A series of experiments involving the synthesis and characterization of a benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide derivative and its self-assembly properties are reported. These laboratory experiments combine organic synthesis, self-assembly, and physical characterization and are designed for upper-level undergraduate students to introduce the topic of…

The null result of the Michelson-Morley experiment and the constancy of the one-way speed of light in the "rest system" are used to formulate a simple problem, to be solved by elementary geometry techniques using a pair of compasses and non-graduated rulers. The solution consists of a drawing allowing a direct visualization of all the fundamental…

This experiment describes the synthesis and characterization of a formazan dye, and its subsequent conversion to a stable verdazyl radical and a boron-nitrogen heterocycle (boratatetrazine). Each of these compounds is intensely colored and is prepared and handled under aerobic conditions, which often surprises students as free radicals are…

Students determine the relative atomic masses of calcium, magnesium, and aluminum by reaction with hydrochloric acid and measurement of the volume of hydrogen gas liberated. The experiment demonstrates stoichiometry and illustrates clearly that mass of the reagent is not the determinant of the amounts in chemical reactions. The experiment is…

The assembly and use of a laboratory version of a secondary cell based on the lead-lead oxide system is described. The cell is easy to construct, sufficiently robust for student use, and has a conveniently low practical capacity of about 5 mA h. This modest cell capacity allows cell assembly, electrode formation and discharge characterization…

Over a year, a small group of high school students risked their afternoons and summer to participate in a science program that was "much different from science class." This was one of several after-school programs in Oakland and Richmond that the author was leading as an instructor with the East Bay Academy for Young Scientists (EBAYS). Students…

What students and teachers often ask is, how are nano-sized materials made when they are so small? One answer is through the process of self-assembly in which molecules, polymers, and nanoparticles connect to form larger objects of a defined structure and shape. Two hands-on experiments are presented in which students prepare capsules in real time…

This study examines first graders' epistemic reasoning, in tacit "practical epistemologies" reflected in thinking about an investigation of their own design. I analyzed children's epistemic reasoning, following a design experiment scaffolding increasing regulation of scientific inquiry in a domain they studied in depth. Participants…

From the time they are born, children have a natural curiosity toward the world around them. Even though they can't speak, one can still observe that they are skilled at discovery. Science fair projects can nurture this natural curiosity and give elementary students the opportunity to explore their interests in a rewarding way. Participation in a…

The instructional design and the corresponding research on student learning of two virtual laboratories that provide an engineering task situated in an industrial context are described. In this problem-based learning environment, data are generated dynamically based on each student team's distinct choices of reactor parameters and measurements.…

Based on a three-year-long ethnography of the hobby of model rocketry, I present a practice-centered theory of interest relationships--that is, the pattern of long-term, self-motivated engagement in open-ended practices that has been theorized under the concept of "individual interests". In contrast to extant theories of individual interests, in…

This paper describes an enjoyable, simple, and inexpensive way to perform Young's two-source experiment using sound waves. The wave source is a simple aluminum rod (a "singing rod").

The similar mathematical forms of Coulomb's law and Newton's law of gravitation suggest that two uniformly charged spheres should be able to orbit each other just as two uniform spheres of mass are known to do. In this paper we describe an experiment that we performed to demonstrate such an orbit. This is the first published account of a…

Terms to be familiar with before you start to solve the test: cytokines, cytokine receptors, cDNA library, cDNA synthesis, poly(A)[superscript +] RNA, primer, template, reverse transcriptase, restriction endonucleases, cohesive ends, expression vector, promoter, Shine-Dalgarno sequence, poly(A) signal, DNA helicase, DNA ligase, topoisomerases,…

Two students, meeting together with a teacher, redid historical experiments. Unlike conventional instruction where science topics and practices often fragment, they experienced interrelatedness among phenomena, participants' actions, and history. This study narrates actions that fostered an interrelated view. One action involved opening up…