From sci.chem Tue Nov 19 12:42:22 1996
Newsgroups: sci.chem
From: bpc@netcom.com (Benjamin P. Carter)
Subject: Re: Lab Accidents.......
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 09:30:25 GMT
Lines: 24
Sender: bpc@netcom18.netcom.com

Me too.

In high school we were generating oxygen, using potassium chlorate with
manganese dioxide as a catalyst.  We were heating the mixture in test
tubes held over Bunsen burners.  Suddenly there was a loud pop as one of
the test tubes exploded.  The teacher told us to turn off the gas and
leave the room, but three more test tubes exploded before we could comply.
One student who was always talking had his mouth open, as usual, and had
to be taken to a hospital to have many shards of glass removed from the
inside of his mouth.  He was the only casualty.

The teacher later told us what had gone wrong. Someone had been using
charcoal powder in another experiment.  Having some left over, and
deciding that it shouldn't be wasted, he thoughtfully attempted to put it
back where it had come from.  He found a container with dark powder which
he assumed was charcoal, although the label read MnO2.  ...

-- 
    Ben Carter                  internet address: bpc@netcom.com