Innovative Uses News
As part of the Irish Leaving Certificate Senior Physics syllabus, students from the Christian Brothers Boys’ Secondary School, in Dungarvan, Ireland, study the contributions of Ireland’s two greatest scientists: Robert Boyle and Ernest T. S. Walton. It just so happens that these two giants in science have a local connection – they were both born in the southeastern coastal county of Waterford, not too far from the school.
Continue reading Investigating Ireland’s Greatest Scientists with Vernier…
We decided to do some home testing of a standard basement freezer with the Watts Up Pro power meter. How much energy is used, and how cold does the freezer get when the compressor is running? To find out, we used a LabQuest and a Watts Up Pro to log the data over a 48-hour period.
If you have ever wanted to introduce your students to the study of human biomechanics, we have found a great product for you. While attending the Annual Meeting of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS), we came across two excellent interactive models that use Vernier sensors and our LabQuest to study human biomechanics.
Enzymes are molecules that regulate the chemical reactions that occur in all living organisms. Almost all enzymes are globular proteins that act as catalysts, substances that speed up chemical reactions. Enzymes catalyze reactions by reducing the activation energy for a specific reaction to occur and yet are neither destroyed nor altered during this process. Understanding how enzymes work in biological systems is a critical and difficult concept for students to comprehend.
Our newest environmental project at Vernier is composting with a worm bin. Our worm bin is a large, locally made, unfinished cedar chest with about 60 cubic feet of capacity. The bin is located in a shady spot on the side of our building, and contains a colony of red wiggler worms. We collect food scraps and coffee grounds, along with coffee filters, in a compost pail in our kitchen. Volunteers, called the “worm wranglers,” empty the pail into the worm bin several times a day. We also add paper towels and grass clippings to our composting worm bin. The worms turn this portion of our garbage into nutrient-rich compost that we can use on plants around our building.
Casio recently developed a set of high-speed cameras. These cameras are actually still digital cameras, but they have the ability to capture high-speed video. The capture rates vary from 210 frames per second (fps) to 1200 fps. The price range is from $300 to $1000 per camera.
hese cameras open exciting opportunities to explore science that is difficult to see at normal speed, such as golf swings and baseball pitcher throws.
There are so many powerful features available in our Logger Pro software, it is easy to miss one. One such feature is the ability to display vectors using an Animated Display meter. Data from accelerometers, force sensors, and motion detectors are perfect for creating a 2-D animated vector display. You can even display an animated vector right on a video used in video analysis.
Continue reading Exploring Animated Vector Displays in Logger Pro…
In late October 2005, employees from Vernier participated in a tree planting event in conjunction with the organization Friends of Trees. We planted 200 trees in the wetlands area surrounding nearby Beaverton Creek. As part of the 2009 Earth Day activities, David Vernier and Jim McBride checked on the trees. They used a LabQuest and our Vernier GPS Sensor to note the position and type of each surviving tree.
Integrated-Science students Erin Smyers and Nicole Loughner from Homer-Center High School in Homer City, PA, worked with their science team leader, Mark Shopland, to investigate the pH changes in an oxidation-reduction reaction. The students chose to work with Thionin based on the demonstration “Thionin – The Two-Faced Solution” published by Flinn Scientific Inc. (Publication No. 0815.00).
LabQuest App v.1.2 includes a separate application called the Audio Function Generator. This application generates audio signals through the LabQuest internal speaker or through external stereo speakers. With this setup, you might want to explore the hearing response of your students. What is the lowest frequency that your students can hear? What about the highest frequency?
John Melville, one of our Biology Staff Scientists, developed an innovative diving reflex laboratory exercise while teaching at Wartburg College. In the lab, students learn basic heart anatomy, histology of arteries and veins, and perform an EKG using Vernier sensors. The students then develop their own experiment, which often involved the diving reflex.
Continue reading Studying the Diving Reflex in the Laboratory…
The hoop spring bumpers in the Bumper and Launcher Kit are excellent examples of Hookean devices. To investigate Hooke’s law, we’ll use the Bumper and Launcher Kit, Dual-Range Force Sensor, Vernier Dynamics System, and Motion Detector to determine how the length of the hoop spring is proportional to the force applied.
Have you ever noticed that the bananas you bought look different in the store than they do when you get them home? This is because not all lights used in grocery display cases are the same. The main reason for having different lighting is to improve shelf life of perishable products. Nevertheless, you can be sure some research has gone into determining the best light to entice you to make a purchase.
Recently, a few of us at Vernier drove from our office in Beaverton, OR to Seattle, WA for a conference. We attached a Vernier GPS Sensor to a LabQuest and collected data throughout the trip. LabQuest not only records the latitude and longitude of each point, but the speed, direction, and altitude, as well.
By its name alone, LabQuest seems destined for adventure. When I decided to go on a National Geographic Expedition to Antarctica in January, there was no doubt in my mind that I would be taking mine with me. Sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina, we spent almost two days crossing the infamous Drake Passage.
As part of Project Lead The Way engineering courses, Ken Kessenich at Pius XI High School in Milwaukee, WI started teaching a new unit that involves simple machines. He wanted his student to see REAL problems instead of simulations to demonstrate effort force and mechanical advantage.
Continue reading about Force Plate Used to Measure Forces Exerted by Screws…
For years, Jackie has been having her students graph the physical properties of the elements versus atomic number to look for patterns related to period and group. Jackie modified her activity to use LabQuest.
Robert O’Connor, biology teacher at Kenmore East High School in Tonawanda, NY, worked with student, Michael Starr, to set up a reptile enclosure to house a black and white tegu.
Continue reading about Monitoring Temperatures in a Reptile Enclosure…
Roland Stout, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, challenged his environmental chemistry class to find an interesting and environmentally significant carbon dioxide source or sink and to verify their findings using a CO2 sensor.
Continue reading about High CO2 Levels Putting You to Sleep?
Although the Drop Counter was developed to record drops during titration, attaching the Luer-lock stopcock to the outlet of a chromatography column adapts it for use as an inexpensive fraction collector for column chromatography.
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