Describes a compact and portable apparatus for the measurement, with a high degree of precision, the value of the gravitational acceleration g. The apparatus consists of a falling mercury drop and an electronic timing circuit. (GA)

Describes an improved experiment of the thermal dehydration of copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate. The improvements described here are control of the temperature environment and a quantitative study of the decomposition reaction to a thermally stable oxide. Data will suffice to show sequential gravimetric analysis. (Author/SA)

The author draws attention to the possibilities of introducing the concept of electromagnetic energy flow associated with the Poynting vector at an elementary stage of physics instruction. (Author/SA)

Unusual experiments in sound are described. Sounds produced from the vibration of areas are represented by many beautiful sand patterns. The vibrating areas vary from square to circular plates. (SA)

Presents an nmr spectrometer-computer interface experiment in digital acquisition of spectroscopic data, which is intended for students nearing the end of a master's degree in physical chemistry. (HM)

Describes how plants can be produced by cloning by using tissue culture methods to mass-produce rare native prairie plants and trying to transfer some of the genetic characteristics of native grasses into cultivated cereals. The experiment was conducted at South Dakota State University. (HM)

The experiment described, suitable for undergraduate physical chemistry laboratories, illustrates the general principles of relaxation and introduces the nmr concepts of saturation and spin-inversion. (BB)

Checks on the logarithmic property of the eye in receiving light, by using estimation methods of how much brighter a light bulb looks than does its image in a window glass. (GA)

Describes a new physics program which depends mainly on student performed experiments and investigations, and subscribes to Piaget's learning and developmental theories. (GA)

Artists use red, yellow, and blue as primary colors, whereas physicists use red, green, and blue. Explains the reason using the spectra of mixtures of red, green, blue, and yellow tempera obtained with a Carey spectrophotometer. (GA)

Presents a method of studying RLC circuits with the help of the oscilloscope in the XYZ mode, complemented by an electronic device which generates a marker-trace on the screen and which is used to measure frequencies without the need of a reference point on the screen. (Author/GA)

Describes a computer aided analysis and subsequent assessment of analytical (pharmaceutical) chemistry data from an undergraduate laboratory course. (Author/GA)

A monthly guide to help teach the basic subjects. Here are suggestions for teaching language arts, science and mathematics. (RK)

Describes a method for experimenting with both whitening and deacidifying old newspaper clippings using sodium borohydride bleaching. Clippings are soaked in distilled water then immersed in sodium borohydride for 15-20 minutes. After rinsing with distilled water, the paper is washed with saturated Ca(OH)2 solution. Readers should not begin…

Describes a project designed to introduce infrared spectroscopy as a structure-determination technique. Students are introduced to infrared spectroscopy fundamentals then try to determine the identity of an unknown liquid from its infrared spectrum and molecular weight. The project demonstrates that only rarely can the identity of even simple…