PDA

View Full Version : I didn't mean to make soap...



qwertysaur
02-05-2008, 06:00 PM
Today in Chemistry Lab we were making biodiesel, and glycerol, and someone overheated their beaker and made soap and biodiesel instead. Talk about your labratory mistakes, or about mistakes you saw.

Clawsze
02-05-2008, 10:38 PM
This happened a few years back. We were doing an experiment(can't remember what exactly) a mate of mine spilled Iodine on his shirt, then as he rushed to try and get it off,, he flicked the pencil he was holding into the bunson burner. 2 people feet stamping later they had a black pencil.

Aerith's Knight
02-06-2008, 12:17 AM
psh like thats dangerous.. i sometimes have to work with HF

i dont know if you even know what it is, so ill explain

HF smells like water
HF looks like water
HF feels like water
HF seeps into your bloodstream through skin contact, dissolves your bones and kills you!

The Summoner of Leviathan
02-06-2008, 12:24 AM
One time one of my friend's hair caught on fire. O__O;

As for me, I tend to make sure I know what to do next before I do it, so I have not made any memorable mistakes. Though once in Chem we made ASA, my group's was 75% pure ASA. :/

Smashed a beaker once when I was like in middle school.

rubah
02-06-2008, 05:51 AM
psh like thats dangerous.. i sometimes have to work with HF

i dont know if you even know what it is, so ill explain

HF smells like water
HF looks like water
HF feels like water
HF seeps into your bloodstream through skin contact, dissolves your bones and kills you!

Is that the stuff you can use to etch glass? I remember my chem/physics teacher talking about etching glass back in the day with some compound they won't even let into the [high school] classroom anymore.

He also told some old tales about someone dumping a large quantity of sodium in a creek that rattled windows a mile away.

I'm never certain which of his tales are accurate and which have expaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanded with the 30 years he's taught chemistry. (my dad before me! and my dad's OLD)

I don't remember ever making much on chem lab days other than solutions of copper and stuff. The flame tests were more fun 8)

also I would always peek when magnesium was exposed to air/burnt/whatever. It was beautiful.

Xaven
02-06-2008, 05:59 AM
We didn't do anything with anything back in chemistry. Honors schmoners. :P Once in bio, I spilled the white beans for our genetic drift / natural selection lab! AP ShmayPee.

Oh wait, I did get something caustic on my hands back in chem once. It didn't sting 'till a minute later and washing did nothing to help. It was majorly diluted though, so I was fine.