Experiment gone wrong [38]

Mr. Cooper finally entered the class and called it to order. Everyone including Zach rushed back to their seats and settled as Mr. cooper began explaining about today's experiment.

"Good Morning everyone!" He greeted. "Settle down fast. As today is your laboratory class, we will be performing an experiment with the chemicals provided to you. If anyone of you have spared some time last weekend to go through your textbooks, then you might know which one I'm talking about." He proclaimed.

I tried to memorize from what I have read earlier. If I was being correct, then he was talking about the double displacement reaction as mentioned in the textbooks.

"Be careful while experimenting. Wear your eyeglasses and the laboratory gloves before you proceed." He warned.

There were two pair of laboratory glasses and gloves on each table.

"For this experiment you'll be working in a pair of two. The person seated next to you will be your lab partner. Let's get started now."

"The aim of today's experiment is to form a soluble salt by reacting a metal oxide with a dilute acid." Mr. Cooper then picked up a beaker filled with a colourless liquid and held it in front of him so everyone can take a good look at it. "This right here is dilute sulfuric acid." He moved his hand from left to right and then placed the beaker back on his table. "And this blackish brown powder is the metal oxide we will using for our experiment which is also called as copper oxide." He picked up a petri dish and held it in front of him.

"The experiment is simple. There are two stages of the experiment. The first one involves heating the dilute sulfuric acid and adding copper oxide in it. But be careful while doing this. While heating, make sure it does not gets heated excessively as the mixture will produce sulfur dioxide gas which if inhaled causes breathing problems. So make sure to not inhale it." He warned and then moved towards the chalkboard and scrawled something. "These are the amount of chemicals you're going to use in this experiment. Measure the volume of acid with the volumetric beaker." He said clasping his hands together.

"Finish the first stage and then I'll give you instructions for the second one." He instructed and everyone went to work.

There were different lab apparatuses on each desk. A glass beaker, a volumetric flask, spatula, stirring rod, filter funnel, filter paper, a bunsen burner, tripod, gauge and a set of ph and litmus paper. Wearing the eye protection and lab gloves we began with our work.

I measured the required volume of sulfuric acid with volumetric flask and then added it to the glass beaker. While I measured the amounts of the chemicals, Cee set up the tripod stand and placed the bunsen burner underneath it. I could hear her muttering 'how boring the class was' while she did the work. I then placed the wire gauge above the tripod to provide a flat base for the glass flask. Then placing it above the tripod we began heating the acid. While we were engaged in completing the experiment, Mr. Cooper moved through the class inspecting every desk if the task allotted was being carried out properly or not.

Bubbles began to pop up as the acid began heating. Cee was suddenly attentive to the whole process.

"I wonder if Sophie's heart is as toxic as this acid is." She remarked and then looked sideways at Sophie's desk. "The bitch reeks of disgust and jealousy." Cee sighed.

"Let's not pay attention to her right now." I spoke as I added copper oxide in the beaker, stirring it gently with the glass rod. "I guess we are almost done." I said.

A light pungent smell similar to a just struck match was all over our desk just a second later I added the metal oxide. I had no idea what was going on in Cee' head but all of a sudden, she leaned forward and sniffed through the glass beaker.

"No . . . " I yelled and tried to pull her away but I was already too late. Cee was coughing terribly. Her hands covered her mouth and her eyes were closed. She looked extremely bad.

Mr. Cooper was instantly on our desk. "Cee are you alright?" He asked. His voice was alarmed.

Cee continued coughing frantically, bobbing her head from left to right, in attempt to say 'no'.

"She accidentally inhaled the sulfur dioxide." I informed and rubbed her back so she could breath.

Behind Mr. Cooper I could see all the students gazing at our desk with a look that conveyed "what happened". Out of all of them, the one who caught my attention was Sophie. She had a conceited smile dancing on her lips as she tilted her head. "Serves her right." She said and Mr. Cooper immediately passed a glare at her direction and she immediately replied by rolling her eyes.

Mr. Cooper facepalmed himself and sighed. "There's always one." He muttered and then announced. "Who will take Cecelia to the nurse?" He turned around to check if someone was willing to do the task.

"I will." I said at the same time Zach said the same. We looked at each other and Mr. Cooper flitted his head from me to Zach. It looked like he was contemplating whether who will be a better choice to take Cee. Then finally he said, "Zach take her to the nurse." He said and helped Cee get out of her chair.

Zach put his arm around Cee waist and pulled her arm over his shoulder. Cee leaned against him as he slowly towed her out of the class.

Coach then looked at me and then at the back of the class. "Lucas? Mind working with Katherine? You two seemed to have run into a partner problem." He mentioned and Lucas was instantly out of his seat, approaching to the empty seat beside me.

 * * * * *

What do you guys think? Did Cee intentionally inhaled the toxic gas to get an excuse from the class or was it really an accident?

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thankyou so much.