Many types of batteries power an ever-growing number of devices. Electrochemical devices like batteries and fuel cells can, in principle, exceed Carnot efficiency for energy conversion. In this novel laboratory experiment, students explore the partitioning of the enthalpy change of a battery's electrochemical reaction between useful electrical…

Recent advances in spectroscopy and computational chemistry facilitate the introduction of current spectroscopic and computational methods at the undergraduate level. Students obtain and analyze experimental and calculated vibrational spectra (infrared and Raman) of a set of alkyne molecules to determine the role of symmetry with respect to gross…

We have developed an integrated, project-oriented curriculum for undergraduate molecular biology and biochemistry laboratory courses spanning two semesters that is organized around the "ldhA" gene from the yogurt-fermenting bacterium "Lactobacillus bulgaricus," which encodes the enzyme d-lactate dehydrogenase. The molecular…

Unlike the large number of laboratory experiments on phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) that focus on a catalyzed chemical process, the present laboratory emphasizes the mechanism of phase transfer catalysis itself. Students can follow visually the actual transfer of the reagent by the catalyst, and its consumption in the organic phase, in a…

Medical laboratory technology major was set up to meet rapid development of science and medical research technology in 2013. Students majoring in medical laboratory had learnt a lot of techniques distributed among different specialized courses. But, they did not understand why they had to learn these techniques and how they were applied in a…

The development and evaluation of a two-session laboratory class, based on Geneswitch technology and sex determination in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, is described. Geneswitch system allows conditional control of gene expression. A laboratory exercise has been devised for sophomores in order to illustrate how Geneswitch technology can be…

What if "every breath you take, every move you make" (Sting 1983) could be harnessed to produce renewable energy? Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are state-of-the-art devices researchers are studying to do just that--convert kinetic energy into electrical energy at the source (Saurabh Rathore 2018). This type of electrical energy is…

Genetics is known to be one of the most challenging subjects in biology education because of its abstract concepts and processes. Therefore, hands-on experiments in authentic learning environments are supposed to increase comprehensibility and provide otherwise unavailable experiences to students. We applied a hands-on module in an out-of-school…

We present a computer-based experiment that simulates the accretion process and generates fluffy aggregates with fractal nature. The Box Counting is performed without the aid of an image processing tool by using the coordinate information of the constituents of the aggregate. A simple algorithm to create aggregate and calculate box-dimension will…

A quantitative experiment where we measure the acceleration of spheres of radius "R" rolling on an inclined U-shaped profile of width "2D" is presented. For a given inclination, we examine the behaviour of four solid spheres having different diameters; in contrast to what is usually assumed to be the case, the experimental…

In this communication, a remote experimental activity in chemical kinetics is described, taking into account the quantification based on the optical sensor of a smartphone. The objective pursued herein is to equip students with the appropriate tools and strategies required to empirically determine the parameters of the rate law including reaction…

Aldol chemistry is highlighted in many introductory organic chemistry laboratory experiments because it provides synthesis, mechanism, and experimental challenges for students. In the experiment described here, students synthesize dibenzalacetone derivatives by crossed aldol condensation, observe reaction rates using a semiquantitative rubric, and…

Capillary electrophoresis is a powerful separation tool with a wide range of analytes for diverse applications and is compatible with various detection methods. While some more established separation techniques like gas or liquid chromatography are utilized heavily in analytical chemistry laboratory courses, newer commercial capillary…

Every day we deal with chemistry in various forms, but sometimes we don't see that. An example is biosensors that help us to evaluate health conditions, monitor environmental pollution and ensure food freshness. The most well known (and most widely sold) is the biosensor for blood glucose measurement, used every day by people with diabetes.…

This study aimed to examine teachers' satisfaction with and needs for earth science model experiments science textbooks used in primary schools. To this end, 103 primary school teachers participated in an online survey, and five teachers with doctorates in science education theory were interviewed. The findings of the study were as follows. First,…