What is the reason for prohibiting ALL chewing gum, food, drink, and smoking materials in the chemistry labs?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks: What is the reason for prohibiting ALL chewing gum, food, drink, and smoking materials in the chemistry labs?
Since the provided data does not include a list of answer options, I will focus on the given correct answer and explain why such a prohibition is reasoned to be necessary.
The stated correct answer is: The possibility of contamination and poisoning.
Exploration of why this is a valid rationale:
- Contamination risks: Food, drink, gum, and smoking materials can introduce organic matter, oils, sugars, or particulates that may contaminate experiments, samples, and reagents. Contaminants can skew results, create unpredictable reactions, or degrade sensitive analyses.
- Poisoning and exposure risks: Some substances used in chemistry labs are hazardous if ingested or inhaled. Even trace amounts of chemicals on hands, mouthpieces, or packaging can lead to exposure, posing health risks to students and staff.
- Cross-contamination between experiments: Materials carried from one bench to another can transfer residues, potentially affecting subsequent experiments or compromising safety protocols.
- Safety protocol alignment: Prohibiting eating, drinking, and smoking helps ensure that PPE (such as gloves and goggles) and hygiene practices remain effective, reducing accidental ingestion or contact with hazardous chemicals.
- Operational safety: Gum and sticky residues can gum up equipment, clog filters, or obstruct lab devices, leading to mechanical or safety issues.
Note about the missing answer options: The dataset provided does not list alternative choices to evaluate individually. If options were available, I would assess each one for whether it correctly identifies contamination and poisoning as the underlying reason, or explain how other proposed reasons (e.g., distraction, cost, or general safety) may be incomplete or incorrect.
In sum, prohibiting chewing gum, food, drink, and smoking in chemistry labs is principally about minimizing contamination of experiments and reducing the risk of chemical poisoning or exposure, thereby preserving lab integrity and student safety.

CHEM100A_SP25_LST CHEM 100A: LAB SAFETY EXAM - Spring 2025

What is the reason for prohibiting ALL chewing gum, food, drink, and smoking materials in the chemistry labs?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Before coming to lab, you need to:

Safety Glasses The safety glasses used in chemistry laboratories are usually a clear plastic pair of spectacles designed to stop hazards entering the eye. From the options below, select all that apply.

Footware During your chemistry laboratory sessions it is compulsory to wear appropriate footwear. Using the figure below as a guide, select the items of footwear which are inappropriate for the chemistry laboratory.

Fire Extinguishers Most of the fire extinguishers located throughout the laboratory are carbon dioxide fire extinguishers, since often, water should not be used on a fire in a chemistry laboratory. From the options below, select the types of fires where water should not be used.

Have you watched the online safety video available on the Good Scientific Practice for Chemistry - FY Moodle page within the last week?

What is the reason for prohibiting ALL chewing gum, food, drink, and smoking materials in the chemistry labs?

In the event of a property fire in the chemistry teaching labs (not involving any person or clothing), students should:

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler