The carbonyl group of an aldehyde or ketone reacts with different types of nucleophiles through a nucleophilic addition reaction. When the nucleophile is water, the product obtained is a "gem"-diol or geminal diol. This functionalization is unstable and quickly reverts to the parent carbonyl group. The chemistry of "gem"-diols…

Practicing chemists use models, diagrams, symbols, and figures to represent phenomena which cannot be detected by the human senses. Although research suggests that these external representations (ERs) can also be used to address the challenges that students have in learning chemistry, it is not clear how instructors' use of ERs aligns with their…

The ability to develop, use, and refine models of experimental systems is a nationally recognized learning outcome for undergraduate physics lab courses. However, no assessments of students' model-based reasoning exist for upper-division labs. This study is the first step toward development of modeling assessments for optics and electronics labs.…

An experiment carried out by advanced undergraduate students in a project-based laboratory course is described. Taking into account the positive effects of working in teams, which has been key for successful research in industry and academia, a cooperative learning experience in the laboratory was developed. Students working in teams of four…

This experiment uses a radioactive technique to determine the relative leaving abilities of chloride and iodide in nucleophilic substitution reactions. (DT)

Two experiments are described which illustrate preparative as well as mechanistic features of the reactions of halogens with alkanes and alkenes. (DT)

Eight laboratory exercises are described which involve the protein properties of hemoglobin, and six experiments are outlined which involve hemoglobin as a metalloprotein. (DT)

Bacterial conjugation is a genetic transfer that involves cell-to-cell between donor and recipient cells. With the current method used to teach students in genetic courses at the undergraduate level, the transconjugants are identified using bacterial physiology and/or antibiotic resistance. Using physiology, however, is difficult for both…

Procedures and discussion of an experiment to be used in an undergraduate course in spectroscopy are presented. The experiment involves the measurement of the absorption spectrum of sodium vapor. (DT)

An electron-spin-resonance experiment which has been successfully performed in an advanced undergraduate physics laboratory is described. A discussion of that part of the theory of magnetic resonance necessary for the understanding of the experiment is also provided in this article. (DT)

A laboratory instructional program involving metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) devices is described. In the first of a two-part experiment, students become familiar with the important parameters of a simple MIS device and learn measurement techniques; in the second part, device fabrication procedures are learned. (DT)

The design of a freshman chemistry laboratory program involving nontraditional qualitative investigations of metal ion properties is explained. Experiments are discussed which focus on synthesis of a metal salt, properties of metal ions and their separations, and oxidation states of metals. (DT)

This second report from the Analytical Chemistry Subcommittee presents ideas for using real-life samples for student analysis and for introducing the topic of developing procedures for analysis. (DT)