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…

Collaborative experiences have been widely integrated into the classroom and laboratory, with goals to build time management, communication, and team-working skills. Most reported laboratory collaborations occur between students within the same lab section, which could limit the potential benefits of these experiences. Presented herein is an…

Implementing smartphones with their internal sensors into physics experiments represents a modern, attractive, and authentic approach to improve students' conceptual understanding of physics. In such experiments, smartphones often serve as objects with physical properties and as digital measurement devices to record, display, and analyze…

Multicomponent solution calculations can be complicated for students and practiced chemists alike. This article describes how to simplify the calculations by representing a solution's composition as a point in a "concentration space," whose axes are the concentrations of each solute. The graphical representation of mixing processes in a…

This study developed a complexometric titration simulation program based on LabVIEW. With built-in approximation and rigorous algorithms, the program can easily simulate and plot a single or a group of complexometric titration curves. On the basis of this program, we developed and implemented an online course to guide undergraduates to (i) compare…

An emergent theme from the past spring during COVID-19 remote learning was the difficulty of providing meaningful, relevant, hands-on, wet chemistry experiences at home and the potential impact of their absence upon student learning and engagement. This article shares the process and results of developing an appropriate, easy, inexpensive, safe,…

Asian American women occupy a paradoxical space within the context of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, simultaneously overrepresented as Asian Americans and underrepresented as women. For Asian American female doctoral students, the complex layering and weaving of these intersections involves the constant negotiation of…

Cyclic voltammetry (CV) is the most popular electrochemical technique for the study of electrode processes. One of the reasons for its popularity is its adjustable timescale which can vary several orders of magnitude simply by varying the rate at which the potential is scanned. Changing the scan rate affects CV features including the current,…

A simple measurement of the refractive index of a liquid has been performed using a spherical lens. This lens is a spherical shape flask containing the liquid under study. Parallel pointer laser beams are directed to the lens to obtain the back focal length of the lens. The focal point is determined visually or using the Tracker software to…

Science and engineering students in the second semester of a calculus-based physics sequence typically study and measure the on-axis magnetic field for a multiple, circular turn coil. There are four benefits to this approach: 1) an analytical solution is easily obtained, 2) the coil is easily constructed using tightly wound, high-gauge wire where…

We present a simple experiment that allows us to demonstrate graphically that the intensity of sound waves is proportional to the square of their amplitude, a result that is theoretically analyzed in any introductory wave course but rarely demonstrated empirically. To achieve our goal, we use an audio signal generator that, when connected to a…

The question from the title is raised because in almost all introductory physics courses/textbooks the atmospheric pressure has been attributed to the weight of the column of air from a given level in the atmosphere up to its top. "Air is pressing on air." However the same textbooks, in the chapter on the kinetic theory of gases, tell…