Complete Master List for #12 Solutions:
Key: (1st/2nd/3rd) denote needed quantities: (1st) enough for 1 student doing all activities; (2nd) enough for 30 students working in 10 lab groups all self-paced; (3rd) enough for 30 students working in 10 lab groups, all doing the same lesson. Starred* items may be purchased below.
- 1/1/1: roll soft paper towels
- 1/10/10: scissors
- * 5/50/50: laboratory filters. Some densely-woven lavatory paper towels on rolls may also work. Test in advance.
- * 1/1/1: packages: corn starch, granulated sugar, alum, fine-grained table salt, baking soda, copper sulfate, rock salt, Epsom salt. Include a dispensing spoon with each package.
- * 3/30/30: baby food jars or equivalent, most with lids (or small beakers)
- 1/1/1: water source. Use distilled water if source is hard.
- * 1/6/10: dropper bottles each: iodine, rubbing alcohol.
- 1/3/6: dropper bottles each: chlorine bleach, mineral oil, liquid detergent, India ink, vinegar, distilled water.
- 1/1/1: hot plate with teapot (or Bunsen burner, or alcohol lamps, and matches)
- * 2/10/20: eyedroppers
- 1/1/2: packets of non-dairy creamer
- 1/1/1: shaker of pepper
- * 3/30/30: test tubes, 12 mL or more
- * 1/5/10: magnifying glasses
- 1/10/10: small paper drinking cups
- 1/4/10: metric rulers (optional)
- * 1/1/1: roll aluminum foil
- 1/1/1: package rice
- 1/1/1: envelope powdered milk
- 1/1/1: package flour, bleached or unbleached
- * 1/5/10: rolls clear tape
- * 1/10/10: graduated cylinders, 10 mL capacity
- 1/1/1: box seltzer tablets, Alka-Seltzer or equivalent
- 1/1/1: box sugar cubes
- * 1/6/10: microscope slides
- 1/1/1: box facial tissues (roll toilet paper)
- 1/4/10: microscopes (optional)
- * 1/1/1: package rubber bands
- 1/1/1: can scouring cleanser (optional)
- 1/10/10: index cards
- 1/2/4: paper punch tools
- * 1/1/1: box plastic straws
- 1/1/1: wall clock with second hand (or wristwatches)
- * 1/6/10: gram balances (instruments constructed in #05 Weighing are suitable)
- 1/10/10: calculators
- * 1/5/10: small Pyrex beakers
- * 1/1/1: clothespins
- 1/1/1: permanent markers
- 1/1/1: bottle calcium acetate
- 1/1/1: bottle sodium thiosulfate
Convenient Shopping:
Solutions Supplies
WE SUPPLY seven key chemicals: 10 mL Alum, 10 mL Copper Sulfate, 20 mL Rock Salt, 20 mL Epsom Salt, 20 mL Calcium Acetate, 20 mL Sodium Thiosulfate and 1 dropper bottle of Iodine. YOU SUPPLY everything else.
Aluminum Foil
regular strength, 20 square feet x 12 inches rolls
Buy aluminum foil here as a convenience item, or for less in many grocery stores.
Baby Food Jars - assorted
without lids
Each set includes 4 small, 4 medium and 4 large glass jars.
Beakers
50 mL, heat-resistant Pyrex
Needed for #10 Analysis and #12 Solutions.
Clothespins
wooden, spring-action
These are handy lab items to keep in stock. We use them as bulb holders, tongs, clips, and more.
Dropper Bottle with Eyedropper
1/2 ounce, amber glass
Very handy for storing and conveniently dispensing small quantities of liquid. You may also purchase eyedroppers without bottles as item #1120.
Eyedroppers
glass, with rubber bulbs and screw-on plastic bottle top
These have many lab uses. You may purchase them separately here, or with 1/2 ounce dropper bottles (as item #1121).
Separately, these also double as Cartesian Divers in #200 Diving into Pressure & Buoyancy. If you already have droppers, test them in advance to see if they make good 'divers': Remove plastic bottle top, if any. Dropper must float when empty, then sink with a one-squeeze-intake of water. Test that the seal between bulb and barrel is water tight: The empty dropper should float for a day or so in a glass of water, without taking on visible water.
Filter Paper
lab grade
A handy lab supply, 12.5 cm dia. circles. Lab grade filters are remarkably expensive. Rinse and dry after each use to use again! Hey, TOPS is not rocket science.
Graduated Cylinder - 10 mL
shatter resistant plastic on stable base
An important lab inquiry tool for measuring small liquid volumes.
Gram Pocket Scale
digital, pocket size
Digitally weighs up to 500 grams, plus tare container. Sensitive to 0.1 gram in multiple weight units. Durable, but not childproof. Comes with two AAA batteries to get you started.
Magnifier - hand lens
3X clear plastic hand lens
You'll find many uses for this basic tool of scientific inquiry. Very nice quality for the price. Supports #17 Light, #23 Rocks and Minerals, and #42 Focus Pocus. (One 3X hand lens is also included in each #100 Triple Magnifier Kit.)
Microscope Slides
glass, standard size
Used in #17 Light for diffraction experiments. For viewing microscope specimens, consider cutting slides, almost for free, from clear plastic bakery cartons. Smooth any sharp edges with sandpaper or an emery board.
Rubber Bands - assorted
10 grams each of thin, medium and thick
You get 30 grams of soft, strong, durable rubber bands: thin #16 (about 50), medium #32 (about 20), and heavy-duty #64 (about 10). These sizes are specifically selected to work in most TOPS experiments.
Straws - straight
plastic, thin
Any length straw, between 0.20 and 0.25 inches in diameter is suitable. Grocery stores generally carry straws with flexible "elbows." You can use those if you cut off the bendable section before using.
Tape - clear
3/4 inch x 1000 inch roll
Your standard desk tape with matte write-on surface.
Test Tube - medium disposable
19 mL capacity, 16 mm OD, 5 inch (125 mm) length
A lighter weight rimless Pyrex test tube made with thinner glass.
Test Tube - medium reusable
14 mL capacity, 15 mm OD, 5 inch (125 mm) length
A tough Pyrex test tube made with rim and thicker glass. Has a white spot for labeling.
