A significant challenge to the community of chemistry education is the creation of materials that can be used in nonscience settings, including those of social science and humanities classrooms. As part of a larger effort to engage new communities in understanding how science data can impact such settings, including in the community, an experiment…

In this study, the kinetic friction coefficient for a block moving on an inclined plane was determined with the help of three different methods (a smartphone application, "Phyphox," a video analysis program, "Tracker" and a simulation program, "Algodoo") which can be performed easily using simple materials by the…

This paper demonstrates the use of a smartphone as a low-cost multi-channel optical fibre spectrophotometer suitable for physics laboratory classes. A custom-designed cradle and structure support were fabricated using 3D printing. The plastic optical fibres were arranged and inserted into the hole of the cradle to guide the light to the rear…

We present a sequence of two physics experiments, designed for use with secondary students, which investigate the specific heat of sand, both qualitatively and quantitatively, without a calorimeter. We use two LM35 temperature sensors and an Arduino prototype board for data acquisition. The results are good and allow teachers to discuss the…

Science demonstrations are a simple, cost-effective method of improving interest in STEM and highlighting the diversity of scientists, which can impact audience members' sense of belonging and, in turn, influence self-efficacy. However, the pedagogy of science demonstrations has been criticized as creating a power imbalance between the presenter…

Integrating new synthetic methods and experimental techniques from the latest research reports into undergraduate laboratory experiments is of great significance, as it enables students to learn the cutting-edge technology of organic chemistry and cultivates their experimental skills and innovative thinking. In this study, an experiment on their…

A physical organic chemistry experiment is described for second-year college students. Students performed nucleophilic aromatic substitution (NAS) reactions on 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (TPPF[subscript 20]) using three different nucleophiles. Substitution occurs preferentially at the 4-position ("para")…

Laboratory courses are often designed using step-by-step protocols which encourage students to conduct experiments without thinking about what they are doing or why they are doing it. Such course design limits the growth of our students as scientists and can make it more difficult for a student to transition to the expectations of a research…

Routinely used in quantitative determination of various analytes, UV-vis spectroscopy is commonly taught in undergraduate chemistry laboratory courses. Because the technique measures the absorbance of light through the samples, losses from reflection and scattering by large molecules interfere with the measurement. To emphasize the importance of…

Lab-on-a-chip technology is brought into the classroom through development of a lesson series with hands-on practicals. Students can discover the principles of microfluidics with different practicals covering laminar flow, micromixing, and droplet generation, as well as trapping and counting beads. A quite affordable novel production technique…

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is one of the basic analytical procedures in chemistry and allows the demonstration of various chemical principles in an educational setting. An often-overlooked aspect of TLC is the capability to quantify isolated target compounds in an unknown sample. Here, we present a suitable route to implement quantitative…

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.…

A surprising phenomenology from a traditional demonstration experiment in Geometrical Optics reveals here an interesting matter of discussion and analysis. Hence, the main focus of this paper is to observe and discuss such an innovative phenomenology.

Popular demonstrations commonly use stretched spandex fabric to illustrate the way in which curved spacetime mimics the force of gravity in general relativity. There are significant potential conceptual pitfalls to such an approach. In particular, it obscures the fact that most of what we ordinarily feel as gravity is due to the warping of time…

An understanding of buffers is important in a variety of chemistry subdisciplines, with relevant applications to the life sciences and health profession-related fields. Here, we describe the development and implementation of a lab that involves creating a buffer solution using baby wipes and deionized water. The goal of this lab was to emphasize a…