Using a splint allows you to safely do experiments involving fire since it is longer than a match and keeps your hand at a distance. If you are at all worried about handling one, wear gloves. Always wear safety goggles when you are conducting experiments with unknown gasses.
Move quickly after blowing out the splint. Keep the gas sample close by.
You can also place the splint at the mouth of the tube containing the gas sample without putting it all the way in.
Sometimes the splint can re-ignite with a pop, which you may mistake for a hydrogen pop. However, a hydrogen pop is more violent and can extinguish a splint, like a mini explosion.
Rinse the vial before collecting a sample for more accurate results. Gently shake the sample in the ampule to see the color more evenly.
Follow any directions that come with your particular sensor for the most accurate results.
Make sure the sample vial is completely filled with water. If there is any air trapped in the bottle or lid, the results could be skewed. For example, if you added 1. 4 mL of sodium bisulfate to the solution before it turned clear, the concentration of oxygen was 14 ppm in the original water sample.
