Mineralogy has become increasingly linked to chemistry and physics during recent years. This relationship between chemistry, physics, and mineralogy, as indicated by the content of conference papers, research studies, and physical/chemical laboratory procedures used in mineralogy, is reviewed. Creative applications of established mineralogic…

Describes an experiment on a coupled system in which accurate timing is carried out using a Light Activated Switch (LAS) technique. LAS can be used for a wide range of periodic phenomena, provided the amplitude is sufficiently large to interrupt a light beam. (Author/SK)

A description is given of an inexpensive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer suitable for use in advanced laboratory courses. Applications to the nondestructive analysis of the oil content in corn seeds and in monitoring the crystallization of polymers are presented. (SK)

Describes a laboratory exercise which applies Koch's Postulates to a plant disease, bacterial speck. Includes an explanation of Koch's Postulate, list of equipment needed, advance preparation, outline of the three-week activity, and variations of the laboratory exercise. (DS)

Presents three methods for removing silver nitrate stains, using (1) aqueous potassium iodide; (2) potassium ferricyanide in water; or (3) copper sulfate or chloride in water. (CS)

Techniques are described for using living plants in the elementary science classroom including the germination and planting of seeds, transplanting seedlings, vegetative propagation, stem and leaf cuttings, and other plant studies. (DS)

Describes an undergraduate experiment which uses derivative spectroscopy to investigate the validity of the Planck function appearing in the blackbody radiation law. These measurements allow a critical examination of this function and also serve as an introduction to derivative spectroscopy techniques. (Author/HM)

Presents two articles which are part of a series concerned with safety in school science in the United Kingdom. The two articles deal with restricted chemicals and experiments. (HM)

Describes three activities: determination of the heat of combustion of a commercial breakfast cereal, qualitative analysis of halogens using hexane, and production of transparent soap. (CS)

Presents background information, procedure, and results of an experiment, using easily obtainable chemicals and equipment, illustrating chemical kinetics. The experiment may be done in a letter as one four-hour physical chemistry laboratory period. (JN)

Some simple undergraduate laboratory experiments are described, which verify the energy-momentum relationship of special relativity. These experiments have been designed either to be used as classroom demonstrations or to be carried out by second-year students. (Author/JN)

Presents a chemical instrumentation laboratory experiment that introduces the methodology of the fabrication and evaluation of an ion-selective electrode. (CS)

Presents methods by which undergraduate students gain practice in ESR spectroscopy. (CS)

The experiment described is intended to illustrate the intermolecular phenomena involved in association colloids. These are normal and inverse micelles and lyotropic liquid crystals. Solubilization, microemulsion and emulsion are discussed. (Author/SA)

A device designed for sampling algae in rivers and streams is described. Techniques for observing algae in the laboratory as well as tips for maximizing success in sampling are given. (SA)