The application of physico-chemical principles has been routinely used to explain various physiological concepts. The Nernst equation is one example of this, used to predict the potential difference created by the transmembrane ion gradient resulting from uneven ion distribution within cellular compartments and the interstitial space. This…

Designing and interpreting controlled experiments are important inquiry skills addressed in many current science curricula. The relevant skills associated with the design and interpretation of controlled experiments are summarised under the term control-of-variables strategy (CVS). Research on elementary school students' CVS skills shows that they…

Acid-base titration concepts and experiments are ubiquitous, yet challenging, aspects of the general chemistry curriculum. Most general chemistry courses include at least one acid-base titration laboratory experiment, though the focus is often on determining the concentration, pK[subscript a], or molar mass of an analyte rather than on the details…

This study examines the epistemic disciplinary knowledge that students consider when addressing a real food emergency that requires their engagement in inquiry and argumentation practices. The study comprised two phases: (1) designing an experiment to study the emergency and (2) evaluating the real outcome of the emergency. The participants were…

A practical focusing on the synthesis, isolation, and hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB), H[subscript 3]N·BH[subscript 3], was developed for first-year undergraduate students. By requiring students to propose their own experimental setup to measure the amount of gas produced upon hydrolysis, experimental design skills were introduced and developed…

This paper reports the findings of the second and the third year of a four year longitudinal empirical research into the modification of 'step-by-step' instructions to practical activities which require one or more steps to be designed by the students. This method had been successfully applied for a short period for 14-15 years old students.…