Should You Pour Acids and Bases Over a Sink in a Lab?

[TT0]

Homework Statement

Which of the following would you not do in a laboratory setting?

I. Pour acids and bases over a sink
II. Wear goggles
III. Heat a stoppered test tube

(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and III only
(E) I, II, and III

Homework Equations

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The Attempt at a Solution

I chose D but apparently it is C. I thought you shouldn't pour acids and bases over sinks, can someone clarify? (I have seen this multiple times)

Thanks!

 

[WIN]

i would still say its D because it is never a practice to pour excess chemical into the sink (at least when i was in college). Weak Acid or Base maybe are permitted by some school? Better refer to your teacher and ask him/her the reason.

 

[Borek]

Drain cleaners contain either strong base (NaOH) or strong acid (H₂SO₄), and they are routinely used throughout the world in millions of households. While the general idea that you should not get rid of excess chemicals by pouring them into the sink is definitely right, such simple rules sometimes become blatantly absurd when compared with the reality.

 

[256bits]

Agree with Borek.
It does not say, "dispose of acids and bases into the sink."

I. Pour acids and bases over a sink

which certain situations and necessity will dictate.

 

[NascentOxygen]

I. Pour acids and bases over a sink

My take on this question is when transferring from a container to a smaller one, should it be performed over a sink to catch any spill. Otherwise, you'll be cleaning up the spill off the bench and other apparatus (and possibly the floor and yourself).

Pouring "over" in this context can have a meaning quite different from "into".