The Laboratory Safety Quiz

You should report all accidents to your instructor, no matter how small. This is for the safety of your classmates, the instructor and the class environment.

Of the options above, you should always wear safety goggles in the lab. The rest of the answers are prohibited for safety reasons.

The correct answer is to look at the test tube from one of its sides. Students should never peer into the tube, as this can be quite dangerous.

The answer is a Pipestem triangle. It's actually in the shape of a triangle and is used to hold a hot crucible in place. The triangle also has wires that are woven through it.

The correct answer is eating food. Food and chemicals should never be within the same vicinity. This also goes for drinking soda and juice.

Always wash your hands thoroughly before leaving the lab. This is to wash away any potential chemical residue and for hygienic purposes.

The right answer is open sandals. This is to prevent any chemicals from potentially spilling on exposed skin.

"Enzymatic" is not used to describe hazardous waste. The other trait, which is missing on this list, is "corrosivity."

The right answer is away from you and other lab members. For safety reasons, test tubes should never face you (just in case there is a spill).

The correct answer is that it could splatter. When water is added to a solution of concentrated acid, the chemicals may start to splatter and strike lab members.

When treating a burn on the skin, always dip the affected area in cold water. You should then let your instructor know what happened.

To properly mix water and an acid solution together, you should slowly add the acid to water while stirring it. This is to prevent any dangerous splattering from taking place.

A mortar and pestle is used for pressing down solids into a powder form. The mortar refers to the bowl and the pestle refers to the object that you use to press and mix the solids.

If your eye is affected by a chemical, you should use an eyewash fountain to thoroughly wash it. Your instructor should then be notified of the situation.

You should never use any kinds of chemicals on a pan balance. You should, however, clean your work station/glassware and wear safety equipment before any kind of lab work.

The correct answer is as follows: Use your hands to create a "fan" motion that will sweep the fumes from the tube and toward your nose. This way, your face is safely away from the tube.

You are allowed to bring a lab notebook into the lab to jot down any notes. Food, gum and drinks are not be allowed due to potential cross-contamination.

Before you enter the vicinity of the lab, you should already be familiar with any applicable procedures. This is so that work can be completed in a timely and efficient manner.

As its name implies, a test tube holder is used to "hold" test tubes. This is particularly useful when the tubes are too hot to touch.

When test tubes are not in use, they are safely held in place via a test tube rack. This can also be used for reactions in a test tube.

Beakers are used to safely hold liquids for heating purposes. They come in a variety of sizes and usually come with measurements on the side for accuracy.

A pipet is used to transfer liquids from one beaker (or glassware) to another. It's shaped like a long tube and some even have measurements along the side.

Tongs are used to hold a variety of objects that may be too hot to touch with the human hand. Some of these include flasks and crucibles.

A stopper often comes in rubber textures and is used to safely seal a variety of glassware. This is to prevent any potential spills due to accidents.

A wire brush, or a spout brush, is used to clean a variety of narrow glassware, including test tubes. It's also long and thin, which is great for cleaning any hard-to-reach crevices.

A watch glass is a multi-purpose vessel in the lab that can hold liquids and chemicals for heating, weighing and evaporation. One thing it can't do is measure temperature.

As its name implies, stirring rods are used for stirring purposes. They are also made from glass and are typically about as long as a pencil.

Micro spatulas look like miniature scoops that come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They usually have a rounded edge at the end for scooping powders and substances.

"MT" sounds like "empty," which is exactly what it means in the context of lab safety. When you see a label that says "MT," it's just a short way of saying the object is empty.

The correct answer is 125°F. This is the threshold for heating up cylinders, which should also never drop below 50°F.

The mercury that lies within a Mercury barometer is considered to be toxic in a lab. Fortunately, mercury barometers may be replaced with a digital pressure sensor.

The correct answer is asbestos, which is a known carcinogen. A carcinogen is potentially lethal to humans because it is known to cause cancer.

Another fancy way of saying baking soda is "sodium hydrogen carbonate," which is used to neutralize acids. This should be used during an acid spill on the ground, but not on human skin.

The correct answer is green. The NFPA stands for National Fire Protection Association, which includes a handy hazard diamond key that indicates various colors and their association to potential hazards. Those colors are blue, yellow, white and red. Green is not one of them.

The Erlenmeyer flask was invented by Emil Erlenmeyer. It is also known as 'titration flask.' The bottom of this flask is wide, which gradually narrows toward its neck.