UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY
UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY Concept mapping
Layout of science laboratory
Designing the laboratory
8.1
Different between the type of science laboratory
Objective 1. To know what is the laboratory science needed. 2. To know the different between physic, chemistry, biology and general science
laboratory 8.2
Introduction The special needs of teaching laboratories arise from the fact that they are heavily
populated by persons undergoing training. Because the students have reached different levels in the instruction, no two teaching laboratories, even though they may be used for teaching the subject, are exactly alike in design or equipment. For these reasons they differ considerably from non-teaching laboratories. Certain basic needs are, however, common to all teaching laboratories. Each type of laboratory has its own special problems connected with the installation of equipment, and the best opportunity of overcoming them occurs when the laboratory is designed. Difficulties invariably present themselves in later years, however, when items are purchased to 88
UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY
provide for new techniques and the natural expansion of the department. One of the major problems which arise is that of space. When new equipment is positioned the adverse effects it may have on equipment already in existence, and conversely any which the existing equipment may have on the new, are important considerations. In many cases special provision must be made for supporting either delicate or weighty items. The effects of local conditions such as humidity, temperature, and the effect of sunlight, dust, draughts, noise and vibration, must also be given attention.
8.3
Designing the laboratory First, consider the laboratory in terms of its main features such as the walls, ceilings,
floors and benches; then think about the other requirements which will give it life. This include heating, lighting, ventilation (including fume extraction), drainage, and the supply services to benches and other furniture. The designer must incorporate these component parts of the laboratory into a plan and must indicate clearly that he requires and the amount of money to be spent on the concerned. There have a lot of things that need to be think and do for design the laboratory. 8.3.1
Laboratory Benches The laboratory benches can be categorized into fixed benches, and mobile benches. Whether the benches are fixed to the floor or are mobile depends on the use made of them. Fixed benches are adequate for the present curriculum. But the newest curriculum often demands mobile benches. The obvious advantages of fixed benches are that water, gas and electric supplies can be fixed onto them and thus giving convenience 89
UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY to the users; the benches are always horizontal and they should be vibration-proof. On the other hands mobile benches allow new bench arrangements to be carried out whenever the teachers feel that a particular arrangement permits better communication between students. But mobile benches do not carry electric power supply. Electric supply, running water and gas mains, if fitted, must be on the wall or side benches. To use these services, the mobile benches have to be pushed against these wall benches making the drawers or cupboards on the wall benches inaccessible to all. This disadvantage can be overcome by distributing the services through overhead booms. Whatever the situation, the bench should be of sturdy design with a good horizontal surface, which can be easily achieved by making the table-top adjustable. Generally, because of microscopic work, the benches in the biology laboratories are lower than that in the physics or chemistry laboratories. The height of the benches in the physics or chemistry laboratories may be 75 cm for students doing the experiment in the sitting position or may be 90 cm for students working in the standing position. For safety in the laboratory, a high table with the students performing the experiments in the standing position is preferable. The students can easily move away from the bench if something should go wrong with the experiments thus avoiding personal injury. a. The Fixed Benches •
Most of the laboratories in the South-East Asian region have benches that are fixed to the floor. The water pipes, gas pipes electrical conduits are permanent features and they form part of a laboratory bench, which is usually made of wood.
•
The benches can be of the island type. Often they are long and eight students can occupy a single bench with four students on each side facing one another. Note 89
UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY the cupboards built into them. Gas and water pipes and electrical wiring are permanent attachments. Gas in this example comes from a portable tank. Student may in the sitting or standing position when experiments are performed. Island type of benches can be shorter with two benches instead of one.
i.
Peninsular Benches •
This type of benches is quite rare in this region. The bench services i.e. running water, gas and electric supplies, are obtainable in this type of bench arrangement.
i.
The side or wall benches •
The side or wall bench is found in all laboratories with fixed benches and in most of the laboratories with mobile benches. It is a long bench running from one wall to the next. It has gas, water and electrical supplies besides the large number of drawers and cupboards for storing equipment. Students can make use of the side bench for experiments. Shelves are sometimes built above these wall benches for displaying preserved biological specimens. Sometimes, cupboards with glass fronts are built above them for the storage of equipment.
b.
The Mobile Benches •
In laboratories with mobile benches, the water and gas pipes, if any, and electric conduits are to be found only in the side or wall benches, which are fixed.
•
Mobile benches are generally light without cupboards or drawers. A shelf may be built under the bench-top for students to put their books and papers.
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UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY •
Laboratories with mobile tables will be useful to teachers and students trying to implement the newer curriculum projects where every lesson may be held in a science laboratory. A pattern such a lesson may be as follows: 1. Students, either in small groups or individually, through an experiment or experiments, endeavor to find out for themselves a science principle or law. The tables, in this case, would be separated with perhaps four students working on each bench. 2. When the experiments have been conducted the teacher may start a class discussion on the experiments. In this case benches may be arranged together and around the teacher. 3. Recapitulation by brief talk or film strip may necessitate another arrangement of the benches. In such a lesson, it will be very inconvenient to both teacher and students if the benches
are fixed. 8.3.1
Bench Services Science experiments may require one or a combination of these services: i.
Water
ii. Heat iii. electricity In science laboratories, water is usually obtained from taps connected to water pipes or from aspirators. a.
Heat is obtained by burning: i.
gas from the mains
ii. gas from portable tanks called bottled gas iii. solid chemical fuel 88
UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY iv. liquid fuel i.e. a spirit lamp. b.
Electricity is obtained from: i.
dry cells
ii. lead acid accumulators iii. 80-ampere low voltage unit iv. Direct from the mains. c. In the laboratory with fixed benches, the student’s benches may have: i.
Either, running water or 3-litre aspirators; gas from the mains or portable tanks or, running water or 3-litre aspirators; gas from mains or portable tanks; electricity from cells, batteries and mains or, none of these services.
ii. The side benches usually have all the services. iii. The teacher’s bench usually has all these services. d.
In a laboratory with mobile benches: i.
The student’s benches have none of these services. Aspirators, cells and batteries are normally placed on the side benches.
ii. The side benches usually have all these services. iii. The teacher’s bench may have none of these services.
8.3.1
The design of preparation room There is no specific design for a preparatory room for its design and what it contains depends mainly on the type of main laboratory or laboratories it services. That is its size, type of design, location the kinds of equipment and apparatus it contains depend on the purpose and function of the main laboratory. So before embarking on any design, it is necessary to consider the purpose. If for instance the purpose is to service laboratories used for general science then the usual
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UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY activity will be preparation for experiments, like preparing solutions or media, assembling apparatus, and washing ups. Other activities might include the repair and construction of equipment apparatus (1G Nov 2001). So the requirements would include: i.
Sufficient storage for daily use
ii.
Services – gas outlets, electric points water supply for washing up.
iii.
Access for heavy pieces of equipments and methods to transfer the goods
iv.
Escape in case of fire (Ia Nov 2001) But in general, each preparatory room should contain the following: i.
A water distillation or de-ionizing plant
ii.
A wet bench with running water and draining board
iii.
A balance
iv.
A large dry bench for dry work
v.
Small hard tools
vi.
Adequate shelving and cupboards to be used for storage of apparatus equipment and chemicals
vii.
An area for office work where the teacher or laboratory attendant could do paper work
viii. Adequate electrical outlet sockets ix.
Gas supply
x.
An efficient waste disposed system (I G Nov 2001)
Whatever your requirement which as mentioned earlier should be in line with your purpose, these requirements should be well arranged in the preparation room to make movement easy
8.3 Laboratory design for science class Different kinds of laboratories require different types of services. 8.3.1
Physics Laboratory 89
UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY
i. Require main electricity, some heating and very little water. ii. The things should be supplied are that a large number of mains sockets, a 40ampere low voltage unit, dry cell and batteries, a few Bunsen burners connected to gas mains or portable tanks or a few spirit lamps and a few 3-litre aspirators. 8.3.1
Chemistry Laboratory i. Require a lot of heating, moderate amount of water and very little electricity. ii. The things should be supplied are that sufficient number of Bunsen burners connected to mains or portable tanks or sufficient number of spirit lamps, running water or several aspirators and a few of batteries.
8.3.1
Biology Laboratory i. Require small amount of water, very little heating, electricity for lamp in microscope work and perhaps water bath. ii. The things should be supplied are that sufficient number of mains sockets along the side benches, a few 3-litre aspirators and a few spirit lamps or Bunsen burners connected to a gas supply.
8.3.1
General Science Laboratory, Integrated Science Laboratory i. Require mainly electricity, a lot of heat and moderate amount of water. ii. The things should supplied are that sufficient number of spirit lamps or Bunsen burners connected to supplies, running water or several 3-litre aspirators sufficient to mains sockets, cells and batteries.
8.3 Conclusion
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UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY
A laboratory is a space devoted to education, analysis, research, experimentation, and production. Laboratories handle a variety of different materials, from gases and chemicals, from drugs to living materials. Laboratories vary significantly depending upon several factors, including their intended function, the types of materials that will be handled in them, and how many people they will accommodate. To that end, the design of a laboratory is extremely important. The first consideration when designing a laboratory is selecting a site. When siting a lab, it's important to review important criteria such as the health and safety of the population in the surrounding area of the laboratory, public perception, and environmental concerns, as well as engineering and operations plans. The impact of both building and operating the laboratory should be examined carefully. Sites should be chosen so that accidental contamination will have the smallest effect possible and will be able to be dealt with expediently.
Question 1. Which of the following is not the bench service? A Water B gas C electric supply D chemical material
2. The laboratory benches can be categorized into___________ types. A 2 B 3 88
UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY
C 4 D 5
3. Which of the following is not the advantage of fixed benches? A Water B chemical supply C gas D electricity 4. Most of the laboratories in the South-East Asia region have___________ benches. A Peninsular B Mobile C Fixed D island types
5. How many students can occupy a single bench of island types of bench? A 6 B 7 C 8 D 9 6. Which of the following is not the peninsular benches service? A chemical material B electricity C gas
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UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY
D water
7. Which benches can be found in all laboratories? A mobile benches B fixed benches C peninsular benches D side or wall benches
8. Which benches are generally light without cupboards or drawers? A mobile benches B fixed benches C peninsular benches D side or wall benches
9. Which of the following is not the source of heat? A burning of gas B 80-ampere low voltage unit C solid chemical fuel D spirit lamp
10. All of the following are the source of electricity except? A 80-ampere low voltage unit B lead acid accumulator 88
UNIT 8 : LAYOUT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY
C Solid chemical fuel D dry cell
Answers 1.d
2.a 3.b
4.c 5.c
6.a
7.d
8.a
9.b
10.c
References Amritage, Philip and Fasemore, Johnson. (1977). Laboratory Safety: A Science Teacher’s Source Book, Heinamann Education Books, London. Chisman, Dennis (1987) Preliminary Issues, Practical Secondary Education: Planning for Cost- Effectiveness in less Developed Countries, Commonwealth Secreteriat, London. Fahkru’l-Razi Ahmadun, Chuah Teong Guan and Mohd Halim Shah. 2005. Safety: Principles & Practices in the Laboratory, Penerbit Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang. Hegarty-Hazel, Elizabeth (1990), The Student Laboratory and the Science Curriculum: An Overview, The Student Laboratory and the Science Curriculum, pt.1, pg.3. McGrath, Dennis M. (1978), Some General Considerations, Laboratory Management and Techniques For School and Colleges, Anthonian, Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh-Singapore. Woolnough, Brian E. (1991). Setting the scene, Practical Science, pt.1, pg.6. Woolnough, Brian E. (1991). Setting the scene, Practical Science, pt.1, pg. 13. Woolnough, Brian E. (1991). Setting the scene, Practical Science, pt.1, pg. 14. K. Guy. Laboratory organization and administration. London Butterworths
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