Science · Unit 13

Lab Skills and Safety

Working safely and carefully in a science lab

Practical work has its own set of skills that are rarely written down and are assumed by every experiment you will ever be asked to run.

The unit covers the standard equipment and what each piece is for, hazard symbols and what they actually require of you, measuring properly, and recording results as you go rather than from memory afterwards.

This unit breaks down into 22 short steps and 131 questions, starting at difficulty 3 and building to 4. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.

Steps: 22
Questions: 131
Difficulty: 3-4

What this unit covers

Staying Safe in the Lab
Lab Equipment
Hazard Symbols
Measuring in the Lab
Recording Results

Where this fits

Best alongside Measuring and Units, before any practical chemistry or biology.

Where people slip

Hazard symbols describe the substance, not the amount. A dilute solution of something corrosive still carries the symbol, and the risk depends on concentration and handling.

How the unit is structured

Lab Skills and Safety runs as 22 short steps that unlock in order. 16 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 3 and climb to 4 as you progress.

Step 1 · easierStep 22 · harder

Challenge rounds

Example questions

30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 131 in the unit altogether.

Hazard Symbols

Choose all that applyLevel 3
1. Which hazard symbols warn mainly about a fire or explosion risk? Pick all that apply.
- Flammablecorrect
- Explosivecorrect
- Oxidisingcorrect
- Corrosive
Flammable, explosive, and oxidising symbols all relate to fire, while corrosive is about damage to materials.
Fact or fibLevel 3
2. The corrosive hazard symbol shows liquid dripping onto a hand and a surface.
Answer: True
The corrosive symbol pictures liquid eating into both a hand and a material, showing it destroys what it touches.
Fill the blankLevel 3
3. The skull-and-crossbones symbol warns that a substance is ____.
- toxiccorrect
- flammable
- harmless
- recyclable
The skull and crossbones marks toxic substances that can poison you if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed.
Match the pairsLevel 3
4. Match each hazard symbol to what it warns about.
Answer: Skull and crossbones = Toxic; Flame = Flammable; Liquid dripping onto a hand = Corrosive; Exclamation mark = Harmful or irritant
Each hazard picture has a fixed meaning that tells you how a substance can harm you.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
5. A hazard symbol showing a flame means the substance is ____.
- Flammablecorrect
- Toxic
- Corrosive
- Magnetic
The flame symbol warns that a substance is flammable and can catch fire easily.
Odd one outLevel 3
6. Which of these symbols is NOT a hazard warning?
- Recycling arrowscorrect
- Flammable flame
- Corrosive drips
- Toxic skull
The recycling arrows are an environmental symbol, not a warning about danger.

Lab Equipment

Fill the blankLevel 3
7. Solid chemicals are scooped and handled with a ____.
- spatulacorrect
- pipette
- funnel
- thermometer
A spatula is a small flat scoop used to move powders and solid chemicals without touching them.
Match the pairsLevel 3
8. Match each piece of equipment to its main job.
Answer: Pipette = Transferring small volumes of liquid; Tongs = Holding hot objects; Funnel = Pouring liquid into a narrow neck; Test tube = Holding a small sample
Each tool has a specific use: pipettes move small volumes, tongs hold hot items, funnels guide pouring, and test tubes hold samples.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
9. Which piece of glassware measures a volume of liquid most accurately?
- Graduated cylindercorrect
- Beaker
- Conical flask
- Boiling tube
A graduated cylinder has fine, narrow markings, so it reads volume far more accurately than a wide beaker or flask.
Odd one outLevel 3
10. Which of these is NOT glassware?
- Crucible tongscorrect
- Beaker
- Graduated cylinder
- Conical flask
Crucible tongs are made of metal for gripping hot items; the others are all glass containers.
Choose all that applyLevel 4
11. You must separate sand from salty water by filtering. Which items do you need? Pick all that apply.
- Filter funnelcorrect
- Filter papercorrect
- Beaker to collect the filtratecorrect
- Bunsen burner
Filtration needs a funnel lined with filter paper over a beaker; no heating is required to filter.
Fact or fibLevel 4
12. When a Bunsen burner is lit but not being used to heat something, it should be left on the yellow safety flame.
Answer: True
Closing the air hole gives a luminous yellow safety flame that is cooler and easy to see between uses.

Measuring in the Lab

Fact or fibLevel 3
13. To read a measuring cylinder correctly you should look down at the liquid from above.
Answer: False
Looking from above causes parallax error; you should read at eye level with the meniscus.
Fill the blankLevel 3
14. A volume of 25 mL should be measured in a ____ rather than a beaker for better accuracy.
- measuring cylindercorrect
- test tube
- funnel
- watch glass
A measuring cylinder has fine graduations, so it measures small volumes more accurately than a beaker.
Guess the numberLevel 3
15. How many millilitres (mL) are in 1 litre?
Answer: 1000 mL
There are 1000 millilitres in 1 litre, a key conversion for measuring volume.
Match the pairsLevel 3
16. Match each instrument to the quantity it measures.
Answer: Balance = Mass; Thermometer = Temperature; Measuring cylinder = Volume; Stopwatch = Time
Different instruments measure different quantities: mass, temperature, volume, and time.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
17. When reading the volume in a measuring cylinder, you should look at the ____.
- Bottom of the meniscus at eye levelcorrect
- Top of the meniscus from above
- Highest liquid mark from below
- Middle of the glass at any angle
You read the bottom of the curved meniscus with your eye level to the mark for an accurate volume.
Put in orderLevel 4
18. Put these steps for measuring the mass of a powder in the correct order.
Answer: Place the empty container on the balance -> Press tare to read zero -> Add the powder with a spatula -> Read the mass shown on the display
Zeroing with the container on first means the final reading is the powder's mass alone.

Recording Results

Choose all that applyLevel 3
19. Which are good practices when recording results? Pick all that apply.
- Write units in the column headingscorrect
- Record each reading as soon as you take itcorrect
- Repeat readings and take an averagecorrect
- Adjust odd values to match your prediction
Clear headings, recording straight away, and repeating for an average all improve your data; changing values to fit expectations is dishonest.
Fill the blankLevel 3
20. You should record each reading ____ as you take it, not from memory afterwards.
- immediatelycorrect
- roughly
- occasionally
- much later
Recording readings immediately avoids forgetting or mixing up values later.
Guess the numberLevel 3
21. For a fair average, how many repeat readings are usually recommended as a minimum?
Answer: 3 readings
Taking at least three repeat readings helps spot and reduce the effect of anomalies.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
22. In a results table, where should the unit of measurement be written?
- Once in the column headingcorrect
- In every single cell
- Only in the title of the graph
- It does not need to be written
Writing the unit once in the column heading keeps the table clear and avoids repeating it in every cell.
Put in orderLevel 3
23. Put the steps of collecting and processing data in the right order.
Answer: Take each reading -> Record it in a table -> Repeat the measurements -> Calculate the average -> Plot a graph
You take each reading, record it, repeat the measurements, calculate an average, then plot a graph.
Fact or fibLevel 4
24. It is good practice to rub out and replace an unexpected reading so your results table looks neat.
Answer: False
You never delete real data; unexpected readings are kept and repeated to check them.

Staying Safe in the Lab

Build the sentenceLevel 3
25. Build a safety instruction from the tiles.
Answer: Always wear goggles to protect your eyes
Wearing goggles protects your eyes from splashes and flying particles.
Choose all that applyLevel 3
26. Which items are personal protective equipment for the lab? Pick all that apply.
- Safety gogglescorrect
- Glovescorrect
- Lab coatcorrect
- Open-toed sandals
Goggles, gloves, and a lab coat protect your eyes, hands, and clothes; open sandals leave feet exposed.
Fact or fibLevel 3
27. It is safe to point the open end of a heating test tube toward another student.
Answer: False
A heated test tube can spit out hot liquid, so its open end must always point away from people.
Fill the blankLevel 3
28. If you do not know how to use a chemical safely, you should first read its ____ before starting.
- labelcorrect
- clock
- window
- whiteboard
The container label tells you the hazards and how to handle a chemical safely.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
29. Why should long hair be tied back in the lab?
- So it cannot catch fire or dip into chemicalscorrect
- To look tidy for the teacher
- So safety goggles fit better
- To keep it out of your eyes while reading
Loose hair can catch fire near a flame or dip into chemicals, so tying it back keeps you safe.
Guess the numberLevel 4
30. After a chemical splashes into the eye, you should flush it at the eyewash station for at least how many minutes?
Answer: 15 minutes
Guidance is to rinse the eye continuously for at least 15 minutes to wash the chemical away thoroughly.

Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.

How you practise

This unit mixes 14 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.

Build the sentence
Choose all that apply
Fact or fib
Fill the blank
Guess the number
Match the pairs
Multiple choice
Odd one out
Picture question
Put in order
Sort into groups
Spell it
True or false
Type the answer

Practise Lab Skills and Safety

131 questions across 22 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.

Play this unit

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