Students should have a strong conceptual understanding of the connection between force and acceleration before they start working with applications and problem solving. This has been discussed in the literature. During these days of flipped classroom instruction, an at-home activity could be especially valuable. I will describe an experiment with…

Simple experiments for which differential equations cannot be solved analytically can be addressed using an effective model that satisfactorily reproduces the experimental data. In this work, the 1D kinematics of a remote-control model (toy) car was studied experimentally and its dynamical equation modelled. In the experiment, maximum power was…

A laboratory exercise on the interaction between the herbicide pendimethalin (PM) and goat serum albumin (GSA), a carrier protein present in mammalian blood circulation, is described. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to study the binding reaction between PM and GSA. Titration of a constant amount of the protein (GSA) with increasing ligand (PM)…

Next generation sequencing has revolutionized molecular biology and has provided a mechanism for rapid DNA and RNA sequence analysis. Yet, there are few resources to introduce next generation sequencing into the undergraduate biochemistry and molecular biology curriculum. Herein, we describe the design, execution, and assessment of a four-week…

It is generally accepted that education in the field of physics is possible only when one has received sufficient grounds for it. But physics is an attempt to understand the world around us. Everything one needs to study physics is an open mind and willingness to learn. It is also commonly thought that preschool-age children have a natural…

In this paper, we show a laboratory experience describing the possibility to build a sensor using a coil to measure small thicknesses of materials with the possibility of measuring temperature simultaneously, with the same built sensor. Its operation is based on the following facts: An electric current (a.c), flows through a coil and a magnetic…

For many historians of science and science educators, the method of replicating historical scientific apparatus and experiments provides an avenue for science learning, promotes critical and independent thinking, and fosters a deeper understanding of the nature of scientific practice. This paper presents a research study where a group of high…

The recent lockdown of laboratories in the COVID-19 era has negatively impacted many lab-based courses for undergraduate students; however, research project classes have been hardest hit. Unlike the lab-based lecture courses, where many of the lab instructors have resorted to virtual experiments and videos to substitute for actual lab experiments,…

The advantages of active learning approaches have prompted national recommendations for the development of inquiry-based laboratories to replace traditional laboratory classes. However, there is little consensus for the most-effective implementation strategies. Frequently, a single inquiry-based exercise is incorporated at the end of a traditional…

Experimental courses for undergraduate students majoring in biochemistry or related subjects often do not provide students with systematic and research-based experiences. To help students develop abilities related to laboratory techniques, data analysis, and systematic thought in biology, we performed an exploratory program that employs…

The ability to perform air-free chemistry and catalytic reactions on an NMR tube scale are valuable skills in chemistry and not often included in undergraduate chemistry curriculum. This laboratory experiment provides students experience in synthesizing the metal complex, Ni(dcpe)(CH[subscript 3]CN)[subscript 2](BF[subscript 4])[subscript 2] (dcpe…

We report on a simple, rapid, and room-temperature undergraduate-level experiment for gold nanoparticle synthesis, analysis, and utilization as a catalyst for the sodium-borohydride-assisted reduction of methylene blue and Congo red dyes. Typical procedures toward gold nanoparticle formation require an elaborate, lengthy synthesis (some requiring…

The concept of equilibrium vapor pressure plays a key role in the general chemistry curriculum; it is among the first and most easily demonstrated examples of equilibrium and frequently caps off the first semester of general chemistry where it illustrates the properties of liquids and intermolecular forces. We report here simple modifications of…

All-solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have been regarded as an advisible alternative for simultaneously overcoming the safety issues and high energy density demands presented in traditional lithium batteries, and they represent the development orientation of energy storage devices. This course describes the preparation of a cross-linked and…

In mid-March 2020, due to the novel coronavirus, my 300-level Environmental Sampling Methods lecture/laboratory course transitioned to distance learning. After this move, the primary focus of the course became the laboratory. To do this, I revised my three remaining laboratory exercises (i.e., water quality, soil quality, environmental microbes)…