Educators seeking support for continuation of science laboratory instruction can find information in the ERIC data base. Sections cover: (1) what's available; (2) beliefs about the role of laboratories; (3) what critics say; and (4) research evidence. (MP)

Presents a review of currently available technology of new trends in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. (BB)

The National Research Council has published a comprehensive report on procedures for handling hazardous chemicals and on other aspects of laboratory safety. By early 1981, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration intends to present preliminary proposals for safety in chemical research laboratories. (WB)

Discusses the negative reactions to the Food & Drug Administration's proposed good laboratory practices for nonclinical laboratory practices. Industry representatives protest the inflexibility and excessive detail in the regulations. (MLH)

Provides the apparatus setup, experimental method, necessary formulas, and references for three measurement experiments: (1) "Determine the Magnetic Induction of a Coil with a Hall Element"; (2) "Measuring Magnetic Force and Magnetic Field of Small Permanent Magnets"; and (3) "Measurements of Sound Velocity by Means of PZT" (piezoelectric…

Discussed are accidents that occur in the laboratories of highly trained chemists. Four examples are provided to illustrate potential hazards that are often overlooked in chemistry laboratories, molten inorganic salt baths, the reaction of acetone and hydrogen peroxide, halogenated acetylene compounds, and the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and…

Described is a mechanically driven device for generating three-dimensional harmonic space figures with different frequencies and phase angles on the X, Y, and Z axes. Discussed are apparatus, viewing stereo pairs, equations of motion, and using space figures in classroom. (YP)

Presents guidelines for stocking, organizing, and maintaining a storage space for physics education laboratory and demonstration equipment. (WRM)

One easy way to reduce the number of accidents in the lab is to go "green." Green chemistry, or sustainable chemistry, emerged about a decade ago, but the concept has been practiced for centuries by indigenous people of many continents. The basic principles of green chemistry are that you should use only what you need and recycle what you can.…

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has revised a position statement published in June 2005. This revised statement examines the issues surrounding the integration of animals into the K-12 science curriculum and highlights key considerations that should be addressed when deciding to introduce live animals in the classroom and involve…

There are 37 research reactors in the United States, mostly located on college campuses. Of these, 33 reactors are licensed and regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Four are operated by the Department of Energy (DOE) and are located at three national laboratories. Although less powerful than commercial nuclear power reactors,…

This article discusses the trend facing today's scientific laboratories: that the more specialized the lab, the more expensive it is, and the less accessible it becomes. Or conversely, the more accessible a lab needs to be, the fewer resources can be dedicated per capita, and the less specialized it becomes. From a numerical standpoint, "real"…

When teaching the subject of elasticity, it is often difficult to find a straightforward quantitative laboratory that can give a "hands-on" feel for the subject. This paper presents an experiment that demonstrates the essentials of elasticity by observing the behavior of marshmallows under a compressive load. Like other marshmallow-based…