A multistep assembly of gold nanoparticle self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on glass surfaces is proposed, as a third-year undergraduate experiment. The process includes self-assembly (SA) and electrostatic self-assembly (ESA) methods, which are central approaches in modern surface and materials engineering. The products are analyzed using…

Interdisciplinary integration is an inevitable trend in the development of science and technology, as well as the reform and development of higher education. With the rapid development of biomaterials in the pharmaceutical and medical industries, many undergraduate students in chemistry and materials science have been focusing on life sciences as…

This paper describes an innovative, new, laboratory experiment conceived as a Senior Capstone Project by the student authors to provide experience with heat pipes for students in our junior-year Process Laboratory course at the University of Utah. Heat pipes can transport energy over long distances with minimal temperature gradients and no moving…

Ion transport, involving the diffusion and migration of ions within the electrolyte, stands as a fundamental concept in electrochemistry and serves as the driving force for electrochemical reactions. Electric double layers are critical in the fields of electrochemical energy storage and chemical conversion, constituting a central focus of…

During the 2023 - 2024 academic year, a research system based upon the study of crayfish shelter-seeking behavior was developed to facilitate an authentic research experience in a new course for second-year students focused on practicing scientific skills related to evaluating primary literature, designing and conducting experiments, analyzing…

A new system for tracking a metal ball rolling on the slope of the touch panel of a tablet computer was developed. The widespread introduction of tablets in educational environments allows the use of a convenient dynamic measurement in schools.

It is well known that the needle of a compass in a magnetic field deflects, and that a compass near a conductive wire carrying a stable electric current deflects its needle. The only explanation of this observation is that the current-carrying wire creates a magnetic field around it. The strength of the magnetic field at any point near the wire…

If a ball rolls in a circular path on a horizontal surface at constant speed then its horizontal rotation axis changes direction with time. A simple experiment is presented showing that the torque applied to the ball is equal to the rate of change of its angular momentum, even though the magnitudes of its angular velocity and angular momentum…

Experiments involving RC circuits are an integral part of introductory physics courses. Previous articles using RC circuits describe determining the charge on a Van de Graaff generator, measuring currents and voltages in a charging RC circuit using a multimeter or an Arduino, measuring the decay constants of complex RC circuits, and using the…

A smartphone is a powerful learning aid in the hands of a large section of students around the world. The camera of the phone can be used for several learning purposes apart from its obvious purpose of photographing. If the focal length of the lens of the camera can be determined, several experiments in optics can be performed with it. In some…

Inspired by a commercially produced scattering experiment that was popular beginning in the 1960s, we have developed a Nerf-projectile-based educational activity to demonstrate the basics of particle scattering experiments.

The early 20th century marked a number of transformational experimental and theoretical discoveries in physics. Among them is one that is often neglected in the introductory physics curriculum, which revolutionized our understanding of the molecular world. Evidence for the thermal motions of atoms was first observed by Perrin in 1909, which had…

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) offer an expanding avenue to engage students in real-world scientific practices. Increasingly, CUREs are instructed by graduate teaching assistants (TAs), yet TAs may be underprepared to facilitate and face unique barriers when teaching CUREs. Consequently, unless TAs are provided…

Many aspects of electrochemical education, such as electroanalysis demonstrations, require three-electrode-cell experimental setups. Many researchers and educators use screen-printed electrochemical electrodes, which are miniature and disposable but are relatively expensive and use proprietary fabrication components. The present article describes…

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) experiments are an important part of the undergraduate analytical instrumentation laboratory courses and usually use commercial C18 silica-packed reversed-phase columns. In this experiment, a simple method of preparing SiO[subscript 2] core-shell packed columns was developed to enable students to…