Describes modifications to an apparatus for measuring the force of an object in circular motion. Explains how to accurately measure rotation rate with the use of a motion detector. (WRM)

Reports on a technique for illustrating the dependence of the rate of reaction on the concentration of the reactants and for determining the order of reaction with respect to each reactant, the overall order of reaction, the reaction rate constant, and the half-life. (WRM)

Discusses the history of the development of Newton's Law of Cooling. Describes an experiment conducted in the kitchen that is designed to test the rate of cooling of a hot block of iron. Finds that Newton's law does not represent very well the mechanism of heat loss. (Contains over 10 references.) (WRM)

Uses charcoal briquettes, ammonia, water, table salt, and laundry bluing to create white fluffy crystals. Briquettes are placed in a bowl while the remaining ingredients are mixed together and poured over the briquettes. The result is white fluffy crystals forming on top of the charcoal. This experiment dramatizes chemical reactions to…

Although reports of academic cheating are abundant, there are relatively few papers in the literature that focus on cheating in the context of science courses and even fewer that address dishonest practices, such as "cooking" or fudging data, within the classroom laboratory. This paper briefly reviews the existing literature on academic dishonesty…

A second semester biochemistry laboratory has been implemented as an independent projects course at California State University, Sacramento since 1999. To incorporate aspects of carbohydrate biochemistry, or glycobiology, into our curriculum, projects in lectin isolation and purification were undertaken over the course of two semesters. Through…

Practical classes on protein expression and purification were given to undergraduate biology students enrolled in the elective course "Introduction to Genetic Engineering." The heterologous expression of the green fluorescent protein (GFP)* of "Aequorea victoria" is an interesting system for didactic purposes because it can be viewed easily during…

Water quality experiments, especially the use of macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality, offer an ideal context for connecting statistics and science. In the STAR program for secondary students and teachers, water quality experiments were also used as a context for teaching statistics. In this article, we trace one activity that uses…

Inhelder and Piaget (1958) studied schoolchildren's understanding of a simple pendulum as a means of investigating the development of the control of variables scheme and the "ceteris paribus" principle central to scientific experimentation.The time-consuming nature of the individual interview technique used by Inhelder has led to the development…

A teaching--learning sequence is presented that is designed to help high school pupils gain awareness about the independence of the vertical and horizontal components of free fall motion. The approach we propose is based on the use of experimental activities and computer simulations designed specifically to help pupils reflect on the experiments…

While there is evidence that feedback projections from cortical and neuromodulatory structures to the olfactory bulb are crucial for maintaining the oscillatory dynamics of olfactory bulb processing, it is not clear how changes in dynamics are related to odor perception. Using electrical lesions of the olfactory peduncle, sparing output from the…

The Barnes maze is a spatial memory task that requires subjects to learn the position of a hole that can be used to escape the brightly lit, open surface of the maze. Two experiments assessed the relative importance of spatial (extra-maze) versus proximal visible cues in solving the maze. In Experiment 1, four groups of mice were trained either…

The "Hands on CERN" education project makes it possible for students and teachers to get close to the forefront of scientific research. The project confronts the students with contemporary physics at its most fundamental level with the help of particle collisions from the DELPHI particle physics experiment at CERN. It now exists in 14 languages…

A study describes an easy procedure based on a negative photoresist process designed for junior high or high school students, which will introduce them to the key terms and concepts of photolithography. The experiment allows students to visualize the fundamental process behind microchip fabrication, observe the rapid prototyping enabled by such a…

From 1992 through 2003 the Chemical Engineering program at Arizona State offered an integrated series of core courses that taught students how conservation and accounting principles can be applied to describe engineering phenomena across disciplines. A brine-water mixing tank experiment was introduced in the third course in the series (ECE 394C:…