This Unilever Laboratory Experiment describes the preparation of soap from a mixture of cooking oil and dripping. The leaflet was first published in 1964 and so lacks modern safety guidance. The procedure is authentic; it is designed to produce a convincing sample of soap. This means that it could be the basis of...

The method of preparation of a sulphonate paste described in this Unilever Laboratory Experiment is basically the same as that used by Unilever in the large-scale production of soapless detergents at the time of publication in 1964. The required reactants included an alkylbenzene hydrocarbon supplied by the...

This Unilever Laboratory Experiment, published in 1969, gives the procedure for using corrosion (ferroxyl) indicator to demonstrate anodic and cathodic areas on the surface of steel as it corrodes.

In this practical protocol students investigate one way in which bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance through conjugation - horizontal gene transfer from one bacterial strain or species to another.

Plasmid-mediated evolution is fast because whole functional ‘modules’ are lost and gained, rather than the...

RAL Space is the UK’s national space laboratory where our thermal engineers and technicians help design and build spacecraft. They make sure that the components will work correctly and are protected in the extreme temperatures of space by using a special type of insulation. In this activity and presentation, pupils...

This Unilever Laboratory Experiment, published in 1970, describes the analysis of fluorescers from soap and soapless detergent powders. The procedure describes how the fluorescers can be extracted from the product, separated by thin layer chromatography techniques, and made visible by exposing the chromatograms to...

Some of the biggest challenges we face stem from how we interact with our environment, and engineering is essential to finding sustainable solutions. From renewable power to recycling, to making our homes more energy efficient, and tackling how we feed a growing population, engineering is a vital field.
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Some of the biggest challenges we face stem from how we interact with our environment, and engineering is at the heart of finding sustainable solutions. Working with water is particularly important when thinking about the environment because water sustains all life and is essential to the survival of the planet....

Cre8ate maths provides these activities which investigate the tessellation of regular polygons and its application in construction. Initially students identify which regular polygons tessellate, providing the opportunity to discuss the interior angles of polygons and...

This Nuffield Working with Science unit aimed to excite interest in natural and built environment while encouraging students to take an interest in environmental issues.

Guidance for teachers and technicians appears...

A Year Ten module from the Salters’ double award science course. The story-line for this unit is the whole world market for manufactured chemicals and the need to transport them safely to where they are needed. This shows the importance of systems which convey concise,...

This Salters’ Chemistry Course unit from the University of York Science Education Group covered:
* The range of properties of chemicals.
* The use of symbols, formulas and balanced equations.
* The commercial importance of chemicals.
* Factors...

In this Catalyst article an experiment is described in which the formation of clouds can be replicated. The experiment requires nothing more than a plastic bottle, warm water, matches and a small thermometer.

This article...

A Catalyst article describing how to make a spectrometer to analyse light by using a CD to split the light and some other household items for the rest of the equipment.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume 21, Issue 4.

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Produced by Solar Spark, this simple activity helps to answer the simple, yet complex question: Why is the sky blue and the sunset red? It's all to do with light scattering and the Tyndall Effect and can be easily demonstrated using a suspension of milk in water.

Milk particles suspended in the water cause...