In this work, we made a simple electronic tool called a 'magnetic polarity detector' which can determine the magnetic poles of permanent magnets or electromagnets. We used it in some student experiments in the physics laboratory. For example, determining the magnetic poles of permanent magnets and a current-carrying coils or electromagnets.…

Smartphones are currently proposed as potential portable laboratories to perform a wide variety of physical experiments for teaching purpose. However, the frequent lack of clarity about the ease of replication of the experiments and on their accuracy often limits their effective use. In this work we deeply compare several smartphone-based…

One of the main topics of elementary physics is the idea that every material is composed of "little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one other." These particles could be atoms or molecules. Atoms are the smallest part into…

Telelab, an implementation of remote labs 2.0, is open-source and freely available for non-commercial use. The platform consists of sensors that collect data, smartphone apps that transmit data and videos from anywhere, and a web app that provides a user interface to view, analyze, and control remote experiments. Based on this platform, any…

Student understanding of the laws that describe the flow of a fluid is often hampered by a defective knowledge of basic classical mechanics (kinematics, statics, dynamics, and conservation laws) and by wrong common-sense ideas about quantities related to fluids, such as velocity and pressure. A pedagogical discussion about the Venturi effect,…

Sound is an interesting topic for physics lessons at all ages. However, it is difficult to illustrate this ubiquitous phenomenon and many models do not adequately represent the properties of sound and thus promote unwanted conceptions. The experiment presented here avoids this by visualising sound itself with the help of the schlieren technique.…

Electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques are very important for characterizing energy materials. In the search for new sources of renewable energy, water splitting for hydrogen production and CO[subscript 2] reduction is attracting significant attention. These applications require efficient and durable catalysts and a detailed…

An apparatus of the 70s for measuring thermal conductivity in different materials is used to visualize, through an infrared thermal imaging approach, temperature fields and the heat diffusion process. The observed temperature profiles also suggest solid grounds for a fair mathematical modelling of this phenomenon.

This dissertation concerns the prevalent disconnect between writing instruction and moral education in modern university settings. The project calls for integrating the progymnasmata as informed through Aristotelian virtue ethics to enable rhetorical flourishing. I examine the need for explicit ethical frameworks in writing instruction, evaluating…

Laboratory exercises for undergraduate biochemistry students are described in which changes in sugar content during fermentation of the trendy beverage kombucha are analyzed by three methods: thin layer chromatography, a 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid assay, and a standard commercial blood glucose meter. Each of the three analyses can be completed in a…

In conventional e/m experiments performed in undergraduate laboratories, generally a simple mechanical ruler is used to measure the radius of the circular trajectory of the electrons. But, the measurement error in this technique is mostly big and varies from one student to another. As an alternative to a mechanical ruler, we proposed a more…

The cannon boring experiment of Count Rumford, where eight kilograms of water were boiled by metal on metal friction, is investigated. Consideration of this dramatic demonstration can enrich classroom discussions of calorimetry, units of measure, elements, and thermodynamics. A section pertaining to use of the article in the classroom appears…

Here, students determine the total phenolic content in beers using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. The Folin-Ciocalteu reagent is a yellow complex, in an alkaline medium; it reacts with phenols and non-phenolic reducing substances to form a blue complex. Quantitative analysis was carried out using absorbance measured at 765 nm (standard method) and…

Open-ended and inquiry-based experiments will make students more active in the learning environment, and so they play an active role in solving the problem. So, it is expected that especially classroom teachers will be more active in the laboratory environment. In this context, opinions of the classroom teachers about the science laboratory…

An inquiry-based laboratory learning unit was designed to enhance high school students' understanding of the application of lipase as a catalyst to synthesize isoamyl and geranyl ester derivatives as well as to promote their understanding and positive perceptions of green chemistry. The learning unit consisted of three laboratories and a final…