A Laboratory is a room or a building designed specifically for carrying out experiments.
Rules in a Physics Laboratory
While working in the lab,
individuals are advised to adhere to specific lab rules to ensure their safety,
that of other people working in the lab and the safety of the apparatus and
chemicals stored in the lab.
Rules in a Physics laboratory:
1. You should only enter
the lab in the presence of a lab attendant.
2. Keep all exits and
entrances to and from the lab clear of obstructions.
3. Do not eat or drink in
the lab.
4. Solid objects should
not be thrown into the sink or water ways.
5. Do not use any lab
container for drinking or storing food.
6. Make sure that you
wash your hands with soap before you leave the lab.
7. The cover or stopper
of a particular chemical must be replaced immediately after use.
8. After experiments,
clean your bench and leave it dry and well arranged.
9. Never quarrel or fight
in the lab.
10. Never use ungloved
hands to hold hot objects
Safety measures in a Physics Laboratory:
1. All experiments which
produce poisonous fumes must be conducted in the fume chamber.
2. Lab floors should not
be polished to avoid slipperiness.
3. A Lab should have
large windows, and doors should be opened outwards.
4. Ensure that the fire
extinguisher is fixed in an appropriate place, ready to be accessed in case of
fire.
5. In a multi storey building,
a Physics lab should be in the lowest floor.
Using First Aid Kit
First Aid is the immediate care given to accident victims or an injured person before he/she is taken to a hospital for further medical treatment. It reduces pain and helps to bring hope and encouragement to accident victims.
A First Aid Kit is a
collection of medical supplies (such as bandages, plasters, pain killers,
antiseptics) and equipment that is used to give medical treatment to a sick
person or an accident victim, before taking the person to a hospital.
Contents of a first aid kit and their uses
Warning Signs in Chemical Containers:
Warning signs are signs
found on Chemical containers, indicating the danger of the contained chemical.
There are six warning signs.
Explosives
These are substances that
can explode. An explosion is a forceful, rapid reaction which involves the
throwing of particles at high speeds.
The sign means that it is
dangerous to keep explosives in glass containers.
Oxidant
This is a
chemical/substance that helps a burning substance to burn faster.
An oxidising agent makes
a small fire become bigger. Heating a mixture of an organic material with an
oxidising agent may cause an explosion. E.g. heating potassium permanganate
with sawdust.
Flammable
These substances catch
fire easily. They should not be kept near open flames. If heated, an electric
heater should be used.
Corrosive
These substances burn
skin and can also corrode floors and desktops.
If by accident, a
corrosive substance comes into contact with your skin, immediately go to a sink
and wash your skin with a lot of water. Examples of corrosive substances
include Concentrated mineral acids like HCl and HNO3 II, and Concentrated
alkalis like NaOH and KOH
Toxic
These are very poisonous
and can cause death immediately after use or after a few days. They should not
be allowed to come into contact with you.
If you come into contact
with such a chemical accidentally, wash it away with a lot of water.
Harmful/irritant
Harmful Chemicals are
substances that may cause illness or endanger your health. They won’t kill
instantly, but they are lethal. Irritating substances cause pain in the eyes or on
your skin and can endanger your health if you are in contact with them for too
long.
They should be handled
according to the stipulated instructions.
Warning Signs in Daily Life
Use warning signs in daily life
Warning signs help us to
know the possible danger that is near us so that we can take precautions before
it is too late. For example, in hospitals, there are doors labelled with
radioactive symbols to warn the passers of the harmful radiation from X-ray
machines. These symbols can also be seen in mining areas.
Boxes containing
materials like glasses, which can easily break, are labelled with a fragile warning
sign to remind anyone who carries the box to be careful. Warning signs can be
found on several materials to ensure that safety is observed.
Activity 1
List and draw any five
warning signs in your environment and state their uses in your daily life.
The Concept of Scientific Investigation
Explain the concept of
scientific investigation
Scientific investigation refers to the step-by-step procedures and methods used in carrying out a scientific investigation. It involves a deep study into the problem, its causes and obtaining the solution through experiments and analysis of the results obtained.
Scientific investigation
is the way through which scientists can apply research skills and
techniques to examine a problem and finally come to a proper conclusion.
Steps of Scientific Investigation
Identify the steps of
scientific investigation
There are 8 common steps
to follow when doing a scientific investigation.
1. Identification of a
problem - This is the first step where a problem is recognised or observed. For
example, a scientist may observe that every day at noon, their bicycle tire bursts.
2. Asking questions – At
this stage, a scientist asks self-questions about the observed problems. For
example, does the hot weather at noon cause the observed tire bursts?
3. Hypothesis formulation
– This is the stage where a scientist guesses the possible causes of the
observed problem. The scientist tries to guess intelligent answers to the
questions asked in the second step, for example, the bursting of the tire is mainly
caused by the hot temperature at noon. The hypothesis can be true or false.
4. Experimentation – At
this stage, the hypothesis is being tested scientifically. An experiment is a
test conducted in a controlled condition or environment, such as in a
laboratory. The aim of the experiment is to obtain scientific answers or data
about the observed problem. Data is a set of facts, values or details which can
be translated to give a meaning.
5. Collection of data and
analysis – During experimentation, results or data obtained are collected and
recorded in a good and systematic manner. One good way of recording data is by
using tables (tabular form).
6. Data interpretation –
At this stage, the data recorded are related to one another to obtain the
relationship between them. For example, it may be found that as the temperature
of the surroundings increases the size (volume) of the tire becomes large.
7. Presentation of data –
This is when the data or information obtained is put in a form that can be well
understood. In this stage, mathematical formula, graphs and diagrams can be
used to explain the results.
8. Conclusion – This is
when a scientist comes out with a statement or summary to agree or disagree
with the hypothesis according to the results obtained from the experiment. The
scientist provides the possible solution to the problem observed on the first
step. For example, the bursting of a tire at noon is caused by enormous
expansion of air inside the tire brought by rise in temperature.
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