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Biology Lab Manual

Illustrated Guide to Home Biology

Forensic Science Manual

Illustrated Guide to Forensic Science

Chemistry Manual Honors

CK01A Chemistry Lab Manual

Chemistry Manual Standard

CK01B Chemistry Lab Manual

Biology Answer Guide

Illustrated Biology Answer Guide

Forensic Science Answer Guide

Illustrated Forensic Science Answer Guide

Chemistry Answer Guide Honors

CK01A Chemistry Answer Guide Honors

Chemistry Answer Guide Standard

CK01B Chemistry Answer Guide Standard

           

           

Affordable High School Science Kits for Independent Learners


The Home Scientist, LLC offers proven science curricula and kits that make it easy and affordable to teach high school science lab courses at home. THS science kits are designed to provide a rigorous, comprehensive laboratory component that can be used with nearly any high school science text, at the standard, honors, or advanced level. We recognize that teaching high school science courses at home can be challenging, both in terms of cost and difficulty. Our kits address both of those issues. Compare the scope, contents, and prices of our kits with competing kits, and we think you'll find that our kits are the hands-down winners in terms of bang for the buck. Each of our kits provides enough labs for a lab-intensive full-year course. Our kits include complete, detailed instructions, as well as answers to the review questions at the end of each lab session. Even if you've never taught a science lab course before, we think you'll find it surprisingly easy to do so with our kits. 

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL US ORDERS THROUGH MARCH 31, 2024!

Every THS science kit is designed with the following goals:

  • Affordability - Even the best kit is useless if it's beyond your budget. We work hard to keep our kits as affordable as possible.
  • Value - Kits include sufficient materials to allow each experiment to be done multiple times, allowing the kit to be shared among several students during one school year or re-used in subsequent school years. We don't nickel-and-dime you to death, either. For example, if you need more manuals for additional students in a work group, you don't have to buy them. All of our manuals are freely downloadable. 
  • Comprehensive scope - Our kits cover a very broad range of topics in their subject areas, and provide experiments for all major topics typically treated in that course. For example, our first-year chemistry kits provide 39 lab sessions that cover 14 major topics: separating mixtures, solubility and solutions, chemical reactions and stoichiometry, reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions, acid-base chemistry, chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, gas chemistry, thermochemistry, electrochemistry, photochemistry, colloids and suspensions, analytical chemistry, and synthetic (organic) chemistry. In most cases, topic areas include multiple lab sessions, which means you can pick and choose those most suitable for your needs and cover each topic in more or less depth according to your own preferences and the needs of your student. 
  • Scientific rigor - We make no compromises in the science. Each topic is covered at a level appropriate to the course level. Students are frequently asked to propose explanations that require analytical thinking and may require additional research. They have the opportunity to explore subjects in more depth by doing optional procedures, and are challenged to analyze and explain unexpected results. 
  • Ease of use - Our kits are designed to minimize set-up and clean-up time. All you need is a table, counter, or other work surface. To run an experiment, simply gather any household items needed, choose the kit items you need, and do the experiment. Clean up is a simple matter of washing off the equipment in the kitchen sink. 


 Our Biology, Chemistry, and Forensic kits will challenge your students while giving them a great learning experience. 




Q01: Do your science kits include manuals? Answer guides for review questions?

A: Yes. The BK01 Biology Kit manual is the book Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments. PDF copies of that book and the answer guide are downloadable from the Manuals page, and is also included on the supplemental DVD in the kit.  You can also buy a printed copy of the book from any bookstore.

The Illustrated Guide to Home Forensic Science Experiments is downloadable from the Manuals page. You can also buy a printed copy of the book from any bookstore.

The CK01A and CK01B chemistry kits manuals are freely downloadable. If you order a either chemistry kit, we will email you the answer guide as a PDF file. Note that the CK01A and CK01B chemistry kits are completely stand-alone and do not use or require our book Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments. That book covers two full years of chemistry lab work and requires purchasing equipment and chemicals separately. The CK01A and CK01B chemistry kits cover one year of honors/standard chemistry lab work, and use the manual downloadable from the Manuals page.

All of our PDF files may be freely duplicated for your own use.

Q02: Are your kits correlated with homeschool science curricula?

A: The BK01 biology kit lab sessions are correlated with most popular      homeschool biology textbooks, including: Miller & Levine Biology, CK-12 Biology, Biology, 4th edition (Bob Jones University Press), and Exploring Creation with Biology, 2nd edition (Apologia).  Please contact us for correlation guides.

We have not attempted to correlate the CK01A chemistry kit lab sessions with any textbooks because literally dozens of chemistry text titles and editions of those titles are commonly used by homeschoolers. However, it's very easy to correlate the CK01A lab sessions yourself with whatever text you use because the CK01A manual is organized into topic areas that correspond to most or all of the major topics in any first-year high school chemistry text.

Q03: Which science textbooks do you recommend for use with your kits?

A: For biology, we recommend either Miller and Levine Biology (Dragonfly or Macaw version) or CK-12 Biology or Biology I - Honors,     Please contact us for correlation guides. The Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments is the lab manual for this course and can be downloaded from the Manuals page.

For chemistry, we recommend either CK-12 Chemistry, which is freely downloadable and includes both teacher and student editions as well and supplemental teaching materials, or a used copy of a reasonably recent edition of Chemistry: The Central Science.

Q04: Do we have to do all of the lab sessions in a kit to have a useful lab experience?

A: Not at all. Many public school biology and chemistry courses use only demonstrations and provide little or no hands-on lab time for students, so any time at all devoted to hands-on labs is all to the good. Both the BK01 biology kit and the CK01A chemistry kit provide materials and instructions for more labs than many people will have time to      do over the course of a year.

We recommend doing as many of the lab sessions as possible, particularly if your student will go on to major in a hard science in college, but doing half or even a third of the lab sessions will still give your student a useful hands-on lab experience. Also, if you intend to do only a subset of the lab sessions, don't overlook the benefit of allowing the student to choose lab sessions that cover topics in which he or she is particularly interested.

Q05: How much adult supervision is needed? Must the adult be familiar with science procedures?

A: Safety is ultimately your responsibility. The degree of adult      supervision you require will depend on your comfort level and the      maturity of your student(s). Our lab kits include corrosive, toxic, and flammable chemicals and are not intended for use by those under 14 years of age. Although the very small amounts used minimize the risks, it is still important that both teacher and student familiarize themselves with the risks and follow all safety precautions, including wearing gloves and chemical splash goggles when handling hazardous materials.

Our kits have been used successfully by parents whose science background varies from holding a Ph.D. in chemistry or biology to those who haven't had any exposure to science since they were taking high school science courses themselves. We make no assumptions about your level of science knowledge. The kit documentation provides complete, detailed instructions that allow you to do the lab sessions successfully regardless of your own experience.

Q06: How much time is required to prepare for a lab session and to clean up afterward?

A: For most lab sessions, almost none. Simply choose the chemicals and equipment you need for the session, and go to work. When you complete the lab session, simply wash up and return the items you used to your storage location.

In some cases, some preliminary preparation can help you make best use of lab time. For example, you might collect leaves for a biology lab session or make up solutions one evening for use in a chemistry lab session the next day. In cases where preliminary preparation is necessary or desirable, the lab session instructions mention what needs to be done and when.

Q07: If I break or spill something, do I have to buy the whole kit again to replace it?

A: Of course not. All of the components of all of our kits can be purchased individually. Email us at admin (at) thehomescientist (dot) com and tell us which components you need to replace.

Q08: Can students share a kit?

A: Yes. For the best learning experience, we recommend that students work individually or in pairs, but three or four students can share one kit if necessary.

Q9: What is the shelf life of your kits?

A: If you use a kit for one student one year, there should be no problem using that same kit for another student the next year or the year following.

The chemicals and other consumables in our kits generally have shelf lives of two years or longer (in most cases, much longer) if stored unopened or carefully resealed in a cool, dark place. The Rhizobia culture, the carrot and lima bean seeds, and the yeast provided with the BK01 biology kit should remain usable for at least one year unopened. If you intend to reuse the BK01 biology kit for another student within two years, you can purchase replacements for the Rhizobia culture and the seeds at most lawn and garden stores (make sure the Rhizobia culture you purchase is compatible with lima beans), and yeast at any supermarket.

Q10: When I finish using one of your kits, how can I dispose of it safely?

A: If the kit is not completely used up, the best way to dispose of it is to give or sell it to another local homeschool family. (Do NOT ship the kit; unless you repackage the kit in accordance with all hazardous material shipping regulations, doing so may violate those regulations and get you into real trouble.)

Local hazardous material disposal laws and regulations vary greatly in different jurisdictions, so if you want to remain within the letter of the law you should contact your local authorities about proper disposal methods. In practical terms, the amounts of hazardous chemicals included in the kits are small enough that you can simply flush them down the drain with copious running water.

Q11: Do your kits include everything needed to complete the lab sessions?

A: No. They do include the specialized equipment and materials called for in the lab sessions, with the exception of expensive items like a microscope or prepared slide sets and some live specimens. You supply items commonly found around the house or readily-available locally, such as aluminum foil, scissors, soft drink bottles, paper towels, and so on. Each lab session includes a list of the required materials that are provided in the kit, and a second list of materials that you provide.

Other than household materials, the only special item required for any of the CK01A chemistry kit lab sessions is a digital multimeter (DMM), which is used in four of the lab sessions. If you intend to do any or all of those sessions, you can use any DMM. Suitable models are available locally at Radio Shack, Lowes, Home Depot, Harbor Freight, and many on-line vendors starting at $5 or $8.

A balance is required for one of the BK01 biology kit lab sessions, and desirable for several others. If you intend to do that lab session, you'll need a balance with at least decigram (0.1 gram) resolution, although a centigram (0.01 gram) balance is a better choice. Centigram balances with capacities of 100 to 200 grams are widely available on-line starting at around $35.

Two models we can recommend are the Jennings JS-200XV (~$40, with 0.01 g resolution and a 200 g capacity) and the American Weigh Scales SM-5DR (~$45, with 0.01 g resolution to 100 g and 0.1 g resolution to 500 g). Either is excellent for homeschool lab courses in biology, chemistry, and the other sciences.

Some of the lab sessions covered by the BK01 Biology Kit require live specimens or cultures, many of which can be gathered locally but some of which must be purchased if you intend to do the lab session that requires them. Many lab sessions call for prepared slides, which are not included in the kit. You can make many of those slides yourself at no cost, but some must be purchased. To minimize the number of prepared slides needed, the BK01 Biology Kit includes a supplemental DVD that provide high-resolution images of the microscope images in the text. These images can be viewed on any PC or tablet.

Terms and Conditions of Use for All Science Kits

     

When you purchase any of our Science Kits or materials, you agree to these Terms of Use. Please Contact Us if you have any questions or concerns. Safety is ultimately your responsibility. The degree of adult supervision you require will depend on your comfort level and the maturity of your student(s). Our lab kits include corrosive, toxic, and flammable chemicals. Although the very small amounts used minimize the risks, it is still important that both teacher and student familiarize themselves with the risks and follow all safety precautions, including wearing gloves and chemical splash goggles when handling hazardous materials. Our kits have been used successfully by parents whose science background varies from holding a Ph.D. in chemistry or biology to those who haven't had any exposure to science since they were taking high school science courses themselves. We make no assumptions about your level of science knowledge. The kit documentation provides complete, detailed instructions that allow you to do the lab sessions successfully regardless of your own experience. 

Hazardous material shipping regulations and the nature of the kits make it impossible for us to accept returns, so please be certain you want the kit before you order it. All sales are final.     

If the kit is not completely used up, the best way to dispose of it is to give or sell it to another local homeschool family. (Do NOT ship the kit; unless you repackage the kit in accordance with all hazardous material shipping regulations, doing so may violate those regulations and get you into real trouble.)     Local hazardous material disposal laws and regulations vary greatly in different jurisdictions, so if you want to remain within the letter of the law you should contact your local authorities about proper disposal methods. In practical terms, the amounts of hazardous chemicals included in the kits are small enough that you can simply flush them down the drain with copious running water.     

Terms and Conditions for International Shipments 

By placing an order for a kit or kits to be shipped to an address outside the US, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to the following terms and conditions: The contents of the international version of the BK01A kit are very similar but not identical to the contents of the US version of the BK01A kit. Some of the chemicals in the US version are prohibited by international hazardous materials shipping regulations. Wherever possible we have provided non-hazardous substitutes, For example, the US kit includes 15 mL of 6 M (34%) acetic acid, while the international version substitutes 100 mL of 1.7 M (9.9%) acetic acid. The US version includes 15 mL of Sudan III stain, while the international version substitutes a 15 mL bottle with a small amount of solid stain, to which you have to add rubbing alcohol. And so on. We are unable to ship internationally sodium hydroxide solution in any concentration or amount, but you can make up your own from sodium hydroxide obtained locally under the names of "lye" or "crystal drain opener". Click the link to view a complete list of the differences between the BK01A US and international versions. You are responsible for determining whether it is legal for you to have a kit shipped to you. There are so many international jurisdictions that it's impossible for us to do so. In practice, in the past many buyers have probably ignored this issue, and we've never had any delivery problems with any of the many kits we've shipped internationally. You may (or may not) have to pay additional fees, taxes, customs duties, VAT, and so on, which are normally collected by your local postal service. We ship via USPS Priority Mail International because it is by far the least expensive method. Neither the USPS nor (to the best of our knowledge) other national postal services collect the very high customs brokerage fees often charged by UPS and other third-party shippers. Delivery times can be extended. In the US, our kits generally ship the same day the order is received or the following day, and arrive within 1 to 3 business days. For shipments to Canada, Great Britain, and Australia, 6 to 10 business days in transit is typical, and it may take longer. In particular, hold-ups in customs are unpredictable. The kit may arrive in the destination country a few days after we mail it, and then sit in customs for anything from a few hours to two weeks or more. Also, although we normally ship kits to US addresses within one business day of receiving the order, shipments of kits to international addresses may require several days' lead time. (We stock the international versions of our kits in relatively small numbers, although we try hard to keep them in stock at all times. If a kit is in stock, we ship same-day or next-day. If we're out of stock on the kit, it may require several days' lead time to build a new batch.) Because we have no control over or ability to track or follow-up on international shipments, all kits shipped to addresses outside the US are FOB Pennsylvania, USA. In effect, that means our responsibility ends when we hand the package to the US Postal Service carrier. (After evaluating insurance costs and policies, we elected not to offer insurance on international shipments. It's expensive, claims are often arbitrarily denied, and even if a claim is approved it may take literally months to be paid. At that, the pay-out is often a small percentage of the actual loss, and getting even that may require hours on the phone.) We have shipped scores of kits internationally--to Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia--and to date none of them has been lost or damaged. If you do experience delivery problems, which we think is unlikely, we will on request email you a PDF copy of the postage label and customs documentation that you can provide to your local post office or other authority. 


Privacy Notice 

              

This privacy notice discloses the privacy practices for this site. This privacy notice applies solely to information collected by this website. It will notify you of the following:     

-What personally identifiable information is collected from you through the website, how it is used and with whom it may be shared.                    

-What choices are available to you regarding the use of your data.     

-The security procedures in place to protect the misuse of your information.     

-How you can correct any inaccuracies in the information.            

               

 Information Collection, Use, and Sharing 

We are the sole owners of the information collected on this site. We only have access to/collect information that you voluntarily give us via email or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone. We will use your information to respond to you, regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization, other than as necessary to fulfill your request, e.g. to ship an order. Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.                

Your Access to and Control Over Information 

 You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You can do the following at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website:                    

-See what data we have about you, if any.     

-Change/correct any data we have about you.     

-Have us delete any data we have about you.

-Express any concern you have about our use of your data.               

               

Security

 We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and offline. Wherever we collect sensitive information (such as credit card data), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a lock icon in the address bar and looking for "https" at the beginning of the address of the Web page. While we use encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.                

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We use "cookies" on this site. A cookie is a piece of data stored on a site visitor's hard drive to help us improve your access to our site and identify repeat visitors to our site. For instance, when we use a cookie to identify you, you would not have to log in a password more than once, thereby saving time while on our site. Cookies can also enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance the experience on our site. Usage of a cookie is in no way linked to any personally identifiable information on our site.                

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Links 

This website contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of any other site that collects personally identifiable information.                

Contacting Us

 If you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy, you should contact us immediately via email.                   


Kit Contents (US Version)

     The BK01A, BK01A-B, BK01A-S, and BK01A-BS Biology Kits contain all of the items listed below, except as noted. The BK01A-RK Biology Refill Kit contains chemicals only.    

  •           
  • Acetic acid, 6 M, 15 mL
  •           
  • Agar powder, 10 g (sufficient to prepare 500 mL of agar medium for 100+ 50mm Petri dishes) 
  •           
  • Alligator clip lead, black 
  •           
  • Alligator clip lead, red 
  •           
  • Ammonia, 6 M, 15 mL
  •           
  • Ammonium nitrate1
  •           
  • Antibiotic powder, penicillin2 
  •           
  • Antibiotic powder, oxytetracycline 
  •           
  • Antibiotic powder, sulfamethazine 
  •           
  • Antibiotic powder, erythromycin 
  •           
  • Ascorbic acid tablets, 500 mg 
  •           
  • Barfoed's reagent, 30 mL 
  •           
  • Beaker, PP, 50 mL
  •           
  • Beaker, PP, 100 mL
  •           
  • Beaker, PP, 250 mL
  •           
  • Benedict's reagent (qualitative), 30 mL 
  •           
  • Biuret reagent, 30 mL 
  •           
  • Bottle, PP, 125 mL (Fertilizer A is shipped in this)
  •           
  • Bromothymol blue, 15 mL
  •           
  • Centrifuge tubes, 15 mL, w/cap (6)
  •           
  • Centrifuge tubes, 50 mL, w/cap (6)
  •           
  •  Chromatography paper, 8.5"x11" sheet
  •           
  • BC03 Culture, mixed bacteria3 (optional, see below)
  •           
  • Cylinder, graduated, PP, 10 mL
  •           
  • Cylinder, graduated, PP, 100 mL
  •           
  •  Dextrose (d-glucose), 20 g 
  •           
  • Fertilizer, concentrate A, 125 mL (to make 12.5 liters of nitrogen-free fertilizer) 
  •           
  • Fertilizer, concentrate B, 30 mL (to make 12.5 liters of nitrogen-free fertilizer) 
  •           
  • Fertilizer, concentrate C, 15 mL (to make 12.5 liters of nitrogen-free fertilizer)
  •           
  • Forceps
  •           
  • Funnel
  •           
  • Gelatin powder 
  •           
  • l-Glutamine 
  •           
  • Glycerol, 15 mL
  •           
  • Goggles, chemical splash (w/ cap vents)
  •           
  • Gum arabic powder 
  •           
  • Hydrochloric acid, 6 M, 30 mL
  •           
  • Inoculating loop
  •           
  • Lead(II) acetate, 0.1 M, 5 mL
  •           
  • Magnifier
  •           
  • Methyl Cellulose, 15 mL
  •           
  • Petri dishes*
  •           
  • Pipettes, PE
  •           
  • Prepared slides set (optional, see below)
  •           
  • Reaction plate, 24-well
  •           
  • Reaction plate, 96-well
  •           
  • Resorcinol, 0.25% (Seliwanoff's reagent A), 15 mL 
  •           
  • Rhizobia culture3, 4
  •           
  • Ruler, 6”/150mm
  •           
  • Scalpel
  •           
  • Seeds: lima bean, carrot3
  •           
  • Slides, flat, frosted, 1”x3”, pack of 72
  •           
  • Slides, thick cavity, 1”x3” x 3mm thick, pack of 6
  •           
  • Slide cover slips, pack
  •           
  • Spatula, stainless, 4”, flat/spoon
  •           
  • Sodium borate, 0.1% w/r to boron, 30 mL 
  •           
  • Sodium dodecyl sulfate, 10% w/w, 15 mL 
  •           
  • Sodium hydroxide, 6 M, 30 mL 
  •           
  • Stain: Eosin Y, 15 mL 
  •           
  • Stain: Hucker's Crystal Violet, 15 mL
  •           
  • Stain: Iodine, 15 ml
  •           
  •  Stain: Methylene Blue, 15 mL 
  •           
  • Stain: Safranin O, 15 mL 
  •           
  • Stain: Sudan III, 15 mL
  •           
  • Stirring rod, 6” x 5mm
  •           
  • Stoppers
  •           
  • Teasing needle, bent
  •           
  • Teasing needle, straight
  •           
  • Test paper, wide-range pH 
  •           
  • Test paper, phenylthiocarbamide (PTC)
  •           
  • Test tubes, 16x100mm (6) stored in 50mL centrifuge tubes        

  • Test tube brush 
  •           
  • Test tube clamp 
  •           
  • Test tube rack, polypropylene, autoclavable
  •           
  • Thermometer
  •           
  • Turmeric reagent, 15 mL 
  •           
  • Yeast3
  •           
  • Supplemental DVD (see below) 
  •      

     * BK01 kits originally included a 10-pack of pre-sterilized polystyrene (plastic) Petri dishes. Later BK01 kits substituted a 3-pack of glass Petri dishes for the plastic Petri dishes. Because of breakage problems (both during shipping and during use) current BK01A kits include a 6-pack of 50mm polypropylene (PP) Petri dishes. The PP dishes can be re-used indefinitely simply by washing them and sterilizing them in a pressure cooker (15 minutes at 15 PSI) after filling them with agar gel. Also, because they are smaller diameter (50mm versus 75mm), the PP Petri dishes use expensive agar more efficiently. A 25 mL batch of agar medium is sufficient to fill the six Petri dishes to the proper level.      

Notes:

     1 included only in kits shipped to Hawaii (to substitute for the Rhizobia culture)      2 the book lists the BK01 kit as including amoxicillin capsules. Current BK01A kits substitute a vial of penicillin G potassium for the amoxicillin. You can substitute one heaping loose spatula spoon of penicillin G potassium powder for one 250 mg amoxicillin capsule.      3 with the exceptions of these items, the consumables in the kits should remain usable for at least two years if unopened or if carefully resealed after opening, and if stored in a cool, dark place. The Rhizobia culture, the lima bean seeds, and the yeast should remain usable for at least one year unopened. If you intend to reuse the kit for another student within two to three years, you can purchase replacements for the Rhizobia culture and the seeds at most lawn and garden stores (make sure the Rhizobia culture you purchase is compatible with lima beans), and yeast at any supermarket. Although we cannot guarantee shelf live for the BC03 Bacteria Culture because shipping and local storage conditions are beyond our control, if unopened and stored at room temperature in the dark, the BC03 culture should remain usable for at least one year and possibly several years. Do not refrigerate this culture. If you open the culture using aseptic procedures, you can recap and reseal it without significantly affecting the shelf life of the remainder.      4 not included in kits shipped to Hawaii (State regulations prohibit us from shipping Rhizobia cultures to Hawaii).


About the CK01A Chemistry Kit

     The CK01A kit provides 39 hands-on chemistry experiments in 14 topic areas:      

  •           
  • Topic I. Separating Mixtures
  •           
    •                
    • Session I-1: Recrystallization
    •                
    • Session I-2: Chromatography
    •                
    • Session I-3: Solvent Extraction
    •                
    • Session I-4: Salting Out
    •           
  •           
  • Topic II. Solubility and Solutions
  •           
    •                
    • Session II-1: Solubility as a Function of Temperature
    •                
    • Session II-2: Conductance of Ionic and Molecular Solutes
    •                
    • Session II-3: Colligative Properties of Solutions: Boiling Point
    •                
    • Elevation and Freezing Point Depression
    •           
  •           
  • Topic III. Chemical Reactions and Stoichiometry
  •           
    •                
    • Session III-1:  Observe a Composition Reaction
    •                
    • Session III-2:  Observe a Decomposition Reaction
    •                
    • Session III-3:  Observe a Single Replacement Reaction
    •                
    • Session III-4:  Observe Double Replacement Reactions
    •                
    •  Session III-5:  Stoichiometry of Double Displacement Reactions
    •           
  •           
  • Topic IV. Reduction-Oxidation (Redox) Reactions
  •           
    •                
    • Session IV-1: Observe Oxidation States of Manganese
    •           
  •           
  • Topic V. Acid-Base Chemistry
  •           
    •                
    • Session V-1: Determine the Effect of Concentration on pH and the pH Range of Indicators
    •                
    • Session V-2: Determine the Molarity of Vinegar by Titration
    •           
  •           
  • Topic VI. Chemical Kinetics
  •           
    •                
    • Session VI-1: Determining the Effect of Temperature, Concentration, and Surface Area on Reaction Rates
    •                
    • Session VI-2: Determining the Effect of a Catalyst on Reaction Rate
    •                
    • Session VI-3: Determining a Reaction Order
    •           
  •           
  • Topic VII. Chemical Equilibrium
  •           
    •                
    • Session VII-1: Observe Le Chatelier's Principle in Action
    •                
    • Session VII-2: Determine a Solubility Product Constant
    •                
    • Session VII-3: Observe the Characteristics of a Buffer Solution
    •           
  •           
  • Topic VIII. Gas Chemistry
  •           
    •                
    • Session VIII-1: Observe the Pressure-Volume Relationship of Gases (Boyle's Law)
    •                
    •  Session VIII-2: Observe the Volume-Temperature Relationship of Gases (Charles' Law)
    •                
    • Session VIII-3: Determine Gas Mass Ratios by Effusion (Graham's Law)
    •           
  •           
  • Topic IX. Thermochemistry
  •           
    •                
    • Session IX-1: Determine Heat of Solution
    •                
    • Session IX-2: Determine Heat of Fusion of Ice
    •                
    • Session IX-3: Determine the Specific Heat of a Metal
    •                
    • Session IX-4: Determine the Enthalpy Change of a Reaction
    •           
  •           
  • Topic X. Electrochemistry
  •           
    •                
    • Session X-1: Observe Electrolysis
    •                
    • Session X-2: Observe the Electrochemical Oxidation of Iron
    •                
    • Session X-3: Measure Electrode Potentials
    •                
    • Session X-4: Build a Voltaic Cell
    •           
  •           
  • Topic XI. Photochemistry
  •           
    •                
    • Session XI-1: Photochemical Reaction of Iodine and Oxalate
    •           
  •           
  • Topic XII. Colloids and Suspensions
  •           
    •                
    • Session XII-1: Observe Some Properties of Colloids and Suspensions
    •           
  •           
  • Topic XIII. Analytical Chemistry
  •           
    •                
    • Session XIII-1. Determine Boron Concentration with Curcumin
    •                
    • Session XIII-2. Determine Salicylate Concentration in Urine
    •                
    • Session XIII-3. Determine Vitamin C Concentration in Urine
    •                
    • Session XIII-4: Detect Lead in Household Materials
    •           
  •           
  • Topic XIV. Synthetic Chemistry
  •           
    •                
    • Session XIV-1. Synthesize Esters
    •           
  •      

     The CK01A kits include a complete PDF manual. You do not need the >Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments book to use this kit.      

Kit Content (US Version)

     The CK01A and CK01AG kits contain the following chemicals, equipment, and other materials. The CK01A-RK refill kit contains only the items listed in the Chemicals and Consumables group.          

Chemicals and Consumables

     

  •           
  • Acetic  acid, 6 M (30  mL)
  •           
  • Ammonia,  6 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Ascorbic  acid, 500 mg (5 tablets)
  •           
  • Barium  nitrate, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Bromothymol  blue, 0.1% (15 mL)
  •           
  • Butanol  (normal) (15 mL)
  •           
  • Calcium  nitrate, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Charcoal,  activated (~ 2 g vial)
  •           
  • Chromatography  paper (8.5X11” sheet)
  •           
  • Cobalt  chloride test paper strips
  •           
  • Copper  wire (~ 10 cm)
  •           
  • Copper(II)  sulfate, 1.0 M (30 mL)
  •           
  • Cotton  balls (small supply)
  •           
  • Cotton  swabs (small supply)
  •           
  • Hydrochloric  acid, 6.0 M (30 mL)
  •           
  • Iodine/iodide  solution, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Iron  nail (1)
  •           
  • Iron  wool (small supply)
  •           
  • Iron(II)  sulfate, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Iron(III)  chloride, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Lead(II)  acetate, 0.1 M (5 mL)
  •           
  • Magnesium  strip (~ 10 cm)
  •           
  • Magnesium  sulfate (~ 25 g)
  •           
  • Methyl  orange, 0.1% (15 mL)
  •           
  • Methyl  red, 0.02% (15 mL)
  •           
  • Oxalic  acid, 0.5 M (30 mL)
  •           
  • Phenolphthalein,  1% IPA (15 mL)
  •           
  • Phosphoric  acid, 1.0 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Potassium  bromide, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Potassium  dichromate, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Potassium  ferricyanide, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Potassium  iodide, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Potassium  permanganate, 0.1 M (30 mL)
  •           
  • Salicylic  acid (~ 15 g)
  •           
  • Sodium  bicarbonate, 650 mg tablets
  •           
  • Sodium  bisulfite, 1.0 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Sodium  borate, 0.1% w/r to boron (30 mL)
  •           
  • Sodium  carbonate, 1.0 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Sodium  ferrocyanide, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Sodium  hydroxide, 6.0 M (30 mL)
  •           
  • Sodium  salicylate, 200 ppm salicylate (30 mL)
  •           
  • Sodium  sulfide, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Sodium  thiosulfate, 1.0 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Starch  indicator solution (15 mL)
  •           
  • Sulfuric  acid, 1.0 M (15 mL)
  •           
  • Thymol  blue, 0.04% (15 mL)
  •           
  • Turmeric  reagent (15 mL)
  •           
  • Vegetable  oil (30 mL)
  •           
  • Wide-range  pH test paper
  •      

     

Equipment

     

  •           
  • Alligator patch  cord, black
  •           
  • Alligator patch cord, red
  •           
  • Battery, 9V
  •           
  • Battery adapter, 9V
  •           
  • Beakers, polypropylene, 50 mL
  •           
  • Beakers, polypropylene, 100 mL
  •           
  • Beaker, glass, 250 mL
  •           
  • Centrifuge tubes, 15 mL
  •           
  • Centrifuge tubes, 50 mL, self-standing
  •           
  • Cylinder, graduated, polypropylene, 10 mL
  •           
  • Cylinder, graduated, polypropylene, 100 mL
  •           
  • Goggles, chemical splash, w/ cap vents
  •           
  • Goggles, chemical splash, w/ cap vents, 2nd set [CK01AG  only]
  •           
  • Pipettes, polyethylene, thin-stem
  •           
  • Reaction plate, 24-well
  •           
  • Reaction plate, 96-well
  •           
  • Ruler (6”/150mm)
  •           
  • Sharpie marking pen
  •           
  • Spatula, stainless, 4”, flat/spoon
  •           
  • Stirring rod, 6” x 5mm
  •           
  • Syringe, 10 mL oral, with cap
  •           
  • Stoppers
  •           
  • Test tube brush
  •           
  • Test tube clamp
  •           
  • Test tube rack
  •           
  • Test tubes (stored inside 50 mL centrifuge tubes)
  •           
  • Thermometer
  •           
  • Wire gauze
  •           
  • Wood splints
  •      


The CK01B kits contain all of the following items. The CK01B-RK kits contain only those items listed under Chemicals and Consumables.     

Chemicals and Consumables

    

  •           
  • Acetic acid, 6 M (30 mL)
  •          
  • Ammonia, 6 M (15 mL)
  •          
  • Ascorbic acid, 500 mg (5 tablets)
  •          
  • Barium nitrate, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •          
  • Bromothymol blue, 0.1% (15 mL)
  •          
  • Calcium nitrate, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •          
  • Chromatography paper (8.5x11” sheet)
  •          
  • Cobalt chloride test paper strips
  •          
  • Copper wire (~ 10 cm)
  •          
  • Copper(II) sulfate, 1.0 M (30 mL)
  •          
  • Cotton balls (small supply)
  •          
  • Cotton swabs (small supply)
  •          
  • Hydrochloric acid, 6.0 M (30 mL)
  •          
  • Iodine/iodide solution, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •          
  • Iron nail (1)
  •          
  • Iron wool (small supply)
  •          
  • Lead(II) acetate, 0.1 M (30 mL)
  •          
  • Magnesium strip (~ 10 cm)
  •          
  • Magnesium sulfate (~ 25 g)
  •          
  • Oxalic acid, 0.5 M (30 mL)
  •          
  • Phenolphthalein, 1% IPA (15 mL)
  •          
  • Potassium dichromate, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •          
  • Potassium ferricyanide, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •          
  • Potassium iodide, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •          
  • Potassium permanganate, 0.1 M (30 mL)
  •          
  • Sodium bicarbonate, 650 mg tablets
  •          
  • Sodium bisulfite, 1.0 M (15 mL)
  •          
  • Sodium hydroxide, 6.0 M (30 mL)
  •          
  • Sodium sulfide, 0.1 M (15 mL)
  •          
  • Sodium thiosulfate, 1.0 M (15 mL)
  •          
  • Wide-range pH test paper 
  •      

    

Equipment

    

  •           
  • Alligator patch cord, black
  •          
  • Alligator patch cord, red
  •          
  • Battery, 9V
  •          
  • Battery adapter, 9V
  •          
  • Beaker, polypropylene, 50 mL
  •          
  • Beaker, polypropylene, 100 mL
  •          
  • Beaker, polypropylene, 250 mL
  •          
  • Centrifuge tubes, 15 mL
  •          
  • Centrifuge tubes, 50 mL, self-standing
  •          
  • Cylinder, graduated, polypropylene, 10 mL
  •          
  • Goggles, chemical splash, w/ cap vents
  •          
  • Pipettes, polyethylene, thin-stem
  •          
  • Reaction plate, 24-well
  •          
  • Reaction plate, 96-well
  •          
  • Ruler (6”/150mm)
  •          
  • Sharpie marking pen
  •          
  • Spatula, stainless, 4”, flat/spoon
  •          
  • Stirring rod, 6” x 5mm
  •          
  • Syringe, 10 mL oral, with cap
  •          
  • Stoppers
  •          
  • Test tube brush
  •          
  • Test tube clamp
  •          
  • Test tube rack
  •          
  • Test tubes (inside 50 mL centrifuge tubes)
  •          
  • Thermometer (6" in CK01B versus 12" in CK01A)
  •          
  • Wood splints
  •      

The FK01A kit contains the following chemicals, equipment, and other materials:     

  •           
  •  Ascorbic acid tablets 
  •          
  • Alligator clip leads (2, black and red)
  •          
  •  Beaker, 100 mL, PP
  •          
  •  Beaker, 250 mL, glass
  •          
  •  Blood, synthetic
  •          
  •  Bottle, sprayer
  •          
  •  Candle1
  •          
  •  Cartridge case, brass, fired
  •          
  •  Centrifuge tubes, 1.5 mL micro
  •          
  •  Centrifuge tubes, 15 mL
  •          
  •  Centrifuge tubes, 50 mL
  •          
  •  Chromatography paper
  •          
  •  Cylinder, graduated, PP, 10 mL
  •          
  •  Cylinder, graduated, PP, 100 mL
  •          
  •  Fabric specimens A, B, C, D, and E
  •          
  •  Filters, plane-Polarizing (2)
  •          
  •  Fingerprint brush
  •          
  •  Fingerprint powder, black
  •          
  •  Fingerprint powder, white
  •          
  •  Forceps
  •          
  •  Gentian violet solution, 0.1% aqueous
  •          
  •  Glycerol
  •          
  •  Goggles, chemical splash (w/ cap vents)
  •          
  •  Hydrochloric acid, 6.0 M
  •          
  •  Inoculating loop, nichrome
  •          
  •  Iodine crystals
  •          
  •  Kastle-Meyer reagent2
  •          
  •  Magnifier
  •          
  •  Mesh, fiberglass
  •          
  •  Modeling clay
  •          
  •  Molybdate reagent
  •          
  •  Ninhydrin powder
  •          
  •  Oil, cassia
  •          
  •  Oil, olive
  •          
  •  Phosphate extraction reagent, concentrate
  •          
  •  Phosphate standard, 1000 ppm phosphate
  •          
  •  Pipettes, PE, thin
  •          
  •  Reaction plate, 24-well           
  •  Ruler, 6”/150mm 
  •          
  •  Scalpel 
  •          
  •  Slide cover slips 
  •          
  •  Slide, thick cavity (3mm thick) 
  •          
  •  Slide, flat 
  •          
  •  Sodium dithionite 
  •          
  •  Spatula, stainless, 4”, flat/spoon 
  •          
  •  Spectroscopy questioned soil 
  •          
  •  Spot plate, 12-well 
  •          
  •  Stirring rod, 6” x 5mm 
  •          
  •  Stoppers 
  •          
  •  Teasing needle, bent 
  •          
  •  Teasing needle, straight 
  •          
  •  Test tube brush 
  •          
  •  Test tube clamp 
  •          
  •  Test tube rack
  •          
  •  Test tubes, glass (inside 50 mL centrifuge tubes)
  •          
  •  Testfabrics Multifiber Fabric  
  •          
  •  Testfabrics TIS #1 dye 
  •          
  •  Testfabrics TIS #3A dye 
  •          
  •  Zinc chloride reagent 
  •      

.

  •           
  • The FK01B kit contains the following chemicals and specimens:
  •          
  •  Acetaminophen
  •          
  •  Aspirin
  •          
  •  Caffeine
  •          
  •  Chlorpheniramine
  •          
  •  Chromatography questioned
  •          
  •  Copper(II) sulfate solution
  •          
  •  Diphenhydramine
  •          
  •  Dragendorff's reagent A (HCl + bismuth)3
  •          
  •  Dragendorff's reagent B (5% m/v KI)3
  •          
  •  Drug testing questioned A
  •          
  •  Drug testing questioned B
  •          
  •  Ibuprofen
  •          
  •  Iodine/iodide solution, 0.1 M
  •          
  •  Mandelin reagent4
  •          
  •  Marquis reagent5
  •          
  •  Poppy seeds
  •          
  •  Salicylate reagent
  •          
  •  Salicylate standard solution, 500 mg/dL
  •          
  •  Scott reagent
  •          
  •  Sodium carbonate, 1.0 M
  •          
  •  Starch indicator solution
  •          
  •  Sulfuric acid, concentrated, ACS reagent, 30 mL4, 5
  •      

     Note:      We package the FK01B kit as a separate item because we've had numerous requests from home school parents who didn't want drug testing functions in the kit. Also, in some jurisdictions it's illegal for individuals to possess these drug testing reagents. Please verify that you will not be violating any local or state laws or regulations by possessing this kit before you order this kit. 

  •           
  • The FK01C kit contains the following chemicals6 and specimens:
  •          
  • Agar powder, 10 g
  •          
  • Buffer, DNA loading, 6X concentrate
  •          
  • Buffer, DNA running, 20X concentrate
  •          
  • Chlorate known
  •          
  • Diphenylamine reagent
  •          
  • Herzberg's stain
  •          
  • Iodide/Glycerol reagent
  •          
  • Jenk's stain
  •          
  • Lead nitrate, 0.1% (nitrate known)
  •          
  • Meat Tenderizer (papain-based)
  •          
  • Methylene blue reagent, part A
  •          
  • Methylene blue reagent, part B
  •          
  • Methylene Blue, 1% aqueous
  •          
  • Modified Griess reagent, part A
  •          
  • Modified Griess reagent, part B
  •          
  • Perchlorate known
  •          
  • Sodium nitrite, 1% w/v
  •