Biology is perhaps the most complex of the sciences, given the incredible variety of chemical species that are interconnected in spatial and temporal pathways that are daunting to understand. Their interconnections lead to emergent properties such as memory, consciousness, and recognition of self and non-self. To understand how these…

The author focused on solving problems of third-degree price discrimination under a monopoly by integrating microeconomic theory and spreadsheet modeling. Price discrimination refers to a firm situation in which the same good is sold to different groups of consumers at different prices. First, the author included an introductory math background…

It's not surprising that rainbows have received a great deal of attention: in textbooks, in magazines, and on the web. They are, after all, beautiful, fascinating, occasionally awe-inspiring, even a little mysterious. They are an almost perfect blend of natural beauty and simple physics. Has everything that can be said about rainbows already been…

The present article demonstrates a way of programming using an Excel spreadsheet to teach Fourier series expansion in school/colleges without the knowledge of any typical programming language. By using this, a student learns to approximate partial sum of the n terms of Fourier series for some periodic signals such as square wave, saw tooth wave,…

For the least-squares analysis of data having multiple uncertain variables, the generally accepted best solution comes from minimizing the sum of weighted squared residuals over all uncertain variables, with, for example, weights in x[subscript i] taken as inversely proportional to the variance [delta][subscript xi][superscript 2]. A complication…

Finite Mathematics has become an enormously rich and productive area of contemporary mathematical biology. Fortunately, educators have developed educational modules based upon many of the models that have used Finite Mathematics in mathematical biology research. A sufficient variety of computer modules that employ graph theory (phylogenetic trees,…

The oxidation of iron is an important reaction due to its high economic impact. In this laboratory exploration, the total order of this reaction was determined using commercially available handwarmer packets that rely on the iron-oxygen reaction to generate heat. The active ingredient in the handwarmer packet is iron, which interacts with…

Throughout the general chemistry lab curriculum, a common shortcoming is the way in which students measure, record, and manipulate quantitative data. From initial measurements with different digital and analog instruments to proper conversions, calculations, and comparisons, students are often expected to be experts before they have been taught…

Access to online data sets and free, data-visualization software programs that don't require coding skills has given journalism students the ability to produce charts, maps, and graphs quickly. Maps that used to require weeks of software training and expensive programs to create can now be produced in less than an hour. However, students must…

The simple process of iteration can produce complex and beautiful figures. In this article, Robin O'Dell presents a set of tasks requiring students to use the geometric interpretation of complex number multiplication to construct linear iteration rules. When the outputs are plotted in the complex plane, the graphs trace pleasing designs…

Using an ALTA II reflectance spectrometer, the USGS digital spectral library, graphs of planetary spectra, and a few mineral hand samples, one can teach how light can be used to study planets and moons. The author created the hands-on, inquiry-based activity for an undergraduate planetary science course consisting of freshman to senior level…

It is common for both algebra and calculus instructors to use power functions of various degrees as well as exponential functions to examine and compare rates of growth. This can be done on a chalkboard, with a graphing calculator, or with a spreadsheet. Instructors often are careful to connect the symbolic and graphical (and occasionally the…

Charts and graphs are ubiquitous in business documents, and most students in the author's business communication courses are well aware that they need to be able to create many different types of data representation. Most of them have had a great deal of experience working with spreadsheet applications, and they know how to manipulate data and…

Descriptive statistics and appropriate visual representations of scores are important for all test developers, whether they are experienced testers working on large-scale projects, or novices working on small-scale local tests. Many teachers put in charge of testing projects do not know "why" they are important, however, and are utterly convinced…

In this article, our main objective is to present the use of Microsoft Software Excel 2007/2003 for teaching college and university level curriculum in science and engineering. In particular, we discuss two interesting and fascinating examples of interactive applications of Microsoft Excel targeted for undergraduate students in: 1) computational…