Ozone is a powerful oxidant and disinfectant, which can be used to clean environment as well as obtain pure drinking water. A series of experiments to produce and test ozone with simple equipment and material are presented.

A study has shown that methylation of 1,8-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (1) with methyl tosylate is highly dependent upon reaction conditions. When the reaction is carried out by a simple heating of the reaction mixture without solvent it yields dimethyl product in a nearly quantitative yield and refluxing the same mixture of reactants in…

Providing a biotechnology experience for students can be challenging on several levels, and time is a real constraint for many experiments. Many DNA based methods require a gel electrophoresis step, and although some biotechnology procedures have convenient break points, gel electrophoresis does not. In addition to the time required for loading…

Many general physics laboratories involve the use of springs to demonstrate Hooke's law, and much ado is made about how this can be used as a model for describing the elastic characteristics of materials at the molecular or atomic level. In recent years, the proliferation of computers, and appropriate sensors, have made it possible to demonstrate…

Teaching science by means of inquiry-based projects has the potential to transform the science lab into a place of debate and discovery, but teachers run the risk of either leaving students to work too independently or forcing them to be too dependent on our guidance. To counter these challenges, the author implemented changes in the way topics…

The traditional range of marine microcosm laboratory experiments is presented as an ideal environment to teach the entire analysis process. The microcosm lab provides student-centered approach with opportunities for collaborative learning and to develop critical communication skills.

This paper reports an experiment carried out by a sixth-grade science class by a pupil as part of the requirements of the laboratory section of the class. (Author)

Compares the preparation and decomposition of potassium dibromoiodate and of phenyl iodine dichloride in a flexible experiment which accustoms the student to handle halogens, to test for halogens in mixtures, and to appreciate the difference between thermodynamic and kinetic control of reactions. (Author/MA)

Presents material dealing with an application of statistical thermodynamics to the diatomic solid I-2(s). The objective is to enhance the student's appreciation of the power of the statistical formulation of thermodynamics. The Simple Einstein Model is used. (Author/MA)

The product test and an experimental approach to the guise of matter, constitutes one approach in learning about materials. (Editor)

The experiment of determination of the percent of oxygen in air is performed in a general chemistry laboratory in which students compare the results calculated from the pressure measurements obtained with the calculator-based systems to those obtained in a water-measurement method. This experiment allows students to explore a fundamental reaction…

Supercritical fluids (SCFs) possess properties that are intermediate between liquids and gases. The combination of supercritical fluid technology with advanced characterization techniques such as electron microscopy provided a practical and rewarding undergraduate laboratory experiment.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a Nobel Prize-winning technique that amplifies a specific segment of DNA and is commonly used to test for the presence of genetic modifications. Students use PCR to test corn meal and corn-muffin mixes for the presence of a promoter commonly used in genetically modified foods, the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S…

The disposal of hazardous chemicals and chemical containing products is of much concern and there is a need for a document that describes the hazards of a chemical, to consider the precautionary measures to be taken. Many classic demonstrations however cannot be performed due to safety concerns since sometimes chemicals are deemed too hazardous or…

Theoretical and experimental evidence for the dependence of viscosities of the real gases on temperature is described, suggesting that this dependence is greater than that predicted by the kinetic theory of gases. The experimental results were obtained using common modern instrumentation and could be reproduced by students in analytical or…