Easy and visually appealing demonstrations are precious tools for introducing students to the study of enzymes. However, they most often involve purified enzymes and dedicated techniques. Here, we propose a set of demonstrations, which require only fresh horseradish root and consumer chemicals, to help support biochemistry and enzymology courses…

In this work we study the motion of a small metal ball along an inclined multi-slotted track. Specifically, the effect of the slot width on the ball speed at the lower part of the track is analyzed in detailed both analytically and experimentally. Experimental results are in satisfactory agreement with the theoretical model.

In this article, we describe a fun and engaging card game called Speed Eleusis that teaches the process of scientific discovery and publication, including such practices as replication and retraction. Much like the traditional game of Eleusis and its variant Eleusis Express, this game involves students competing to model a pattern displayed in a…

The author introduces the concept of the quantum volume into thermodynamics teaching. A new derivation of the basic part of the Sackur-Tetrode equation uses the microcanonical ensemble instead of the math-heavy canonical ensemble. Entropy diagrams, based on the binomial distribution, visualize the ratio between the quantum volume and system volume.

This paper describes an experiment with two touching rotating disks, whose movement is followed by video analysis. Within the disks' movements, there are intervals with sliding and intervals without sliding, that is, intervals with frictional forces between the touching surfaces and intervals without it. This system configuration allows for…

Educators often seek methodologies that enhance enduring knowledge for their students if their goal is to teach effectively. Students who strive to improve their own learning often use less effective study strategies as a way to improve long-term memory or content transfer. If the goal of education is to teach students how to retrieve information…

As well as knowledge structures can be complex and coherent, they might be small and disconnected. This study focuses on knowledge elements of pre-service teachers using diSessa's phenomenological primitives (p-prims) framework. Based on group interviews, a test was developed regarding the knowledge fragments used for explaining free fall in three…

Geometry, calculus and in particular integrals, are too often seen by young students as technical tools with no link to the reality. This fact generates a loss of interest in students with a consequent removal of motivation in the study of such topics and more widely in pursuing scientific curricula. With this note we put to the fore a simple…

This paper describes the course outline for a three credit hour nonlaboratory course in Environmental Health Chemistry which was taught from 1981 until 2008 at the State University of New York College at Oneonta. The purpose of this paper is to share the lecture outline in the hopes that it might be useful to others who are preparing to teach…

In 2015, "NFPA 45, Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals," from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) was updated to include language requiring educators to perform a documented risk assessment when conducting demonstrations in K-12 classrooms. Additionally, in the past five years numerous organizations…

Diffraction is an important phenomenon in physics. This paper describes using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to produce cross-sectional images of iridescent seashells. When seashell cross-sections are viewed in a SEM, regular structure is seen. Seashells are a good example of a biocomposite material and good natural objects for introducing…

One of the most general aims of universities is to respond to the requirements of society. Health and safety are the most important aspects of professional work and play an important role in universities, as there, future professionals are trained for their future professional life. Scientific and technical degrees require adaptation to this…

Developing strong safety cultures in academic institutions requires that students at all levels be educated by faculty in chemical safety. Yet chemical safety education is missing from the chemistry curriculum. This article considers a report of numerous injuries from incidents from using flammable chemicals in demonstrations as evidence that…

We designed an interdisciplinary project-based learning course in hydroponics for undergraduate non-science major students. Students worked in teams to design, build, and maintain plants in various types of hydroponic systems over the semester. In three semesters of teaching the course, students consistently demonstrated knowledge of course…

This study contributed to the current body of literature on game-based learning by investigating the way playing an educational game, "Humunology," affected learning about the immune system and examining further the association between game immersion and visual attention distribution. A total of 79 undergraduate and graduate students…