Innovative Uses of Vernier Technology

We recently attended the American Association for Engineering Education meeting in Louisville, KY. While there, we had a free afternoon, so we went to the Louisville Slugger Bat Museum. In the museum, they had an exhibit where they asked you to hold a baseball bat vertically, suspended by the knob, and then to tap it…

Subjects: Physics

Here is an activity that some of your students may find interesting. The goal is to test the cushioning for various shoes and boots. We measured the acceleration in a “heel drop” of standardized height. Shoe with accelerometer in heel We used a 25-g Accelerometer attached to a 500 g mass, placed inside the shoes.…

Subjects: Physics

A classic question that comes up among coffee drinkers is, “If you are going to add cream to coffee, is it better to add the cream immediately, or wait until later, assuming the goal is to have the coffee cool enough to be ready to drink as soon as possible?” Have your students predict and…

By Dave Vernier I recently started using an electric pot for heating tea water. Early on, I sometimes assumed that the water was hot enough when I heard the loud “boiling” sounds. Yet, when I poured the water to make tea, it was not very hot. Our boiling water apparatus We decided to make a…

Subjects: Middle School Science

A key concept in biology is how the structure of a protein determines its function. All proteins are made up of amino acids. The primary structure of a protein refers to the sequence of amino acids of which the protein is composed. The primary structure determines how the protein will fold, which will in turn…

Subjects: Biology

When you think of pH, you probably think of liquid acids and bases. But soil can be acidic or basic, too. Soils with pH above 7 are basic or sweet. Soils with pH below 7 are acidic or sour. The pH of soil is an important factor in determining which plants will grow because it…

Subjects: Chemistry

Steve Ahn, from Abingdon High School in Abingdon, VA, took his students on a science expedition along the Virginia Creeper Trail, where approximately 400 million years ago the land was covered by a shallow sea. As a result of the subsequent sedimentation, the soil now exhibits alternating bands of limestone and shale. “I wanted my…

Subjects: Environmental Science

Neurons communicate with each other and the rest of the body by releasing neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are small chemicals that bind to receptors on other neurons, cells, or tissues of the body. It is very difficult to study neurotransmitters directly. In many cases, the activity of an enzyme that produces or breaks down a neurotransmitter is…

Subjects: Biology

Attention chemistry and physics teachers! You now have a cool way to display and measure gas discharge tube emissions with our new Spectrum Tube Power Supplies and gas discharge tubes. These products are designed to be safe, convenient, and long lasting. One version of the Power Supply even has a carousel that holds up to…

Subjects: Physics

Astronomy instructors sometimes struggle with how to teach complex theories in a laboratory setting. This is especially true for an introductory class composed of mostly non-science major students. Gadsden State Community College instructor, Brian Geislinger, devised a model star system in the lab to show his students how professional astronomers gain much information just from…

Subjects: Environmental Science