Describes an undergraduate laboratory experiment on the statistical theory of nuclear reactions. The experiment involves measuring the relative cross sections for formation of a nucleus in its meta stable excited state and its ground state by applying gamma-ray spectroscopy to an irradiated sample. Involves 3-4 hours of laboratory time plus…

Describes a set of experiments for an undergraduate laboratory which demonstrates the relationship between velocity, mass, and temperature in a gas. The experimental method involves time-of-flight measurements on atoms excited to metastable states by electron impact. Effects resulting from recoil in the electron-atom collision can also be…

Discusses education voucher systems and the OEO experiment. (JF)

Presents the procedures, results, and conclusions of a study to compare the effectiveness of the open-ended chemistry laboratory with the traditional laboratory. Different classes of high school students in a college-preparatory chemistry course were exposed to the two laboratory techniques. The achievement tests and the Watson-Glaser Critical…

Performance contracting may be one answer to pressing domestic problems. Emphasis is placed on client, student, or applicant performance in terms of predetermined, commonly agreed upon goals. Important by products include the promotion of experimentation and demonstration, the establishment of administrative and professional accountability, and…

Reviews the history of physics teaching and the introductory physics laboratory in the United States. The Harvard List of Forty Experiments, and subsequent developments in the physics curriculum are discussed. The rationale for the introductory laboratory is established with criteria for improvements. Bibliography. (LC)