Experiments serve different purposes in chemistry education ranging from illustrating a certain subject matter to providing data for school-based research projects. When students use these experiments to collect data and draw conclusions, it is important that these experiments are valid. In this study, a new experiment for the determination of the…

Technically simple and extremely cheap setups for colorimetric and fluorimetric analyses using a smartphone camera are presented. Laboratory activities on digital colorimetric and fluorimetric analyses for students of secondary and higher educational institutions are proposed, namely, photocolorimetric determination of acetylsalicylic acid in…

This paper presents the case for how students can be helped to increase their scientific vocation by experimental work and the introduction of particle physics into pre-university studies. These two ideas are the two main lines of work of the ADMIRA initiative, which has been created by individuals belonging to different and complementary…

This project engaged Ghanaian secondary pupils in authentic science and engineering activities by using model biodigesters that reduce organic waste and produce biogas and fertiliser. The pupils' activities paralleled scientists' activities, such as asking research questions and designing experiments. Our study included two cohorts of Ghanaian…

In high school, LC(R)-circuits are an integral component of physics education. We propose a new setup for exploring those circuits utilizing the magnetic field sensor of a smartphone in combination with the application phyphox, which reads and displays sensor input. Coils with high inductance and low resistance generate low frequency oscillations…

UV-vis absorption spectroscopy is one of the most accessible spectroscopic techniques at the high school educational level, and it is usually introduced in analytical chemistry courses due to its high versatility and to the wide range of applications in many fields of chemistry. Within this framework, we have developed an easy-to-use"…

The Ball Bearing High Voltage generator is a fairly simple and transparent apparatus that can serve as a tool to motivate conceptual descriptions and calculations in electrostatics that are normally presented to our students in a rather dry and matter-of-fact fashion. For example, instead of posing a problem in the typical textbook form of…

In Vietnam, nuclear physics is a fundamental part of the national curriculum for physics. However, due to a lack of experimental apparatus (detectors, radioactive sources, etc) at most of the schools, the majority of students do not have opportunities to experience the phenomena behind the concepts. Moreover, safety is another major concern when…

For many historians of science and science educators, the method of replicating historical scientific apparatus and experiments provides an avenue for science learning, promotes critical and independent thinking, and fosters a deeper understanding of the nature of scientific practice. This paper presents a research study where a group of high…

Mass spectrometry is one of the few instrumental analysis techniques that can be relatively well-understood with physics/chemistry knowledge typical of an advanced high school or a beginning undergraduate student. This positions mass spectrometry well to be used as a bridge between abstract concepts typically set as learning goals in courses at…

Wave physics phenomena can be observed in everyday life and represent a fundamental prerequisite to many domains of classical and modern physics. Lots of studies demonstrate that novices have to face important learning difficulties in approaching this topic. The study of string vibrations' modes allows an educational introduction to basic…

The magic flask, which is a kind of black box activity, builds an environment for science teachers to discuss nature of science in a formal or/and informal learning environment in the context of the history of science through an explicit-reflective approach. In the activity, the nature of science (NOS) aspects are explicitly addressed and…

Physics is a tough and challenging topic. Facilitating the learning of physics requires an innovative and constructivist view of teaching that promotes an active learning environment and an effective implementation of educational technology. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether the use of computer simulations combined with hands-on…

Micrometeorites originate from small pieces of rock from space colliding with the Earth's atmosphere at high velocity, such as the Perseid meteors which hit the atmosphere at 60 km/s. When they do so, they burn up, causing a flash of light that we see as a meteor. Many groups have been successful collecting these particles using various devices.…

A pipet filler port has been constructed from a 1/4 in. NPT-1/4 in. or -3/8 in. barbed end Kynar plastic male connector fitting and a washer (cut from a latex rubber hose) inserted into the NPT end. The barbed end can secure reliably different sized rubber bulbs such as 1 oz (30 mL pipet capacity) and 2 oz (60 mL pipet capacity) types, and the 1/4…