This current study presents the effects of interactive computer simulations on students' performance and concept retention in the unit of chemical reactions. Purposive sampling was used to select four schools with a sample population of 320. The Achievement test on chemical reactions was developed, validated, and checked for reliability. The…

Students' critical thinking is often researched using quantitative tests designed to measure critical thinking. In contrast, this study qualitatively analyses group and whole-class dialogues in an interdisciplinary SSI project by focusing on students' critical thinking practices. As such, the study provides an in-depth example of an immersion…

This article reports on the findings of a study that explored educators' use of social media in formal and informal science education in Palestine, and their perceptions of the integration of the available tools and resources into their formal teaching and learning. The study used semi-structured interviews with 18 educators at three Palestinian…

The most common type of homopolar motor comprises a cylindrical neodymium magnet, a battery, and a non-ferromagnetic frame rotating around the battery. Here, the author substituted a coiled spring for the frame. Due to this change, a new and intriguing effect emerges, the axial buzzing of the spring during its rotation. This paper describes the…

Authentication of the Vinland map manuscript, supposedly from the 15th century, was used as a case study in an undergraduate upper-level instrumental-analysis class. The case provides a review of spectroscopic techniques and data analysis from several nondestructive techniques. Assessment of the case shows it to be particularly beneficial for…

It is common in science for two phenomena to appear to be very different, but in fact follow from the same basic principles. Here we consider such a case, the connection between the chain fountain and a bullet-block collision experiment. When an upward moving bullet strikes a wooden block resting on a horizontal table, the block will rise to a…

Projectile motion is a constant theme in introductory-physics courses. It is often used to illustrate the application of differential and integral calculus. While most of the problems used for this purpose, such as maximizing the range, are kept at a fairly elementary level, some, such as determining the safe domain, involve not so elementary…

Diagrams and photographs (or computer simulations) should not replace effective observations of the wave properties that can be illustrated using a ripple tank, but they can provide support when discussing and revising what has been observed. This article explains and illustrates a route towards successful photography, which is much easier with…

The classic jumping ring apparatus consists of a coil with an iron core that extends out of the coil. A copper or aluminum ring placed over the iron core jumps upward when AC power is applied to the coil. In this paper we will examine a modified design of the jumping ring apparatus, called the "long-coil design." It allows the ring to…

This article focuses on an illusion due to our perceptions regarding competing coordinate systems or frames. I share an interesting anecdote and then explain aspects of its origin, referencing other similar illusions in the literature. Although it is difficult to experience the phenomenon without visiting the hill, I have some suggestions to…

The long and complex history to define the composition of water as H[subscript 2]O is summarized. This case study could be useful not only to introduce the history of chemistry in the classroom but also to teach the basic tenets of the nature of science (NOS). Water has been present in several turning points in the history of chemistry such as the…

In biochemistry, the trivial names of chemical compounds constitute a significant part of scientific language. Understanding the etymology of the names may be important for the association of these names with actual compounds and thus be a valuable teaching tool. The citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle) is a central metabolic pathway in most living…

Electrical engineers often use software to analyze electrical circuits in order to understand circuit behaviors. Such software allows them to modify components and develop and improve their designs. One popular kind of circuit analysis software is based on SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis). In what follows, I describe how…

The non-SI unit sverdrup, named to honor Norwegian oceanographer and meteorologist Harald Ulrik Sverdrup (1888-1957), is adopted for quantifying large-scale volume transport by oceanographers, meteorologists, and atmospheric physicists. The sverdrup is used to appraise the volumetric rate of evaporation, precipitation, runoff, transport of ocean…

It is common in introductory physics to show that in the absence of air drag an object dropped from rest will reach the level ground at exactly the same time as one that is projected horizontally from the same height. However, the situation is different in the presence of a speed-dependent drag force, as either object may hit first or they may hit…