The syllabus safety rules, the equipment you must handle confidently (Bunsen burner, measuring cylinder, thermometer, balance…) and reading instruments accurately.
5 narrated scenes. Press play, listen and read along — the points appear as they are explained. Use ‹ Prev / Next › or the scene bar to jump to any scene.
The moderator watches how you handle apparatus. Confident, safe and accurate earns the marks.
Narration uses your device’s built-in voice. No sound? Switch to “Captions only” — the captions advance on their own.
Copy these into your notebook in your own words — that is how they stick.
Goggles, no food, report spills, know extinguisher/blanket/first aid; no fresh human tissue; no wild rodents.
Close air hole → lit splint → gas on → adjust. Blue = hot; yellow = safety flame.
Heat ethanol only in a water bath, burner off.
Bottom of meniscus at eye level.
cm³, °C, g, s, mm — always recorded.
Assessed on correct use of pH paper, thermometer, rule, quadrat, measuring cylinder, timer, cobalt chloride paper, balance.
The kind of support a teacher gives after the lesson: worked examples to attempt first, a board illustration, key terms, common misconceptions and memory aids.
Try it in your notebook first, then reveal the solution one step at a time.
Try it in your notebook first, then reveal the solution one step at a time.
| Substance / item | Hazard | Precaution |
|---|---|---|
| Ethanol (starch test, fat test) | Highly flammable | No naked flames nearby; heat it only in a water bath |
| Dilute HCl (non-reducing sugar test) | Irritant / corrosive | Eye protection; wash spills with water |
| Biuret reagent (NaOH) | Corrosive | Goggles; rinse skin at once |
| Iodine solution | Irritant; stains | Avoid skin and eye contact |
| Bunsen burner | Burns; fire | Tie back hair; safety (yellow) flame when not heating |
| Scalpel / blade | Cuts | Cut away from your body, on a tile |
| Soil and pond samples | Microorganisms | Wear gloves; wash hands afterwards |
Know the hazard, the reason and the precaution for each common chemical.
Reading a scale: E-B-U-P — Eye level, Bottom of meniscus, Unit, Precision.
Hospital and public health laboratories across the Caribbean follow the same basic rules you learn here — eye protection, careful labelling, safe disposal — because their samples can contain dangerous pathogens.
Find three measuring instruments at home (measuring jug, kitchen scale, thermometer). For each, write the smallest division and the precision you could record to.
4 quick games on this lesson. Earn XP and badges as you play — your best score for each game is saved. Games are for practice and do not change your exam readiness.
6 items modelled on real CSEC Paper 1 questions. Choose one answer for each, then check. Aim for 80% or better.
Write full answers, then reveal the mark scheme and tick the points you earned (7 marks in total). Your answers are saved on this device.
Question 1 [7 marks]
You are to heat a leaf in ethanol and test it for starch.
(a) State FOUR safety precautions for this practical. [4]
(b) Describe how to light a Bunsen burner and obtain a hot flame. [3]
Everything in this lesson is based on these parts of the CXC syllabus and papers.