A simple and inexpensive paper chromatography experiment that separates and identifies major organic acids in wine and fruit juices has been developed for introductory organic undergraduate students to teach the basics of chromatography. This experiment reinforces several concepts for students such as compound separation via extraction and…

Providing exposure to the process and methods of science is a fundamental goal of any general education college science course. This is largely because most students taking such courses are generally "not" science majors, so they are likely to take few, if any, other science courses. Meeting this goal can be a challenge in courses such…

Experiment is understood as a core activity in science education as well as science in general. Despite many efforts to improve science education in the laboratory, a cookbook style of verification experiments often dominate school science. In this study, we conducted an open laboratory activity that provided students with an opportunity to think…

A phone emitting sound of a fixed frequency is sliding on an inclined plane and approaching a second phone kept at the bottom of the plane. The detected frequency versus time data by the second phone are used to calculate the acceleration of the sliding phone. The primary objective of this paper is to calculate the sliding friction between the…

Collisions are a key topic in physics and engineering education. An experiment with multiple body one-dimensional collisions is presented, aiming to measure relevant physical quantities by tracking the motion of the system of particles during the collision. Relations between different physical quantities can be explored in the experiment, such as…

This activity allows students to visualize how to obtain different stoichiometries with various techniques in a single experiment. The involvement of three phases adds to the student's interest. Instructional materials are provided to facilitate the experimental procedures, interpretation of results, and error analysis. The reaction of Li from a…

We propose a semiquantitative experiment that associates video-analysis and ordinary procedures of experimental physics whose objective is to investigate the dual character of Oobleck, a mixture of cornstarch in water, which appears thicker or thinner depending on how it is physically manipulated. The results are presented and interpreted taking…

Michael Faraday is considered one of the greatest science lecturers in history. He popularized the Christmas Lectures as a format of science communication that has survived until today in the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Especially, his "Chemical History of a Candle" has become a classic of science communication that has inspired…

The suspension of in-person classes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated adjustments to all manner of instruction. Laboratory instruction was particularly challenged since the primary response was to deliver content remotely, i.e., online. In an effort to reinforce laboratory topics and engage students, five click-through organic…

The recent works of oscillators are mainly focused on underdamped oscillation. Therefore, the writer proposes an experimental apparatus to demonstrate all types of damped harmonic oscillation. The apparatus utilizes an Arduino for data acquisition and an Excel spreadsheet for data analysis. By using this apparatus, the type of damped harmonic…

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of acetol (IUPAC: 1-hydroxy-2-propanone), a species formed upon thermal liquefaction of biomass, can be achieved using inexpensive objects: filter paper, coins, batteries, salts, and water. This simple example demonstrates that "green" chemical transformations can be achieved with familiar items and helps…

Acid--base chemistry is an important and challenging topic for virtually all chemistry students. Recent works have focused on conceptually linking molecular and symbolic representations to experimental evidence for many chemical concepts. In this work we describe a laboratory exercise designed to address students' conceptual challenges regarding…

A fundamental goal in the study of human cognition is to understand the transfer of knowledge. This goes hand-in-hand with the translational goal of promoting such transfer via instructional techniques. Despite a rich history of research using the analogical problem-solving paradigm, no study activity has been found to produce a robust rate of…

This paper describes an upper-division undergraduate exercise involving the synthesis and iodometric and infrared spectroscopic analysis of the peroxide double salt [Zn(NH[subscript 3])[subscript 4]][Mo(O[subscript 2])[subscript 4]]. Here, iodometric methods are employed to determine the peroxide content of the compound, a procedure widely used…

This paper describes a first-year undergraduate exercise involving the synthesis of an "unknown" polyiodide salt, (NMe[subscript 4])[I[subscript 5]], and the determination of its formula using the classic iodine-thiosulfate (iodometric) titration. The exercise introduces students to simple synthetic and titrimetric techniques, assists…