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Revision as of 01:31, 26 November 2007 by Donreed (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A chemistry set is an educational toy allowing the user (typically a teenager) to perform simple chemistry experiments. The best known such sets were produced by the A. C. Gilbert Company, an early 20th century American manufacturer of educational toys.
Typical contents might include:
- vials of dry chemicals
- wires or filings made from various metals, as copper, nickel or zinc
- graphite rods
- a balance and weights
- a measuring cylinder
- a thermometer
- a magnifying glass
- pipettes
- beakers, retorts, flasks, test tubes, U-tubes or other reaction vessels
- cork stoppers
- watch glasses
- glass and rubber tubing
- test tube holders, retort stands and clamps
- an alcohol burner or other heat source
- a filter funnel and filter paper
- universal indicator paper / litmus paper
- safety goggles
- an instruction manual
Chemicals commonly found in chemistry sets include:
- Aluminum ammonium sulfate
- Ammonium chloride
- Borax
- Calcium chloride
- Calcium oxide
- Calcium sulfate
- Cobalt chloride
- Copper chloride
- Copper sulfate
- Ferric ammonium sulfate
- Ferrous sulfate
- Gum arabic
- Magnesium ribbon
- Magnesium chloride
- Magnesium sulfate
- Phenolphthalein
- Potassium chloride
- Potassium sulfate
- Powdered charcoal
- Powdered iron
- Sodium bisulfate
- Sodium carbonate
- Sodium ferrocyanide
- Sodium silicate
- Sodium thiosulfate
- Strontium chloride
- Sulfur
- Tannic acid
In recent years, chemistry-set manufacturers have been reluctant, because of product-liability concerns, to include many of the chemicals that are needed for "interesting" experiments. (In the past, a house fire started by an improvident teenager playing with chemicals was regarded as an act of God; but now it is generally regarded as a tort, and manufacturers of chemistry sets are usually (and often wrongly) assumed to have deep pockets. In anticipation of such suits, chemistry-set makers removed chemicals thought to be dangerous—even in the hands of idiots—from chemistry sets.
The 12AngryMen Blog has published an explanation of the near demise of the chemistry set: http://12angrymen.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/endangered-species-the-chemistry-set/
External links
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