Since the viscous behaviour of liquids is evident in many everyday situations, it is plausible to assume that students have (pre-)conceptions about the physics behind these phenomena. As yet, no reliable studies exist on this topic. Therefore, the present study aims to address this research gap by exploring secondary school students' conceptions…

The purpose of this study was to investigate knowledge of high school students related to conductors at electrostatic equilibrium and electric field lines. The descriptive model was preferred in line with the purpose of the study. The sample of the study consisted of 35 11th grade students, 18 females and 16 males, who were enrolled in a…

Experiential learning is a foundational element to agriscience education. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of reflection type and abstraction order on students' scientific reasoning skills when teaching experientially. Three major conclusions can be drawn from this study: (1) reflection type and abstraction order are…

A one-pot regio- and stereoselective synthesis of a dipyrromethane and a bis(indolyl)methane based on two consecutive reactions of nitrosoalkenes with pyrrole or indole, respectively, is described as an experiment to be carried out by upper-division undergraduate students in a laboratory classroom. Importantly, the ability of electrophilic…

Nanochemistry is an important aspect of modern chemical science. Though few educational institutions teach nanochemistry as a formal course, general exposure of students to nanoscience is yet important. Thus, we present a nanochemical activity that could be used as part of many chemistry courses or laboratories based on ChemToy2. This activity is…

Surface chemistry impacts technology, advancing the development of new heterogeneous catalysts, semiconductor devices, and materials synthesis. Carbon surfaces are ubiquitous in various fields, and the surface reactivity can be altered by surface functionalization on the molecular scale, introducing functional groups, thus shifting their…

In problem-based learning (PBL), the steps and processes present in the PBL tutorial cycle are essential for constructive, self-directed, collaborative, and contextual student learning. This article presents a procedural study of a PBL tutorial cycle with high school students new to the method regarding human respiration and circulation…

In this work, we made a simple electronic tool called a 'magnetic polarity detector' which can determine the magnetic poles of permanent magnets or electromagnets. We used it in some student experiments in the physics laboratory. For example, determining the magnetic poles of permanent magnets and a current-carrying coils or electromagnets.…

Smartphones are currently proposed as potential portable laboratories to perform a wide variety of physical experiments for teaching purpose. However, the frequent lack of clarity about the ease of replication of the experiments and on their accuracy often limits their effective use. In this work we deeply compare several smartphone-based…

One of the main topics of elementary physics is the idea that every material is composed of "little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one other." These particles could be atoms or molecules. Atoms are the smallest part into…

Student understanding of the laws that describe the flow of a fluid is often hampered by a defective knowledge of basic classical mechanics (kinematics, statics, dynamics, and conservation laws) and by wrong common-sense ideas about quantities related to fluids, such as velocity and pressure. A pedagogical discussion about the Venturi effect,…

Sound is an interesting topic for physics lessons at all ages. However, it is difficult to illustrate this ubiquitous phenomenon and many models do not adequately represent the properties of sound and thus promote unwanted conceptions. The experiment presented here avoids this by visualising sound itself with the help of the schlieren technique.…

Electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques are very important for characterizing energy materials. In the search for new sources of renewable energy, water splitting for hydrogen production and CO[subscript 2] reduction is attracting significant attention. These applications require efficient and durable catalysts and a detailed…

Tungsten oxide semiconductors are used to photooxidize water. Students prepare WO3, CuWO4, and mixed composition thin film photoanodes. The syntheses are simple, allowing for the quick production of a range of materials. Photoanodes are tested in a photoelectrochemical cell assembled from common equipment, allowing for the direct comparison of…

In this paper I explain how I usually introduce the Schrödinger equation during the quantum mechanics course. My preferred method is the chronological one. Since the Schrödinger equation belongs to a special case of wave equations I start the course with introducing the wave equation. The Schrödinger equation is derived with the help of the two…