We present a thermodynamics experiment suitable for first year undergraduate students employing Stirling Engines to create a demonstration of energy transformation and to measure the mechanical efficiency of such engines. Using an inexpensive transparent chambered Stirling Engine, students can connect concepts such as the theoretical…

Four experiments examined the effects of a dangerous context and a systemic epinephrine injection on sensory preconditioning in rats. In each experiment, rats were exposed to presentations of a tone and light in stage 1, light-shock pairings in stage 2, and test presentations of the tone alone and light alone in stage 3. Presentations of the tone…

This study aims to showcase an experiment for introductory physics students that quantitatively describes the relationship between gas pressure, volume, and temperature. For this purpose, an Arduino Uno Microcontroller and BMP180 pressure sensor are used. The BMP180 can also measure temperature, so another temperature sensor is not needed.…

Science labs should promote reasoning that resembles the work that scientists do. However, this is often not the case. We present a lab in which students strive to find out which of two models best describes a physics experiment. The quantification of measurement uncertainties--another topic that is often neglected in high school…

Drought is a major environmental stress factor that affects the growth and development of plants. All plants have to maintain the reactive oxygen species within certain levels for normal cellular homeostasis by means of their antioxidant systems, which can be classified as enzymatic and non-enzymatic. Plants under drought stress generate an excess…

Technically simple and extremely cheap setups for colorimetric and fluorimetric analyses using a smartphone camera are presented. Laboratory activities on digital colorimetric and fluorimetric analyses for students of secondary and higher educational institutions are proposed, namely, photocolorimetric determination of acetylsalicylic acid in…

Lab-on-a-chip devices are a critical and emerging chemical technology. New pedagogical tactics that effectively capture both analytical chemistry concepts along with the design elements unique to these devices are necessary for effective integration in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. This article develops a design-based learning laboratory…

While metabolism is a fundamental process in physiology, the measurement of metabolism by living animals often requires specialized and expensive equipment. In 2016, I developed a novel laboratory exercise for animal physiology students where students were able to observe the effects of temperature and long-term temperature acclimation on the…

Various experiments on vibrating gas columns and on frequency measurements with glasses and pipes have been presented in recent years in the "iPhysicsLabs" column. The determination of the sound velocity in different gases by measuring the sound running time has also already been proposed in an earlier paper. This article now adds…

The physical problem of a body of water in a tank that drains through a hole in the base is a classical problem that has been studied since at least the time of Torricelli. To fixate this in a student's mind, one could ask them to visualize a bathtub that is being drained through the plughole or a bottle being drained through a tap. This problem…

Fractional distillation is part of the essential experimental techniques taught to first-year chemistry students, especially during practical organic chemistry work. The characterization of the distillate generally involves measuring the boiling temperature, the refractive index, or the infrared spectrum. In this paper, an unknown mixture composed…

This study aimed to determine the effect of a cooperative learning model (CLM) on preservice classroom teachers' attitudes towards science experiments. The sample consisted of 45 students in the department of primary education of the faculty of education of a public university in the 2017-2018 academic year. The sample was divided into two groups:…

We used a novel approach that combined direct PCR of plant tissue and SRAP DNA fingerprinting to seek to identify the crosses made in "Brassica rapa" used in the Wisconsin Fast Plants. Our goal was to develop a rapid method for students to use in a biology, botany, or genetics class to identify the parental types (purple stem, non-purple…

Students encounter antioxidants in many areas of their daily life. Antioxidants play a crucial role in cosmetics, in nutritional or dietary supplements, as additives for the preservation of food, and as a natural component in fruit and vegetables. Accordingly, antioxidants are believed to promote health through the prevention of oxidative stress…

This work describes a complete laboratory experiment that involves the synthesis of a ruthenium complex [Ru(p-cym)(NHC)Cl[subscript 2]] (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) and its use as a catalyst for the coupling of hydrosilanes and alcohols. The hydrogen gas produced in the reaction is measured using an inverted buret to trap the gas which allows…