Einstein's relation between mass and energy is perhaps the most famous equation of Physics. Despite its simplicity, the meaning of E[subscript 0] = mc[superscript 2] is not easy to grasp. Furthermore, its traditional derivations rely either on the integral of "momentum," on properties of electromagnetic radiation, or even on the…

When the thermal expansion of water is discussed in school or university lessons, functional relationships are often inferred without considering measurement uncertainties. Moreover, in some learning materials, the goal of experimentation and the experimental setup do not match. This creates the wrong picture of scientific practice. In this…

This work documents the collaboration between the Physics department of the University of Calabria and some schools of the region in a project devoted to recovering disused instrumentation in school laboratories. The project has been conceived as a workplace experience for the students, i.e. a learning experience in a real work place. In Italy,…

In order to introduce students to the fascinating field of femtochemistry, we propose here a practical laboratory training course conceived for second-year master's students in chemistry. We describe the use of a broadband femtosecond transient absorption (pump-probe) experiment for monitoring a fast light-triggered chemical reaction in solution.…

Safe and high-quality water is essential from both the health and environmental perspectives. Water quality is so important that the United Nations has included water in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Thus, the adequate control and treatment of water are necessities. These tasks must be…

A modular experiment for upper-level undergraduate students is presented, featuring the product cycle and process evaluating the quality and quantity of biodiesel obtained from a microalgae feedstock grown under carbon-supplemented and nutrient-deprived conditions. Batch reactors are used to cultivate and harvest microalgae, which undergo…

The combination of organic synthesis and analytical chemistry into a related laboratory experiment is an excellent demonstration of the utility of making a compound to then be used further. Herein we describe an undergraduate laboratory experiment that involves the straightforward synthesis of an internal standard, ethyl 6-acetyloxyhexanoate, for…

A safe, convenient, and environmentally benign laboratory experiment for the synthesis of biodiesel from six kinds of vegetable oils has been developed for the introductory organic chemistry laboratory. The experiment uses ultrasonic irradiation in the presence of a base catalyst at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Because of safer and…

To understand critical problems associated with solid waste and its consequences for the environment, a laboratory experiment is presented on the synthesis of aluminum-based metal-organic framework (MOF) MIL-53(Al) from household waste (PET bottles and aluminum foil/can), for undergraduate students of chemistry. This work is designed to teach…

The implementation of an integrated approach to upper-level undergraduate chemistry laboratory instruction that incorporates student choice both in the selection and sequencing of the experimental work is presented. The approach involves combining laboratory work in several traditional subdisciplinary areas of chemistry in a single course.…

In order to introduce the concept of covalent organic frameworks (COFs), an important class of predictable crystalline porous polymers, an integrated laboratory experiment for advanced organic chemistry students is reported. The importance of these kind of polymers and their multiple applications are presented as a part of key concepts in polymer…

The introduction of the Wireless Smart Cart by PASCO scientific in April 2016 has ushered in a paradigm shift in the design and implementation of low-cost undergraduate physics and engineering laboratory experiments. The use of smartphones in experimental physics is by now widely accepted and documented. The smart cart in combination with…

This work presents an outline for a full-quartile design-based learning laboratory-based course suitable for final year Bachelor's students. The course has been run for 5 years in the department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. The course attempts to provide a complete laboratory experience for its students, including an authentic research…

Synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials yields opportunities for instruction of related topics in solution chemistry and materials science, as well as spectroscopy connecting to band theory, the "particle in a box" quantum mechanical model, and thermodynamics. In collaboration with an undergraduate research assistant, we have…

Herein we present a modified iodine clock experiment which replaces starch with cellulose paper. This provides the reaction with a white solid surface in which color change can be clearly observed and reduces reagent amounts required to 540 µL per group. After data acquisition, students are required to calculate reaction orders and the reaction…