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…

Photoacoustic imaging is a state-of-the-art technique that combines light excitation with ultrasound generation via the photoacoustic effect. Since sound waves at clinically relevant frequencies undergo minimal perturbation as they pass through the body, photoacoustic imaging is ideal for deep-tissue imaging applications in vivo. Despite its…

High-performance liquid chromatography is one of the primary techniques covered in the undergraduate analytical chemistry curriculum. This technology report describes the use of a portable capillary-scale instrument that can provide similar performance to a benchtop instrument but generates less solvent waste and enables operation in nonlaboratory…

High voltage supplies are often used in physics classes for demonstrations and laboratory work. These devices deliver several thousand volts DC, while limiting the current to a safe level, typically under 5 mA. One issue with these power supplies is their expense, which means schools may not have one. Less expensive homemade units have been…

New learning strategies try to extend the use of common devices among students in physics lab practices. In particular, there is a recent trend to explore the possibilities of using smartphone sensors to describe physics phenomena. On the other hand, the study of the moment of inertia by the use of the torsion pendulum is a typical example in the…

The polarized optical microscope (POM) is an invaluable tool for characterizing materials such as liquid crystals and other optically anisotropic materials. Despite its frequent use in research settings, students are rarely introduced to its fundamental operation and importance. Curricula are starting to appear for applications of the POM in…

Various experiments and demonstrations relate air pressure and air pressure difference to force and area. Carpenter and Minnix describe a large-scale pneumatic lift in which a person sitting on a board atop a plastic garbage bag is lifted when the bag is connected to the exhaustport of a vacuum cleaner, which easily lifts the person. This article…

Acharge pickup detector was developed at the University of Colorado for use in classroom demonstrations and in the dust accelerator at the Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres and Cosmic Dust (IMPACT). The detector can be used in a physics classroom to help high school and introductory-level physics students connect electromagnetic phenomena…

As presented in physics textbooks, as well as in a few papers, the typical example of an induced motional electromotive force e[subscript mot] = "Blv" consists of a conductive rod of length "l" frictionlessly sliding with speed v along parallel wires within an orthogonal and constant uniform magnetic field of magnitude…

In 1974, Professor Eric Laithwaite demonstrated an unusually heavy gyroscope at a Royal Institution lecture in London. The demonstration was televised and can be viewed on YouTube. A recent version of the same experiment, together with partial explanations, attracted two million YouTube views in the first few months. In both cases, the gyroscope…

A model scanning probe microscope, designed using similar principles of operation to research instruments, is described. Proximity sensing is done using a capacitance probe, and a mechanical linkage is used to scan this probe across surfaces. The signal is transduced as an audio tone using a heterodyne detection circuit analogous to that used in…

A simple and inexpensive method of monitoring the movement of an isolated frog heart provides comparable results to those obtained with a force transducer. A commercially available photoresistor is integrated into a Wheatstone bridge circuit, and the output signal is interfaced directly with a recording device. An excised, beating frog heart is…

We have developed an eye-catching demonstration that showcases a variety of physics topics from total internal reflection to electrostatics to non-Newtonian fluid dynamics, including the Kaye effect. The essential components of the demonstration include a vertical stream of liquid soap in which a laser pointer is internally reflected, and which…

In this paper, we examined teachers' understanding of electrical concepts such as power, current and potential difference based on how these concepts were applied to understand the relative brightness seen in bulbs of different wattage under different connections--series or parallel. From the responses of teachers to a concept question, we…

Chemical demonstrations are an integral part of the process of how students construct meaning from chemical principles, but may introduce risks to students and presenters. Some demonstrations are known to be extremely loud and present auditory hazards; little has been done to assess the risks to educators and students. Using laboratory-grade…