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As its name implies Microscience is practical work carried out on a small scale. Obviously the scientific principles that apply on a conventional
scale still apply at a smaller scale but there are differences that make this mode of working a very educationally rewarding one. Some of the
advantages include the following:
Students can work individually and gain greater ownership of their learning. This also facilitates assessment
It is cheaper because you save on resources by using much smaller amounts of chemicals.
It is more environmentally friendly because of lower requirements for energy and water and less waste is produced.
You can do practicals you were not able to do before because health and safety becomes less of an issue. The impossible becomes
possible!
Experiments are quicker and less time consuming because clearing up, washing of equipment and storage are all simpler and more efficient
than for equipment on a larger scale.
The above advantage also means that a practical can be completed with time for worthwhile introductions and plenary sessions.
Easy-to-use, adaptable equipment and well-established laboratory procedures make these advantages real ones and there are now a large number of
materials and worksheets that are also available.
The hand-sized Comboplate is the basic apparatus upon which most microscale experiments are based. It can be used at primary, secondary and
tertiary levels and therefore provides a link between practical work at all three levels. In its large and small wells, different types of lid,
stands and supports can be inserted, making the construction of different combinations easy and user-friendly, whilst at the same time allowing
scope for a number of different experimental arrangements. Other innovations such as the Combostill (used for organic preparations) and the
microburette mean that there is an almost complete coverage of chemical techniques. The experimental techniques that can be covered on a
microscale include the following:
Gas preparation and testing
Electrolysis
Distillation and refluxing (including steam distillation)
Heating of chemicals and testing the gases evolved
Rates of reaction including reactions catalysed by enzymes
Quantitative chemistry including titrations; molar volumes and gravimetric analysis
Preparation of salts
‘Test-tube’ experiments
Separating the components of mixtures
Electrical circuits
Food testing
Simulation of osmosis and other phenomena
This approach can alleviate some of the anxieties teachers have about practical work and how one can cope with the logistics of working on this
scale. It must also be said that working on microscale practical work encourages an innovative and heuristic approach from teachers. The
apparatus can be taken home and the amounts of chemicals are so small that a kitchen worktop will suffice as a place of work and the waste can
disappear down the kitchen sink. As mentioned above, the adaptable and easy-to-use apparatus means that new approaches are possible whilst at
the same time teachers are given confidence by the large volume of worksheets and support available.
