Overall, the major chemical information retrieval products Reaxys and SciFinder have several similarities such as numbers of document records, numbers of characterized substances (counting the PubChem Compounds integrated in Reaxys), and, possibly, numbers of different chemical reactions. Reaxys has well over 100 times the number of experimental…

The Leidenfrost nanochemistry synthesis of gold colloids was introduced in this "Journal" as an advanced method to synthesize gold nanoparticles during an undergraduate nanochemistry research project. When trying to repeat these experiments in the laboratory, we experienced difficulties in the synthesis of the gold nanoparticles since…

Numerous previous studies have reported the difficulties associated with learning the Brønsted-Lowry acid-base model. The Brønsted-Lowry acid-base model requires complex systems thinking because it considers random interactions between reactant and product particles and effective particle collisions in forward and reverse reactions. The system…

A primary goal of general education introductory astronomy courses often is to provide students with examples of how science is actually done. Low to nonexistent mathematical prerequisites in some courses can make useful exercises difficult to find, and sometimes very difficult for students, especially if the exercises feature quantitative…

This forum article discusses learning and teaching in Science Centres in relation to gender. The starting point of this discussion is Eva Silfver's paper "Gender performance in and out-of-school science contexts." In response to this article I discuss the discourse of gender in research on Science Centres and museums. Moreover, the text…

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and computational chemistry are used in concert to evaluate the thermal decomposition of calcium acetate monohydrate, Ca(C[subscript 2]H[subscript 3]O[subscript 2])[subscript 2]·H[subscript 2]O, and to engage students in high-level thinking as they synthesize results…

In this, the first installment in a series, I present a list of approximately 10[superscript 2] questions that can be addressed in an introductory astronomy course using ubiquitous farmer's almanacs. Some of these questions take the reader into the world of astrology and perhaps other pseudosciences, but that is okay with me because at one time…

This study aims to measure Brewster's angle of glass and acrylic brick with an easy-to-obtain mobile application (app) by changing the tungsten light source to a red laser. The popularization of the smartphone has inspired many to use its various built-in sensors to carry out general physics experiments. Many others have adopted both a laser and a…

This article presents an investigation into the environmental impacts of plastic waste and discusses the importance of cradle-to-cradle design thinking. An example lesson is provided that aims to focus students' attention on the influences of design decisions and conceptualizes design as an iterative process, whereas previous solutions may address…

This case study investigated the nature of in-service science teachers' argumentation and personal epistemology about global climate change during a 3-year professional development program on climate change education. Qualitative analysis of data from interviews and written assessments revealed that while these teachers grounded their arguments on…

Observing children tossing a ball in a game of catch or pumping their legs to move a swing, it is obvious that they have already experienced and learned to control the basics of pushes and pulls. Through everyday experiences as simple as rolling a ball across the floor, to more complex activities like team sports, children are building a…

Today smartphones are inseparable parts of modern life and are capable of performing many desktop computers' tasks such as scientific analysis with greater convenience. Here, we present OligoCOOL, which is an Android application for analyzing nucleic sequences. This application enables users to perform several common biomedical analyses for a…

Student questioning is an important self-regulative strategy and has multiple benefits for teaching and learning science. Teachers, however, need support to align student questioning to curricular goals. This study tests a prototype of a principle-based scenario that supports teachers in guiding effective student questioning. In the scenario, mind…

To obtain a general understanding of science, model use as part of National Education Standards is important for instruction. Model use can be characterized by three aspects: (1) the characteristics of the model, (2) the integration of the model into instruction, and (3) the use of models to foster scientific reasoning. However, there were no…

Multiple chemistry education research studies at the secondary level have characterized students' difficulties regarding a conceptual understanding of the quantum model of the atom. This research explores undergraduate students' interpretations of multiple representations of the atom. Semistructured interviews were conducted with first-year…