Students examine elastomeric polymers in a lab activity in which they design a bungee cord. Students must determine the tensile strength, percent elongation, and plot stress versus strain graphs for their experiments on rubber bands...

Students isolate and determine the amount of plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride. They use Infrared Spectroscopy (IR) or Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and gravimetric techniques in this experiment.

Advanced chemistry classes compare the polymerization of styrene using two different initators: benzoyl peroxide and aluminum chloride. Once they synthesize polystyrene, they compare the two producet for melting point and density. There...

Students are introduced to how the differences in solubility of materials are used in the manufacture of fibers and films. They are also introduced to the various processes used to make films and fibers. Pupils prepare fibers using wet...

Students participate in an investigation in which they compare a polyethylene bag designed for recycling or disposal with a polyethylene food storage bag. Students use hexane to determine the differences between the low density...

Students participate in lab activities in which they examine immersion, stain resistance, and stress cracking of synthetic polymers. Students use their collected data to discuss service applications and possible performance of materials.

Students participate in a lab activity in which they synthesize nylon 6/6, calculate the percent yield by mass, identify the polymer as thermoplastic or thermoset, and determine the melting point, density and end-product use of the polymer.

The intent of this series of activities is to introduce high schoolers to the field of chemical instrumentaiton. They perform a few basic chemistry lab techniques: pH titration, paper, gas, and liquid chromatography, ultraviolet and...

Advanced lab apprentices prepare zinc and copper solutions to which they will compare the same minerals from a multivitamin. Using absorption spectroscopy, they analyze the contents of the multivitamin for concentration. This lab can be...

Students receive bloodstain pattern evidence from a crime scene. They answer a series of questions through inquiry, observation, measurement, and analysis. Pupils complete this challenge, by reconstructing the evidence through four...

Students treat a high molecular weight polyvinyl alcohol polymer with potassium periodate. They measure the viscosity of polyvinyl alcohols.

Students calculate the volume of a specific mass of water placed in selected pieces of common laboratory glassware, using the density formula. They then determine the accuracy of the volumetric measurement for selected pieces of...

Students experience a "hands-on" activity to get visual evidence of the physical nature of DNA and the process of DNA purification. They explore one method of chromosomal DNA isolation and DNA extraction.

Divide your chemistry or environmental science class into two groups. Each group tests water samples from a river for the concentration of phosphorus using a different method. With chemists, you can use this activity as they learn to use...

Students are introduced to colorimeter on two levels. They investigate how to physically manipulate the colorimeters. Secondly, the students start on a pathway of discovery to one of the most important principles in analytical chemistry:...

Students determine that the relative concentration of copper ions in water can be determined by a color comparison. They make a copper (II) sulfate solution of a given concentration. Students dilute their initial solutions until their...

Learners are introduced to a gas chromatography using a discovery-based approach. They are presented with a scenario/industrial application where their job is to verify that the company's mouthwash contains a specific percentage of...

Young scholars recover latent prints by iodine fuming, cyanoacrylate fuming, and dusting with powder, after a lecture/discussion on fingerprinting techniques. They each provide a fingerprint for identification by another student. A...

Students use the prelab as an introduction to the importance of DNA fingerprinting- a form of identification that us being accepted by both scientific and leagl experts. They prepare a gel for electrophoresis. DNA fragments, which have...

Here is a fun and clever instructional activity for teaching physics classes how to calculate wavelength if given the energy and frequency data. On a worksheet, they compute wavelengths using a table of information that you provide. On a...

Students use chromatography to separate plant pigments collected from a fictitious crime scene and suspects. They compare the Rf values of the plant pigments to determine whether the plant pigments found on any of the suspects match the...

Student demonstrate knowledge of recombinant DNA techniques (restriction enzyme digest, gel electrophoresis, and staining gel). They demonstrate skills needed to complete a gel electrophoresis and interpret a stained gel. Pupils solve...

Students use tools to represent bird beaks and pick up different types of food with them in order to discover which beak would help the bird survive depending on their food type.

Budding artists explore the shapes and parts that make insects so fascinating to study, then use what they see to create original insect inspired designs. They use wax, dye, and fabric to create their designs.