In this article, we present a low-cost lab experience, enhanced by new technologies and easy to execute. The objective of the experiment is to explore the moment of inertia of a fidget spinner quantitatively. Our choice was to integrate the teaching of physics with the use of a popular toy, the fidget spinner, very popular among young people and…

Many modern anatomy curricula teach histology using virtual microscopes, where students inspect tissue slices in a computer program (e.g. a web browser). However, the educational data mining (EDM) potential of these virtual microscopes remains under-utilized. In this paper, we use EDM techniques to investigate three research questions on a virtual…

This dissertation's purpose was for examining the preparation of pre-service school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers in laboratory-based courses and discovering how experienced SBAE teachers describe the experiences which prepared them to be effective facilitators of laboratory instruction. Furthermore, we discovered SBAE teachers'…

Teaching emulsion polymerization is an important benchmark in undergraduate polymer courses. However, the introduction of hands-on experiments in undergraduate polymer laboratories is challenging: experimental time, reagents, and equipment involved are the primary restraints. We report a practical emulsion polymerization laboratory experiment for…

An experiment is described that uses easily obtained materials (glow sticks, chalk, and acetone or alcohol) to separate the dyes contained in glow sticks that actively emit chemiluminescent light. The experiment is very easy to carry out, making it amenable for students to perform in laboratory or outreach settings. The separation occurs fast…

We describe a novel experiment for high school students that uses gas chromatography (GC) equipment to demonstrate the principles of chemical quantitation in the context of fragrant compounds. A highlight of the work is the use of inexpensive equipment and tools accessible to the usual high school laboratory. The students use control samples,…

A multifaceted experiment, accessible to students either in an introductory organic chemistry course or in a more advanced laboratory setting, is described for investigating the addition of dichlorocarbene to E- and Z-[beta]-methylstyrenes. The innovative exercise, which integrates elements of synthesis, mechanisms, instrumental analysis,…

An experiment for the synthesis of N-acyl derivatives of natural amino acids has been developed as part of the Distributed Drug Discovery (D3) program. Students use solid-phase synthesis techniques to complete a three-step, combinatorial synthesis of six products, which are analyzed using LC-MS and NMR spectroscopy. This protocol is suitable for…

The stated purpose of this paper is to provide a simple and quick method to assemble pH electrodes using readily available materials. The present assembled electrodes are comparable with commercial pH electrodes, with accuracy for pH determination in the range 2-12. Furthermore, the constructed simple pH electrodes exhibit a fast and stable…

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful tool for gene editing and it has become increasingly important for biology students to understand this emerging technique. Most CRISPR laboratory teaching modules use complex metazoan systems or mammalian cell culture which can be expensive. Here, we present a lab module that engages students in learning the…

The synthesis of substituted 1,4-benzoquinones, a biologically important class of compounds, was developed using [mu]-oxodi(phenyliodanyl) diacetate, a (diacetoxyiodo)benzene-based oxidizing reagent, in order to introduce second-year undergraduate organic laboratory students in their second semester or advanced organic students to increasingly…

Quantum dots (QDs) are considered useful for demonstrating quantum phenomena in undergraduate laboratories due to their monodisperse size and excellent optical properties. Although doping has an increasingly important role in QD fabrication in the semiconductor field, it has rarely been discussed in the context of the undergraduate laboratory. In…

In introductory physics laboratories, spring constants are traditionally measured using the static method. The dynamic method, via vertical spring-mass oscillator, that uses a stopwatch in order to measure the period of oscillations is also commonly employed. However, this time-measuring technique is prone to human errors and in this paper we…

The concepts of phospholipase activity is often taught in undergraduate biology and biochemistry classes and reinforced in laboratory exercises. However, very rarely does the design of these exercises allow students to directly gain experience in the use of modern instruments such as digital imaging systems and fluorescence spectrophotometers. The…

The effect of surfactant adsorption on surface tension, as well as associated thermodynamic concepts are introduced in a laboratory experiment designed for undergraduate students. Using a reliable and accessible method, students measure the surface tension of aqueous solutions at different concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Students collect…