Using a data-acquisition system, the charge and energy stored in a capacitor are measured and displayed during the charging/discharging process. The experiment is usable as a laboratory work and/or a lecture demonstration. (Contains 3 figures.)

Evaporation of a small glass of ethylic alcohol is studied both experimentally and through an elementary thermal physics approach. For a cylindrical beaker and no air flow in the room, a simple quadratic relation is found between the evaporation time and the mass of evaporated liquid. This problem and the obtained results offer excellent…

Details are given of a visual photometer based on Joly's paraffin block apparatus of 1888. It is readily constructed from a couple of ordinary candles and a piece of aluminum foil, but enables two luminous sources to be compared to plus or minus 15-20%; this is much better than the eye alone can do. (Contains 1 figure.)

We present a showcase with interactive exhibits of basic physical experiments that constitutes a complementary method for teaching physics and interesting students in physical phenomena. Our interactive physics showcase, shown in Fig. 1, stimulates interest for science by letting the students experience, firsthand, surprising phenomena and…

The ancient Babylonians had an iterative technique for numerically approximating the values of square roots. Their method can be physically implemented using series and parallel resistor networks. A recursive formula for the equivalent resistance R[subscript eq] is developed and converted into a nonrecursive solution for circuits using…

We describe an activity that uses cards to simulate evolution. The mechanism of the evolutionary pressure in the simulation is clearly indicated for the students. This simulation is useful for allowing student experimentation by varying conditions.

The development of scientifically literate citizens begins in the elementary school. Yet elementary school teachers are ill prepared to teach science (Trygstad, Smith, Banilower, Nelson, & Horizon Research, Inc., 2013). The research base on teacher preparation finds that programs designed to prepare elementary teachers are inadequate in…

This laboratory experiment gives upper-division organic or biochemistry undergraduate students a comprehensive look at the synthesis, chemical characterization, self-assembly, and secondary structure determination of small, N-acylated peptides inspired by the protein structure of silkworm silk. All experiments can be completed in one 4 h lab…

Undergraduate laboratories generally teach an understanding of chemical reactivity using bulk or semimicroscale experiments with product isolation and subsequent chemical and spectroscopic analysis. In this study students were exposed to mass spectrometry as a means of chemical synthesis as well as analysis. The ionization method used, paper…

Newton's second law is one of the cornerstones of the introductory physics curriculum, but it can still trouble a large number of students well after its introduction, hobbling their ability to apply the concept to problem solving and to related concepts, such as momentum, circular motion, and orbits. While there are several possibilities for…

The traditional introductory-level meterstick-balancing lab assumes that students already know what torque is and that they readily identify it as a physical quantity of interest. We propose a modified version of this activity in which students qualitatively and quantitatively measure the amount of force required to keep the meterstick level. The…

Five reactions were rate-accelerated relative to the standard reflux workup in both multi-mode and mono-mode microwave ovens, and the results were compared to determine whether the sequential processing of a mono-mode unit could provide for better lab logistics and pedagogy. Conditions were optimized so that yields matched in both types of…

Paper is an extraordinary example of a composite engineering material with practical use in a huge variety of applications. Since its invention in China, there have been many alterations to manufacturing techniques, component formulation, and surface finishing, yet the essential characteristics of paper have not changed greatly. The objective of…

A term project was introduced in teaching advanced spectroscopy and notions of nanotechnology to chemistry students at the graduate level (M.Sc. and Ph.D.). This project could also be suited for an honor's thesis at the undergraduate level. Students were assigned a unique combination of nanoparticle synthesis (13 nm Au nanospheres, ~100 nm…

A self-directed independent synthesis experiment was developed for a third-year undergraduate organic laboratory. Students were provided with the CAS numbers of starting and target compounds and devised a synthetic plan to be executed over two 4.5 h laboratory periods. They consulted the primary literature in order to develop and carry out an…