Inspired by a commercially produced scattering experiment that was popular beginning in the 1960s, we have developed a Nerf-projectile-based educational activity to demonstrate the basics of particle scattering experiments.

Electrophilic aromatic substitution (S[subscript E]Ar) and nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S[subscript N]Ar) reactions are among the most valuable reactions in the conversion of aromatic rings. While these reactions are typically covered in separate experiments in undergraduate organic courses, a continuous experimental setup elucidating both…

Photochemical reactions are initiated by the absorption of light, triggering the chemical reactions and resulting in the formation of products. These reactions are generally performed using a freely available renewable source of energy-solar energy. Solar simulators mimic both the ultraviolet and visible regions of sunlight and hence can serve as…

We investigated a very long chain falling from the pile on the edge of a table to the floor both experimentally and theoretically. In this very simple and novel configuration we showed that the velocity of the chain quickly converges to its asymptotic value, and that the steady-state velocity is proportional to the square root of the height of the…

This study explored how using computer simulations helped 7th grade students improve their understanding of chemistry. At my school, many students are below grade-level in reading and math, which can make science more challenging. During a 3-week chemistry unit, I used simulations from Amplify and other online tools. These simulations allowed…

An activity is described that uses simple materials and an easy-to-perform protocol to estimate the Curie temperature of nickel, which is the temperature at which nickel loses its ferromagnetism. To do so, an object made of nickel metal is heated with a lighter until it loses its ferromagnetism. The metal is allowed to drop into a beaker that…

Electrochemistry is taught in most undergraduate chemistry programs. Although this topic is important for students due to its broad interest in industry (energy, diagnostics, car industry, etc.), they often find it difficult, because it is based on a combination of various physical concepts such as electric fields, interfacial processes or charge…

The interference pattern between two harmonic oscillations with slightly different frequencies are called beats. The beats, as a combined motion, have two different periods, one approximately equal to the period of the original oscillations, and another that is significantly longer and is related to the variable amplitude of the motion. The main…

Instruction in quantum mechanics is becoming increasingly important as the field is not only a key part of modern physics research but is also important for emerging technologies. However, many students regard quantum mechanics as a particularly challenging subject, in part because it is considered very mathematical and abstract. One potential way…

A procedure to purify anthocyanin, a natural pigment, following a green approach by using macroporous resin and its encapsulation for the maintenance of its stability is described. This laboratory experiment, which describes the benefits of using resin for the purification, is a learning tool for students working in the field on nutraceuticals.…

A loop-the-loop experiment is described to show how sliding friction affects motion of the ball. Conservation of energy can be used to explain the basic physics, but significant energy loss is observed in practice and expands the usefulness of this apparatus as a teaching tool.

For single-slit diffraction and double-slit interference experiments, commercially made slits can be the most expensive parts, especially since the prices of laser pointers have become very low. One option is to use a razor blade to cut slits in either paint or electrical tape on microscope slides. However, this takes practice, and there is some…

Student misconceptions of the double-slit experiment (Fig. 1) are abundant. The most common ones that we observe include: (1) belief that constructive interference requires both pathlengths to be integer multiples of the wavelength ("L[subscript 1] = n[subscript 1][lambda]" and "L[subscript 2] = n[subscript 2][lambda]") rather…

The conical pendulum is a classic introductory physics problem for teaching circular motion--a topic about which students frequently carry alternative conceptions. As teachers provide lessons to untangle these conceptions, it is good to allow students to practice their new knowledge in varied settings. This is one possible experiment that builds…

Demonstration interviews with 27 high school students (18-19 years old) were conducted in Zagreb, Croatia, using several standard experiments on interference and diffraction of light. Students were asked for their predictions, observations, and explanations of the experiments. In this process, many student difficulties were identified, both…