Name:_______________________________________________________Pd:_______Date:__________
THE EFFECTS OF CONCENTRATED SULFURIC ACID ON BOVINE EYEBALLS
Lab safety is incredibly important. Never assume that everyone is as safety conscious
as you or that they are even using the same chemicals as you. When thinking of
safety, you must always err on the side of caution. One of the ways you can protect
yourself is to always wear your safety goggles. This experiment will simulate what
could happen to your eyes if you are not careful in protecting them.
This experiment will give you the opportunity to practice your qualitative observation skills.
Procedure:
1. Put on your safety goggles. Your instructor will set out five eyeballs that were previously
treated with acid. Each eyeball was in acid for a different amount of time.
2. In your lab groups, make at least ten observations about the eyeball (shape, color, etc.) and the
damage caused.
3. Draw a detailed picture of each eyeball. Make sure to title your diagrams.
4. You will have about 5 – 7 minutes at each station, with time to go back at the end.
5. The acid groups observed today are:
1. No exposure to acid
2. 0 Seconds, immediate washing of acid
3. 5 Second acid exposure
4. 15 Second acid exposure
5. 30 Second acid exposure
6. Long term acid exposure
6. After going through all 6 stations; work on your diagrams and answer lab questions.
Safety First:
1. Obviously, it is a good idea if you wear goggles today.
2. Do not touch the eyeballs. You may use wood probes to GENTLY move the eyeball if necessary.
Do not puncture them. You are not the only class using these eyeballs.
3. These eyeballs are untreated. They could carry disease. It is important whether you touch the
eyeball or not that you SCRUB your hands. Please wipe down your lab table as well.
Name:_______________________________________________________Pd:_______Date:__________
MINI-LAB REPORT
1. All lab reports must be typed with an appropriate font and font size. Hand written reports or
responses to questions within the report will not be accepted.
2. Type your name in the upper right hand corner of your paper and include the class and period below
it.
3. Make a title that summarizes the lab exercise. Place it in the center of the paper in all capitals and
in bold letters.
4. Your lab report will consist of different sections following the title. The sections will differ for each
individual lab but the format is the same. Always make sure to label each section with the
appropriate subheading (Objective, Results, etc.).
OBJECTIVE: This is the purpose statement of the lab. The objective will be one sentence long and will
ALWAYS begin with the words “The objective of this lab”.
RESULTS: For each picture, write five qualitative observations. Avoid using one word descriptions and
be as detailed as you can. Instead of redrawing all of the pictures, you may attach them to the back
page of the report.
LAB QUESTIONS: All lab questions must be answered in a complete sentence or they will be marked
incorrect. Each answer should be numbered according to the lab worksheet. You do not need to type
the actual questions. Do not include question 10 in this section.
CONCLUSION: Scientific papers should not include words like I, MY, WE, YOU, OUR, etc. This makes the
written lab report sound like it is someone’s opinion. You are reporting scientific findings and I want the
paper to sound that way. In any lab report, you may write in first person in the conclusion section only.
This gives you an opportunity to include your opinions/thoughts/feelings on the lab. This should be a
paragraph of at least 5 sentences. For the conclusion for this lab, use the answer to question 10.
Name:_______________________________________________________Pd:_______Date:__________
EYEBALL DIAGRAMS AND OBSERVATIONS – Draw a picture of each eyeball and give at least 5
qualitative observations.
Name:_______________________________________________________Pd:_______Date:__________
Directions: Answer each of the following questions in complete sentences.
1. Explain the difference in the eyeballs based on the amount of time that they were exposed to the
sulfuric acid?
2. What is the independent variable in this lab exercise?
3. What is the dependent variable in this lab exercise?
4. Which of the eyeballs would be the control group? Why?
5. What type of data (based on the observations) were you asked to collect?
6. What are some uses for sulfuric acid within the United States?
7. If you were to design an experiment using cow eyeballs, what else would you want to test?
8. How long would it take you to wash out your eyes if exposed to an acid?
9. What are two sources of error that could impact the results of this experiment?
10. In five sentences, give your thoughts/feelings/opinions about this experiment, and what you
learned from this exercise.