Question

if the teacher says it is safe to smell a chemical, outlinethe technique you should use
Alex
Never smell the chemical by sticking your nose right over the beaker, instead, you should gently waft the vapors toward your nose.
bobpursley
Trust your teacher on this? Goodness. As a general rule, I wouldn't trust your teacher on this.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_should_you_smell_chemicals