MIMBUS CHEMISTRY - User Guide

When the application is launched, the user is in a corridor called the "welcome hall" where a screen displaying the main menu of the simulator is located.

The main menu allows the user to authenticate himself and to select the exercise to be performed. At the end of each exercise, the user will be teleported back to this screen.

The main menu is organized as follows: :

First of all, it is necessary to choose the class in which the user who wants to launch an exercise is located.

This menu is only displayed when the simulator is connected to the VULCAN online platform.

A first click allows you to select the class, a second allows you to validate the choice made.

Once the class has been selected, the user must be authenticated. Clicking on the user’s name will bring up a window where the user’s PIN code, a four-digit number configured on VULCAN, must be entered. Users who are not assigned to a CHEMISTRY learning path will appear in grey. It will not be possible to connect with them on the simulator.

In offline mode, a demo user will be automatically selected.

Once the user is authenticated, the module selection menu is displayed.

The available modules are "Tutorial", "Free laboratory visit", "Safety in the laboratory" and "Manipulations". A first click allows to select and see the description of the module while a second click allows to validate the choice.

The tutorial allows you to familiarize yourself with the controls using a simplified scenario.

On this page the exercises corresponding to the previously selected module are displayed. A first click on an exercise displays a description of the selected exercise, a second click allows to validate the choice.

On this page the difficulty levels are displayed: Beginner, Advanced and Expert. Depending on the exercise, the difficulty changes the instructions and objectives. A double click on the difficulty level will start the exercise.

Objective: to learn how to move around the virtual world and recognise markers that indicate a specific location.

The user will learn to move by teleportation. To leave this first workshop, the user will be asked to teleport back to the next room.

By pressing the "Teleportation" button (see controllers chapter), it is possible to initiate a teleportation. As long as the button is held down, you can choose where to teleport to. When you release the button, the teleportation will be performed.

A parabolic pointer coming out of the controller will then be visible, symbolising the path taken during a teleportation. If teleportation is possible, this pointer is violet; if not, it is red.

Objective: To learn to pick up an object, release it and place it on a magnetised area. To recognise the associated visual feedback.

The user will be invited to bring their hand close to an object, visualise the associated visual feedback (blue outline), then pick up the object using the associated button and drop it onto a designated area on a second display.

Once this action is completed, the user will be prompted to exit the room by opening a door, giving them the opportunity to use the "Grab an item" interaction on the handle again.

Objective: To learn how to interact with tools or buttons, recognise the associated visual feedback.

The user will be asked to interact with an object on a display (the object will be surrounded by a yellow outline indicating the possibility of activating it) and activate it using the associated button.

To exit the tutorial, the user will have to move to the back of the room and press the lift button using the "Interact" button. A fade to black will return the user to the lobby.

The PPE (= Personal Protective Equipment) must be equipped in most exercises before entering the laboratory, otherwise the score will be lowered.

Nitrile gloves, goggles and a lab coat must be fitted.

Several operations will take place under a fume cupboard. To open a fume cupboard, the user must grab the glass of the fume cupboard and move it upwards from below, then let go of the glass so that it opens. It can be opened halfway or fully. If the fume cupboard is fully open, there are more safety risks. If the fume cupboard is left open too long, an audible alarm will sound. The user must close the fume cupboard to stop it.

The user can also switch on the fume cupboard light by pressing the green button on the control panel.

During some exercises, the user will be in a dangerous situation and will have to use the telephone to call a colleague or the security station. To do this, the user must pick up the phone and with the other hand select the corresponding button with the laser and click on the interaction button.

In several manipulative exercises, the user can find his laboratory notebook in the form of a touch-sensitive tablet. Depending on the exercise, different information will be presented, and from time to time the user will have to validate steps from this tablet.

To complete the exercise, the user should follow the following instructions :

In front of each piece of equipment there is a point of interest.

Point in the direction of a point of interest with one hand. A laser is activated.

The user must press the interaction button on the hand controller to display a pop-up window containing the name, description, and classification of the equipment.

When the user considers that they have visited enough, they can leave the exercise by exiting the laboratory.

To validate the whole exercise, the user must follow the following instructions:

The user starts the scenario with the following briefing:

The user must equip their PPE, then enter the laboratory. He/she must identify all the equipment to ensure his/her safety. Point in the direction of the equipment with one hand. A laser is activated.

The user must press the interaction button on the hand controller to identify the equipment. A pop-up window appears describing the equipment: the equipment is identified.

After identifying an item and closing the pop-up (or identifying a new item), an icon appears in place of the pop-up.

Equipment identified but not classified :

Equipment identified and classified :

On his tablet, the user can see the number of equipment he still has to find. They can also click on the help button to make an unidentified equipment light up in yellow.

To complete the exercise, the user must follow the following instructions :

The user starts the scenario with the following briefing :

The user must equip his PPE (Equip PPE), then enter the laboratory. He will have to pick up the beaker placed on the edge of the drainer. As the hand approaches, the beaker automatically falls and breaks. A danger zone appears and the user must move to get out of it.

Depending on the level of difficulty, the user must classify the danger by selecting the pictogram corresponding to the level of the danger zone. Here there is a risk of cut

If the user brings one of his hands close to the broken beaker, he will cut himself and his hand will start to bleed. At this point, he should use the first aid kit to treat himself and use the telephone to call a colleague (Use of the telephone).

With the help of the broom, the user should clean up all the glass fragments. He should grab the broom with one hand and the shovel with the other and use them to slide all the pieces of glass into the shovel. Then he/she has to bring the shovel close to the bin to throw away the glass.

At this point, the user will be teleported to the reception area in front of the balance screen.

To complete the exercise, the user should follow the following instructions:

The user starts the scenario with the following briefing:

The user must equip his PPE, then enter the laboratory.

In order to carry out the procedure correctly, the user must transport the tiophenol under a fume cupboard, together with the beaker and the pipette. At this point, the exercise is automatically validated.

However, if he opens it outside a fume cupboard, he will inhale chemical and put himself in danger.

The user must put the cap back on the bottle and transport it under a fume cupboard.

Depending on the level of difficulty, the user must classify the hazard by selecting the pictogram corresponding to the level of the hazard zone. Here, there is a risk of toxicity

Then, he/she must use the telephone to call the safety post.

Once the steps have been completed, the user will be teleported to the reception area in front of the assessment screen.

To complete the exercise, the user must follow the following instructions:

The user starts the scenario with the following briefing :

The user must equip his PPE (Equip PPE), then enter the laboratory. He will have to approach the fume cupboard, open it halfway (Use fume cupboard) and shake a decanter. The ampoule opens and liquid spills into the fume cupboard. A danger zone appears, the user must replace the ampoule on its support and move away from the danger.

Depending on the level of difficulty, the user must classify the hazard by selecting the pictogram corresponding to the level of the hazard zone. Here, there is a risk of harmful or irritating substances

If the fume cupboard was half open and the bulb was shaken inside, the user has splashed on his gloves. He has to throw them away, so he has to go to the waste bin and click on the "waste bin" icon. Then he has to go to a sink and turn on the tap. He will wash his hands for 10 minutes.

If the fume cupboard was fully open or the bulb was shaken out of the fume cupboard, the user’s eyes will be splashed and his vision will turn blue.

The user must approach the eye wash and activate it by pressing the button on the right. Then he should remove his glasses and wash his eyes for 10 minutes by moving his head towards the eyewash station.

He must collect the soiled coat and put it in the bin provided for this purpose.

The user must then use the telephone to call the safety post.

The user must put on new PPE if it has been soiled. This PPE is located in the laboratory.

The user should take a paper towel to completely clean up the spills on the bench (all stains should be wiped up), and then dispose of the paper towel in the waste bin.

Once the steps have been completed, the user will be teleported to the reception area in front of the assessment screen.

To complete the exercise, the user must follow the following instructions:

The user starts the scenario with the following briefing :

The user must equip his PPE (Equipping PPE), then enter the laboratory. He will approach the balances and switch on the analytical balance. Then, he will open the analytical balance lock by pulling the door and place an empty and clean ramekin in it. He will close the door and perform the tare.

Next, the user must transfer 188 mg of 4-hydrazino benzenesulphonic acid into the ramekin that he has just tared. When opening the bottle, care should be taken to place the cap the right way round on the work surface.

He must use the spatulas to transfer the product (Spatula and syringe).

He must not put a sampled product back into its original container. If too much product has been taken, the powder must be put into the waste beaker.

The user must transfer product into the ramekin outside the balance, otherwise powder may fall onto the balance pan, which will distort the weight. At this point, he should take the brush to clean it.

When the user is sure of the quantity of product weighed, he will validate by pressing the 3rd button (which will write his result in his laboratory notebook), then put the container aside.

The user will perform the same manipulation to weigh 218mg of 2,2,3,3-tetrahydroxysuccinic acid with a second clean ramekin.

When the user has validated the two weighings, he must use the pencil to identify the weighed products by writing on the sticker of the ramekins. The user must place both ramekins in the fume cupboard, in preparation for the next exercise (Using the fume cupboard).

He should then tidy up his work area. The product bottles should be closed and put away, the soiled material should be put in the dirty dishes bin on the right, and the scales should be switched off.

To complete the exercise, the user must exit the laboratory and will be teleported to the reception area in front of the balance screen.

To complete the exercise, the user must follow the following instructions:

The user starts the scenario with the following briefing :

The user must equip his PPE (Equipping PPE), then enter the laboratory. He will have to approach the fume cupboard, open it halfway (Using the fume cupboard) and position the laboratory lift, magnetic stirrer and heat-on on the work surface. He must position the probe correctly on the Heat-On, put the appropriate olive in the tricol balloon and fix the latter to the wire mesh. Then place the funnel on the left-hand hole of the tricol.

He must transfer all the powders weighed in the previous exercise into the tricol using spatulas: 188 mg of 4-hydrazino benzenesulphonic acid and 218 mg of 2,2,3,3-tetrahydroxysuccinic acid (Spatula and syringe).

Next, remove the funnel and transfer 0.56 ml of H2SO4 using the glass syringe into the tricol (Spatula and syringe). When this is done, he must throw the syringe into the syringe bin on the right and remember to close the bottle. He must place the cap of the tricol on the left hole of the tricol.

The user must interact with the laboratory lift to adjust the height of the stirrer until the heat-on touches the tricol.

The user will continue with the set-up: the reflux column should be positioned on the centre hole of the tricol, the guard on the reflux column and the thermometer on the right hole of the tricol.

The user will set the parameters of the set-up: he will adjust the control temperature on the blue probe to 65°C by clicking on the arrows. The longer he presses the arrows, the higher the speed.

The magnetic stirrer should be set to a speed of 350-500 rpm and a heating temperature of 60 °C. To do this, press the interaction button near the knobs and rotate the wrist to change the values.

Next, the student should record the temperature of the solution in the laboratory notebook by clicking on the icon next to the thermometer. A fade to black and a timer appear to simulate the user waiting 2 hours.

At the end of the timer, the user can observe steam forming on the walls of the tricol if the instructions have been followed correctly.

The experiment continues: the user swaps the cap of the tricol with the funnel and then transfers 60 mg of soda (= the whole of the last ramekin) into the tricol using a spatula. When this is done, he puts the cap back on the funnel.

The user enters the reaction time by clicking on the button in the laboratory book. A new fade to black appears to simulate the 90 minute waiting time. The user can see that the solution has changed colour if they have followed the instructions.

Before leaving the laboratory to complete the exercise, the user should tidy up the work surface. The laboratory lift should be lowered, the stirrer wheels turned to stop the heating and stirring, the thermometer removed and all empty glassware and used utensils put away in the bin on the left.

Once in the corridor, the user will be teleported to the reception area in front of the status screen.

To complete the exercise, the user must follow the following instructions :

The user starts the scenario with the following briefing :

The user must equip his PPE (Equipping PPE), then enter the laboratory. He will have to approach the fume cupboard, open it halfway (Using the fume cupboard) and position the glass funnel on the separating funnel.

The user must check that the tap is closed, otherwise he will lose product and therefore points.

He must transfer the dye from an Erlenmeyer flask into the ampoule, and then do the same for the dichloromethane from a graduated tube (Liquid transfer).

He should replace the funnel with the stopper of the ampoule. He then has to pick it up and shake it upside down for a few seconds. Still upside down, he must open and close the tap to degas the ampoule (a gas noise can be heard at this point).

He must repeat the operation about 3 times until there is no more gas in the ampoule. To make it easier to understand, you can see that there is no more gas noise when you open the tap, and the products inside the ampoule have changed colour.

The user has to put the ampoule back on its stand and remove its cap. He must collect the dichloromethane phase from the ampoule in the Erlenmeyer flask by opening the tap. The liquid flows out more or less quickly depending on how far the tap is opened. Care must be taken to ensure that only the required phase is recovered, so it is better to go slowly for greater accuracy. The user must close the tap and release it to validate this step.

A fade to black and a timer appear to simulate the fact that the extraction is repeated twice automatically, with the other two graduated tubes containing dichloromethane.

At the end of the timer, the quantities were adjusted. All the dichloromethane phase (yellow colour) is in the Erlenmeyer flask and the aqueous phase (white colour) remains in the separating funnel

The user must recover the aqueous phase from the funnel into the second Erlenmeyer flask (which is empty). The ampoule must be completely empty.

Place the plastic funnel on the first Erlenmeyer flask (containing the dichloromethane phase) and transfer a spoonful of magnesium sulphate (Spatula and syringe).

The plastic funnel should be removed from the Erlenmeyer flask and then picked up and shaken gently in a circular motion to mix the magnesium sulphate thoroughly.

On the right is a closed flask. The user should open the flask and place the funnel with the filter paper on it. He must use the wash bottle containing dichloromethane to rinse the filter paper. To do this, the user must grab the wash bottle and press the interaction button to spray a jet of dichloromethane, and aim it at the filter paper.

The user must filter the contents of the first Erlenmeyer flask into the flask. In the flask will be the filtrate, and the residue will be in the filter paper.

The user should remove the funnel and seal the flask with a stopper, then store all the empty glassware (including the separating funnel and its stopper) and used utensils in the dirty dish tray on the left-hand side of the fume cupboard.

When he has finished, he must go into the corridor. The user will find himself teleported to the reception area in front of the balance screen.

To complete the exercise, the user should follow the following instructions:

The user starts the scenario with the following briefing :

The user must equip their PPE (Equipping PPE), then enter the laboratory and approach the rotary evaporator. The user should switch on the cooling bath, then the pump and the thermostat bath by pressing the buttons.

The user must then set the heating temperature to 40 °C. On the display, the user can see a flashing text depending on the selected parameter (temperature or speed). By default, the temperature is selected. If he wants to select the other parameter, he has to click on the corresponding button to change. When the right parameter is active, he/she has to press the interaction button near the knobs and rotate the wrist to change the values.

The user must update the initial pressure by turning the knob to set the vacuum to 900 mb. The value changes from 100 to 100.

He will hook the backstop onto the motor. Then he takes a clip and drops it on the guard so that it attaches and holds it in place.

The user opens the ball. With his left hand he must grab an unused clip, with his right hand the ball and bring it to the guard. The flask will automatically approach the guard when the user is close to it. While holding down the button that allows the user to grasp objects with their right hand, the user must release the clip between the balloon and the guard to hold the balloon in place.

While keeping the right hand under the ball, the rotation must be set to 200 rpm with the left hand. This is done by clicking on the rotation button and turning the knob (similar to the step where the user had to set the temperature).

The user will switch on the pumping system by pressing the start button on the pump control panel, then close the valve (by pressing the interaction button) to put the set-up under reduced pressure.

The flask must be lowered into the thermostat bath by pressing the arrows on the thermostat bath control panel.

The user will progressively lower the pressure by turning the knob to set the vacuum to 500 mb, then validate on the laboratory notebook to pass the time.

A fade to black and a timer appear to simulate the user waiting for 2 minutes for the solvent to evaporate into a receptacle flask. If the user has followed the instructions correctly, the inside of the flask is filled with powder.

Now it is time to put everything away. The pumping system must be stopped by pressing the start button on the pump control panel and the valve closed to break the vacuum. The thermostatic bath tank should be reassembled and the rotation stopped. The user must remove the clip connecting the flask to the guard, recover the flask, place it on the valet and close it with its cap.

To complete the exercise, turn off the cooling bath, the pump and the thermostatic bath and leave the laboratory.

Once in the corridor, the user will be teleported to the reception area in front of the balance screen.

To validate the whole exercise, the user must follow the following instructions:

The user starts the scenario with the following briefing :

The user must equip their PPE (Equipping PPE), then enter the laboratory. You will need to approach the fume cupboard, open it halfway (Using the fume cupboard) and observe the three graduated tubes behind the chromatography cell.

These graduated tubes each contain a different eluent, and the user must choose which one to use to perform the chromatography. If the user chooses the wrong eluent, the migration results will be different. To identify which tube contains which eluent, the user can see the name of the product by moving their hand towards it.

The chosen eluent should be emptied into the chromatography vessel (Liquid transfer) and the vessel closed so that the vapours saturate the vessel.

Next, the user must grab the pencil and move it towards the chromatography plate to draw several features on it.

The user can see 3 test tubes on the left. These vials contain the products to be tested on the chromatography plate.

The user will pick up the capillary dipped in the first solution and place it on position A to make a deposit. He will do the same for the second solution on spot B and the third solution on spot R. On the fourth spot, the user must deposit a drop of each product A, B, and R (this manipulation is called co spot).

Using the forceps, the user will pick up the plate from above the migration front. You must grab the tongs, bring them close to the plate, then press the interaction button on the joystick so that the tongs grab the plate. To release the plate, release the interaction button. Then place the plate vertically in the vessel and close the vessel.

The user will click on the icon next to the tank to pass the time.

After a fade to black, the rise of the solvent front can be observed. The eluent has reached the finish line (the plate has turned grey) and the deposits have moved.

The user must retrieve the plate (with the tweezers) and shake it gently until it dries (it changes colour).

The user must grab the pencil and move it towards the chromatography plate to circle the spots and identify them. The front ratio of each migration is written on the tablet.

Finally, the user will look at his lab notebook. If he is satisfied with the result, he must validate his exercise, otherwise click on the button to start again.

Once the steps have been completed, the user will be teleported to the reception area in front of the report screen.