Magnetic molecular models help students explore molecular structures and interactions. In this study, we investigated how pairs of students used magnetic models to explore hydrogen bonding and the 6-fold symmetry of snowflakes. Fourteen first-year students enrolled in a chemistry unit participated in pairs. Students' interactions with the magnetic…

The rapid growth of personal electronics has promoted a surge of e-waste worldwide. Among the e-waste stream, waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) contain a lot of recyclable valuable metals that can incentivize the recycling operation when recovered. This pedagogical exercise demonstrates a simple electrocatalytic metal recovery strategy that…

A laboratory experiment is proposed, wherein students fabricate a glucose fuel cell, use it to operate a solar motor, and investigate its performance. First, a fuel cell catalyst is prepared by plating palladium on two nickel wire meshes using an aqueous palladium chloride solution containing sodium dodecyl sulfate, an anionic surfactant that…

Calculations are presented showing that the usual 'faster than g' demonstration has a surprising property. That is, a rod hinged at its bottom end rotates at an exponentially increasing rate until it falls with maximum vertical acceleration, unlike an object that falls freely by gravity alone. If the rod is hinged at its top end and released from…

Water is critical to our health and well-being, yet one in three people do not have access to safe drinking water. Earth's water is threatened by pollution, deforestation, urban growth, and climate changes. This article describes a unit for kindergarten children called The Water We Drink.

Southern blot analysis is an important molecular biology technique for identifying a specific sequence in DNA samples. Although it is no longer used extensively in recent years, the steps and underlying principles of Southern blot are applicable to modern biology. High sensitivity and limited background are keys to successful Southern blots,…

The formation of chemical patterns is in general difficult to control due to the random diffusive motions of the reacting chemical species in solution. In this paper, we present a new method using audible sound to control the formation of chemical patterns obtained in blue bottle experiments. The waves generated on the surface of the solution by…

The accurate and precise transport of the small amounts of the liquid by the syringe pump is widely used in many fields. In this paper, an Arduino-based syringe pump is fabricated using the computer DVD (digital versatile disc) drive. For the fabrication of the syringe pump, low-cost electronic components such as an Arduino microcontroller, a…

The purpose of this publication is to present a novel approach to the demonstration of the Dzhanibekov effect. The main idea of our version is to use a lightweight spinning top of a spherical external form but distinct principal moments of inertia floating in the upward flow of air. As a result, the Dzhanibekov effect can be easily demonstrated…

We investigated a very long chain falling from the pile on the edge of a table to the floor both experimentally and theoretically. In this very simple and novel configuration we showed that the velocity of the chain quickly converges to its asymptotic value, and that the steady-state velocity is proportional to the square root of the height of the…

Physics teachers are sometimes asked to teach an astronomy course for non-majors. One can't make that class dance and sing without the starry night, but on a brightly lit campus viewing deep sky objects may seem impossible. Hence instructors often opt for planetarium shows. However: 1) Planetariums aren't the real thing. 2) People living in large…

The subject of mathematics is important for many other subjects, including physics. The questions we ask in physics often need a mathematical translation to be graphically interpreted and transformed. Students learn physics when interacting with physical questions; questions from physics also give insights and discoveries in mathematical problems.…

This exploratory qualitative study examined science teacher enactment of crosscutting concepts (CCCs), a core aspect of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) three-dimensional learning, which also includes disciplinary core ideas and science and engineering practices (SEPs). We collected naturalistic observational and interview data from 13…

The measurement of the charge-to-mass ratio, e/m, of the electron is a fundamental part of any study of electricity and magnetism. It is possible to use an apparatus designed to measure e/m for other things, including investigations of electron flow through a near vacuum, measuring a work function, and even exploring some quantum mechanics…

The Young-Laplace (Y-L) equation relates the pressure difference across the interface of two fluids (such as air and water) to the curvature of the interface. The pressure rises on crossing a convex interface such as a rain drop and falls on crossing a concave interface such as the meniscus of water in a glass capillary. The relation between…