The construction and use of a low-cost continuous-flow instrument for measuring the kinetics of fast reaction which include the use of an light emitting diode light source, a photodiode-on-a-chip detector, and a position sensor is demonstrated. The instrument is suitable for the physical chemistry laboratory and could be used to study the kinetics…

Synthetic sequences in the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory illustrate important synthetic strategies, reagents, or experimental techniques, oftentimes resulting in the synthesis of commercially important compounds. A fragrance with a 'spicy, carnation, sweet, vanilla', named after carnations (Dianthus caryophllus), Methyl Diantillis is…

A discovery-oriented lab experiment is developed that illustrates the chemoselective nature of reductions using sodium borohydride. Products are of sufficient purity to allow analysis by spectroscopy without further purification.

Internet extends the reach of existing laboratory and training infrastructure to beyond the walls of such facilities. Though nothing can replace the hands-on experience in a laboratory; a carefully developed web-based digital lab may be the next best thing. In some cases, there may be benefits associated with a "distance laboratory" that…

This book is designed to be a quick and easy resource for anyone teaching physics for the first time. Written after extensive research, this book is filled with reliable labs, demos and activities that work well in the classroom. Also included are lesson plans, diagrams, and teacher notes for every activity. The book is not the end--it is just a…

In a study spanning several years and including more than 1600 students, lab attendance was strongly correlated with lab grades (r = 0.64), lecture attendance (r = 0.49), and course grades (r = 0.60) in an introductory biology course. Regardless of the semester, lab attendance was lowest during the first week of the semester, and students who…

In our Fundamentals of Genetics lab, students perform a wide variety of labs to reinforce and extend the topics covered in lecture. I developed an active-learning lab to augment the lecture topic of mutagenesis. In this lab exercise, students determine if a compound they bring from home is a mutagen. Students are required to read extensive…

Science educators agree that an undergraduate research experience is critical for students who are considering graduate school or research careers. The process of researching a topic in the primary literature, designing experiments, implementing those experiments, and analyzing the results is essential in developing the analytical skills necessary…

A three-dimensional pendulum, modelled after the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory's suspended optics, was constructed to investigate the pendulum's dynamics due to suspension point motion. In particular, we were interested in studying the pendular-pitch energy coupling. Determination of the pendular's Q value (the quality factor…

One aim of physics laboratory instruction is to help students connect theory to practice. So experiments are often chosen in order to "demonstrate" specific concepts. Furthermore, students are expected to approach phenomena in a scientific way, that is, they should develop a hypothesis and plan their experiments accordingly. Although it is usually…

Physics labwork has for a long time now been an important part of academic physics education. But demands on physics education have changed. However, while seminars and lectures have easily been updated with the latest content, it is much more difficult to modernize labwork courses: mere changes of content require expensive new equipment, tight…

Physics as a subsidiary subject has to match very different objectives and to cope with a variety of students' learning conditions. Targeted labwork means that a careful choice among these objectives is made according to research outcomes. For medical students, a targeted labwork course in physics was developed. Essentially, the development was…

We describe a service-learning course in which college students developed hands-on chemistry laboratory activities for elementary school children. These activities were then conducted with children both in area classrooms and in our own laboratories. This course allowed our students to apply their knowledge of chemical principles while introducing…

Reform initiatives such as "Science for All Americans" (AAA, 1989) and "National Science Education Standards" (NRC, 1996) argue for making science accessible to all children regardless of age, sex, cultural and/or ethic background, and disabilities. One of the most popular and prevailing phrases highlighting science education reform in the last…

This article describes a two-semester general chemistry laboratory teaching approach to assist students in gaining experience with science-process skills. The ultimate goal is successful completion of a second-semester service-learning project requiring use of their newly developed science-process skills. The project entails creating an…