, environmentally appropriate, and ethical manner.
What should be considered when appropriately conducting a scientific investigation and why?
Scientific processes lead to valid conclusions.
Why is it important for a scientist to maintain thorough documentation of all work?
Misconceptions
Students may think all chemicals are hazardous.
Students may have difficulty understanding that all matter is chemical. Students may have difficulty understanding that the amount of chemical exposure determines toxicity.
Vocabulary
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) – MSDS are information sheets provided for each chemical used or stored in the chemistry lab or classroom. These are required to be made available so that the hazard potential (such as flammability, corrosiveness, radioactivity) can be assessed and proper safety and clean-up precautions taken.
Flammability – the ability of a substance to burn or ignite, causing fire or combustion
Corrosiveness – the ability to cause damage to living tissue
Radioactivity – the sending out of radiation
Toxicity – the action of poison on living beings
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – safety goggles, aprons, gloves
Eyewash Fountain – sink used to flush eyes with water when irritants or chemicals enter the eye
Fire Blanket – safety device designed to put out (smother) fires
Fire Extinguisher – device that discharges a jet of substance to put out a fire
Fume Hood – ventilated enclosure in a chemistry lab where harmful chemicals can be used
Safety Shower – shower to wash chemicals off a person after a chemical spill
Disposal – getting rid of something
Notes
Other Valuable Resources