In this work, we made a simple electronic tool called a 'magnetic polarity detector' which can determine the magnetic poles of permanent magnets or electromagnets. We used it in some student experiments in the physics laboratory. For example, determining the magnetic poles of permanent magnets and a current-carrying coils or electromagnets.…

Unit operations laboratory courses culminate many topics from the curriculum and are often the first time students apply their knowledge in hands-on settings. However, many instructors do not directly assess key learning objectives, creating a disparity between desired and actual learning. Using multiple assessment tools, we analyzed student…

Tungsten oxide semiconductors are used to photooxidize water. Students prepare WO3, CuWO4, and mixed composition thin film photoanodes. The syntheses are simple, allowing for the quick production of a range of materials. Photoanodes are tested in a photoelectrochemical cell assembled from common equipment, allowing for the direct comparison of…

The Briggs-Rauscher reaction is a popular demonstration to illustrate chemical oscillations in laboratories, classrooms, and public seminars because of its simplicity and visual appeal. Here, we adapt the Briggs-Rauscher reaction to present reaction-diffusion-convection patterns in the undergraduate general or physical chemistry laboratory. By…

An apparatus of the 70s for measuring thermal conductivity in different materials is used to visualize, through an infrared thermal imaging approach, temperature fields and the heat diffusion process. The observed temperature profiles also suggest solid grounds for a fair mathematical modelling of this phenomenon.

In March 2018, the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) Board of Higher Education adopted Board Policy R751, "Institutional Facilities Space Utilization" to provide systemwide standards for the utilization of classrooms and teaching laboratories, as well as an annual reporting requirement. The policy encourages the optimization of…

In the landscape of writing instruction in higher education, there has been a longstanding critique of the efficacy of Generalized Writing Skills Instruction (GWSI) for preparing students to write in the genres of their majors, disciplines and workplaces (Petraglia, et al 1995). The Writing Studies movement, with its grounding in the overlapping…

[NiBr[subscript 2](PPh[subscript 3])[subscript 2]] and [NiBr[subscript 2](dppe)] are prepared from nickel bromide hydrate and phosphine. These brightly colored coordination compounds are then converted into the related organometallic compounds "trans"-[NiBr(Mes)(PPh[subscript 3])[subscript 2]] and [NiBr(Mes)(dppe)] (Mes =…

The compensation pendulum is a pendulum that is constructed in a way that its length does not vary by changes of temperature. As the temperature of the air around the clock goes up, the rod of a regular pendulum clock mechanism expands and the clock runs slower. Historically, it has proven easier to compensate for changes in the ambient…

In this paper we present a method to construct a simple, sturdy and inexpensive photogate to be used in elementary physics laboratories. The great advantage of the proposed design is that it has no transmitter-receiver alignment related problem at all and the receiver is nicely encapsulated which prevents any spurious light triggering the…

As more and more states contemplate the new school year following the Coronavirus lockdown, teachers, supervisors, and administrators have to determine strategies to safely open their schools. It is hoped that the advice will help guide stakeholders in their decision-making process to be better prepared to meet the current pandemic challenges in…

Lab orientation is a vital part of learning for new students entering the university, as it provides the students with all the necessary and important information about the lab. The current orientation is manual, tedious, suffers from logistical constraints, lacks engagement, and provides no way to assess that outcomes have been achieved. This is…

Inquiry-style laboratory courses, in which students engage in open-ended projects rather than a prescribed set of experimental steps ("cookbooks"), are becoming increasingly popular at the undergraduate level. Reformed curricula require reforms in training teachers; in the case of large universities, laboratory instructors are typically…

Aim/Purpose: The objective of this study is to explore the effectiveness of using virtual experiments on students' level of achievement and on their practical skills as well as their views on applying the virtual experiments in a general physics lab. Background: There is a continuous debate in the literature on the effect of using virtual…

The lifetimes of the photoluminescent compounds contained in the coating of fluorescent compact lamps are usually measured using specialised instruments, including pulsed lasers and/or spectrofluorometers. Here we discuss how some low cost apparatuses, based on the use of either sensors for the educational lab or commercial digital photo cameras,…