Technique-centered biochemistry or molecular biology undergraduate laboratory curricula do not offer significant opportunities for thoughtful, in-depth exploration of the science to foster investigative learning. To demonstrate inclusion of inquiry-driven laboratory experiments into the undergraduate biochemistry and molecular biology curricula, a…

Reported herein is a multidisciplinary experiment for senior-level undergraduate teaching laboratories in the synthesis of the analytes acetaminophen and phenacetin; the fabrication of paper-based devices, using eyeliner, acrylic spray paint, or wax-printing, for sensing of those analytes; and the use of the newly fabricated devices for successful…

Chemistry laboratories ordinarily involve a number of visual observations and require qualitative and quantitative explanations of these observations. A student with blindness at Truman State University successfully completed the laboratory portion of the non-majors liberal arts chemistry course with the assistance of a senior undergraduate…

Most didactic lab experiments deal with the influence of temperature, concentration, pressure, surface area, and catalysts on chemical kinetics; however, few of them explore the influence of light radiation and the presence of inhibitor agents on reaction rates. In order to investigate the effects of the radiation source and the presence of…

A versatile experiment is described for the high school and college laboratory setting based on the synthesis of biobased polymers prepared from inexpensive, renewable, and nonhazardous chemicals. Combinations of readily available citric acid, glycerol, and tapioca root starch are used to prepare three polymeric materials with different observable…

A multiweek laboratory experiment is described, which guides students to use data to make decisions through multiple steps, before reaching a final conclusion. The lab focuses on the comparisons of fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopies to determine the concentration of a desired substance in an unknown sample in consideration of a complex…

A new undergraduate inorganic chemistry laboratory experiment is presented. An introduction of the spectrochemical series and ligand exchange is explored using the coordination complex dirhodium tetraacetate, Rh[subscript 2](OAc)[subscript 4]. Students have measured the absorption spectra of the Rh[subscript 2] complex in the presence of various…

Regioselectivity in hetero Diels-Alder reactions can be observed in a simple reaction between a nonsymmetrical heterodiene and an unsymmetrical heterodienophile. A 9 h and easy to implement laboratory experiment is described, in which students can observe the regioselectivity of inverse "electron-demand" hetero Diels-Alder reactions of…

A creative apparatus for use in a hands-on laboratory experiment that allows the visualization of the vapor pressure as a function of temperature is described in this paper. Inspired by homemade barometers and using simple materials that are easily accessible for teaching laboratories, a lowcost system for the establishment of the vapor-pressure…

Typical laboratory exercises for undergraduate organic chemistry students involve bulk phase reactions with work up of product. In this study, students performed accelerated versions of the Katritzky reaction of para-substituted anilines with pyrylium salts in three ways: (i) by dropcasting reagents onto a paper surface and allowing solvent to…

A couple of experiments analyzing the vibration of bars in different configurations using as a vibration sensor an electric guitar pickup are presented. The device is a versatile and easy to operate sensor that can be used in experiments involving the analysis of vibrations in rods and bars of different composition and in different configurations.…

A series of computational laboratory experiments aimed at teaching students principles of rational drug design are described and evaluated. These experiments range from an introduction to viewing protein-ligand complexes to optimizing geometries of potential drugs with quantum chemistry and automated docking. Student feedback indicates that such a…

The abstract nature of electric potential difference (voltage) can make it a difficult concept to grasp, but understanding the relative nature of voltage is central to developing a conceptual understanding of electric circuits. In laboratory situations, I see these conceptual difficulties manifest when students have difficulty placing voltmeter…

Considering the large number of magnetic stirring hot plates that are damaged or unused in chemical laboratories, this Technology Report presents guidelines for students to be able to diagnose problems, and repair and maintain magnetic stirring hot plates using common and low-cost parts, or even repurposed materials. In addition, this paper…

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is the most classical technique favored worldwide for resolution of macromolecules in many biochemistry laboratories due to its incessant advanced developments and wide modifications. These ever-growing advancements in the basic laboratory equipments lead to emergence of many expensive, complex, and tricky…