Energy conversion devices such as fuel cells, metal-air batteries, and electrolyzers have been envisaged as possible solutions for cutting down the continuous accumulation of greenhouse gases resulting from the combustion of fossil fuel. The bottleneck reaction for these devices is the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) occurring at the cathode. The…

Climate change caused predominately by carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil fuel use is a critical issue for our future. It is incumbent on science educators to learn about it and teach it in ways that illustrate the power of science to understand climatic changes and model past, present, and possible climate futures. It is equally important for…

In this paper, a problem set activity focused on understanding and applying unsupervised and supervised chemometric methods for the analysis of biodiesel-diesel blended fuels is described. This problem set was utilized in two upper-level analytical elective courses aimed for junior and senior level students. The data set consists of peak areas…

The use of the thermodynamic formalism in the investigation of biochemical reactions constitutes one of the key analysis in bioenergetics, and the first step in such analysis is the selection of the adequate reference state. For biochemistry majors, thermodynamic analysis based on the chemical reference state is used in Physical Chemistry courses,…

The distinction between pressure in a liquid and in a gas is often treated in a cursory way, or not treated at all, even in university level textbooks. Most texts fail to point out the relation between pressure and density in a gas as compared to pressure in a--virtually incompressible--liquid. In many instances this also results in a dismissive…

The contemporary Human activity utilizes huge volumes of digital data to solve efficiently multiple socio-economic, scientific and technical problems. Now the big data analysis is mainly oriented to the socioeconomic sphere with a goal to lift the profit. The science and technology to penetrate deeper in the nature of objects and systems under…

Archimedes' principle is one of the foundation subjects in physics. Normally the principle is exemplified by reference to floating boats. However, Archimedes' principle also applies to objects embedded in waterlogged ground, which can lead to the surprising result of an object weighing several tons being lifted. A practical example is presented of…

This work presents a sequence to introduce resistive gas sensors in the classroom. It explains the physical principle of the metal oxide semiconductor sensors and exemplifies its real interfacing through the sensor model MQ-2. Besides, it also presents the design of two electronic systems to indicate the level of alcohol concentration in the air,…

In a technology-centric world, leveraging digital tools such as chatbots allows educators to engage students in ways that may be more accessible for both parties, particularly in large lecture classrooms. This report details the development of an interactive web-based chatbot to curate content for writing about chemistry in context. Students were…

An important objective of any analytical chemistry course is for students to generate and interpret data from the analysis of complex, real-world samples in order to assess the effectiveness of the analysis method, including the calibration. In this laboratory exercise, students directly compare calibration methods (external standards and standard…

Fusion energy research is 'mission oriented' big-science. It has both rapid progress and a reputation for being forever distant that excites many with a curiosity for science. However, it is difficult to give time to in lesson plans given both its lack of associated learning objectives and complexity. Outreach at the Fusion Centre for Doctoral…

In this article, we argue that students' unfolding discourse on socio-scientific issues (SSI) can be fruitfully analyzed by using dialogical theories of language and communication (Bakhtin 1986; Linell 2009). While research in science education often reports on how individual reasoning changes when bringing SSI into the classroom, we argue for the…

Learning model in Kazakhstani Universities is being focused on transforming education from teacher-centered to student-centered approach. This transformation requires academic staff retraining and a significant modernization of educational process. In this article we discuss issues of methodological readiness of academic staff for student-centered…

Engaging undergraduates in the environmental consequences of fossil fuel usage primes them to consider their own anthropogenic impact, and the benefits and trade-offs of converting to renewable fuel strategies. This laboratory activity explores the potential contaminants (both inorganic and organic) present in the raw fuel and solid waste…

We designed a hands-on laboratory exercise to demonstrate why injecting an aqueous polymer solution into an oil reservoir (commonly known as "polymer flooding") enhances oil production. Students are split into three groups of two to three. Each group is assigned to a packed Hele-Shaw cell pre-saturated with oil, our laboratory model of…