About this site
Safety
Bright Atoms explains how chemistry works. It is not a guide to doing experiments, and it never will be.
What we don’t do
- We don’t give methods, quantities or step-by-step instructions for any experiment, at home or anywhere else.
- We don’t describe how to make anything dangerous, and we won’t answer questions asking how.
- Where a lesson mentions a real reaction, such as burning magnesium or the gases in a sealed tube, it is to explain the chemistry, and the lesson says when the substance is hazardous.
Why
Chemicals that look harmless can burn, poison, explode or release toxic gas. Safe practical work depends on things a web page can’t give you: the right equipment, eye protection, ventilation, a risk assessment, and someone trained watching. Schools in the UK follow advice from CLEAPSS and the Health and Safety Executive for exactly this reason.
Where to do practical chemistry
In a school or college lab, with a teacher or technician. If you want to see a reaction we describe, ask your teacher. Many are standard demonstrations.
Everyday safety at home
- Never mix cleaning products. Bleach mixed with acidic cleaners or with ammonia releases toxic gases.
- Keep chemicals in their original, labelled containers, away from food and out of reach of children.
- Never taste or sniff a chemical to identify it.
If someone has swallowed or breathed in something harmful, call NHS 111 for advice, or 999 in an emergency.