The concept of relative density is introduced in the middle school and high school curricula by an intuitive approach based on the phenomena of immersion and flotation. In high school, the same concept is taught as the ratio between the masses of two bodies of the same volume. This dichotomy of the concept of relative density between the two…

In this study, we describe a method to employ a conventional compound light microscope, usually available in laboratories, to obtain fluorescence. In particular, two pieces of colored acrylic plastic were utilized to assist the microscope in filter performance. We also attempted to examine the applicability of the setup by staining onion cells…

The prompt transfer of cutting-edge science into students' curricula is a challenging task. Often research experiments are too complex or expensive to be translated into a secondary or tertiary education setting. Herein, we introduce a laboratory experiment that translates the recently developed research technique of a wavelength dependent,…

Polymer materials are indispensable in our daily lives. This makes polymer technology of critical importance in higher education. In particular, hands-on experiment-based practicals/laboratories with a focus on polymer science are of tremendous value in the undergraduate curriculum. Along these lines, hydrogels are highly cross-linked polymer…

This article introduces a novel experiment that involves vitrimers, a new type of polymer, in polymer chemistry and physics lab courses for undergraduate students. Vitrimers are permanently cross-linked networks that can be reprocessed under certain external stimuli. Therefore, they combine the advantages of traditional thermoplastics (excellent…

The equivalent resistance calculation for two circuits in cubic arrangements is solved. Emphasis is placed on the plastic (topological) properties of these circuits. In contrast, the opposite topological behaviour of an analogous arrangement is observed in the calculus of a magnetic field. It is also noted that the solved examples may be used as a…

Hierarchical structure and mechanics are crucial in biological systems as they allow for smaller molecules, such as proteins and sugars, to be used in the construction of large scale biological structures exhibiting properties such as structural support functionality. By exploring the fundamental principles of structure and mechanics at the…

We designed a hands-on laboratory exercise to demonstrate why injecting an aqueous polymer solution into an oil reservoir (commonly known as "polymer flooding") enhances oil production. Students are split into three groups of two to three. Each group is assigned to a packed Hele-Shaw cell pre-saturated with oil, our laboratory model of…

Because she had been blind since birth, we knew that our new student, Cricket, would be unable to make the necessary measurements needed to get any meaningful lab data while all of the other students would be able to use highly accurate commercial Vernier calipers. All we had on loan for Cricket was a Brailled plastic tactile meter stick with low…