The author was looking for a demonstration that actually used wind shear forces to set up the tornado effect when he saw a video produced by The Tornado Project called "Secrets of the Tornado". This video not only shows dozens of actual tornadoes, but also gives construction techniques for several different styles of tornado boxes that are…

We present a simple laboratory activity for introductory-level physics students which involves rolling balls down pipes and analysing their subsequent flight trajectories. Using balls of equal size but different mass allows students to confront their misconceptions of a mass dependence of the exit speed of the balls from the pipes. The concepts of…

A simple chemical sensor-related experiment rooted in the synthesis of polymeric materials for use in either an advanced high-school or undergraduate college laboratory is presented. Students are introduced to and combine to the concepts of the chemical sensor, polymer chemistry, spectroscopy, metal chelates, and quantitative analytical methods.

Biodiesel was synthesized by transesterification of waste vegetable oil using common glassware and reagents, and characterized by measuring heat of combustion, cloud point, density and measuring the heat of combustion and density together allows the student the energy density of the fuel. Analyzing the biodiesel can serve as a challenging and…

A local middle school requested that the Water Center of Advanced Materials for Purification of Water With Systems (WaterCAMPWS), a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center, provide an introduction to pH for their seventh-grade water-based service learning class. After sorting through a multitude of information about pH, a…

Spacelab is a facility which enables scientists and engineers to go into space for in-orbit research studies. For the 10 European nations that designed, constructed, and financed Spacelab jointly through the European Space Agency and for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which designed, constructed, and financed the Spacelab…

A reaction kinetics experiment for the chemical engineering undergraduate laboratory course was developed in which in-situ Fourier Transfer Infrared spectroscopy was used to measure reactant and product concentrations. The kinetics of the hydrolysis of acetic anhydride was determined by experiments carried out in a batch reactor. The results…

The history of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Skylab program is provided in this three-part book. Part I (chapters 1 to 5) traces the origins of the Skylab concept from its emergence in the period 1962-65 through its evolution into final form in 1969. Part II (chapters 6 to 13) focuses on the period from 1969-73, considering the…

The Rockwell AIM 65 is recommended for use in physics laboratories. Among advantages cited are that the basic board can be purchased customized; for example, it can be purchased with or without a printer, power supply, extra memory, and other items. In addition, the computer is basically designed to control equipment and take data from peripheral…

Francis Bacon began defining scientific methodology in the early 17th century, and secondary school science classes began to implement science labs in the mid-19th century. By the early 20th century, leading educators were suggesting that science labs be used to develop scientific thinking habits in young students, and at the beginning of the 21st…

Smaller amounts of materials are used in organic chemistry experiments as a means of improving air quality in the laboratory. Outlines benefits from this approach and describes two representative experiments in detail. These experiments are the Cannizzaro reaction and preparation of an aromatic nitrile. (JN)

Two demonstrations are described. The first (useful as an introduction to kinetics) shows how the rate of a reaction is fast at first and then gradually decreases to zero when one reactant has been used up. The second is a gas density demonstration using 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoro ethane. (JN)

Shows how a standard slide projector can be adapted for use as an effective spectroscope. Also describes three experiments using the modified slide projector. (JN)

The moving pattern that appears on an oscilloscope screen is used to illustrate two kinds of wave motion and the relationship between them. Suggestions are presented for measuring wavelength, frequency, phase shift, and phase velocity in this college-level laboratory exercise. (DH)

Presents experiments using wild birds as predators and pastry as prey and colored stones as background to demonstrate natural selection. Describes the exercise as an exercise in simulating natural selection. (Author/CW)