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In selecting from a repertoire of traditional kinetics experiments, an instructor often has to choose among having students gain experience with the graphical method, the method of initial rates, or a temperature-dependent experiment in which students construct an Arrhenius plot. This paper presents an environmentally friendly bleaching reaction between the dye FD&C Blue 1 and a nonchlorinated bleach alternative, sodium percarbonate, which goes to completion within 15 min and can be monitored with an inexpensive light meter. The fast time scale of the reaction allows students to use the graphical method along with the method of initial rates to determine the overall rate law, as well as collect data for an Arrhenius plot, potentially within a 3 h laboratory period. Students can generate an Arrhenius plot quickly and inexpensively by detecting the extent of reaction in a beaker using a desk lamp, filter, and light meter, eliminating the need for spectrophotometer access, a jacketed cell, and a heated circulating bath. Performing all three types of kinetics experiments with one simple reaction in one or two laboratory periods allows students to see how the methods are interrelated and complementary.

Students come to class with ideas about science content and the practices used to generate knowledge. Their lived experience provides them with basic ideas about how the world works. Tapping into their innate understandings and testing their ideas allows them to construct a more accurate understanding. Research shows that all students are ready to learn at high levels if instruction is sequenced in ways that: (1) prior experiences are related to new ideas; (2) new ideas are entrenched in firsthand experiences with data; (3) data and evidence allow students to form accurate scientific claims; and (4) teachers connect more sophisticated knowledge with student constructed knowledge (Brown 2018). These four ideas are what explore-before-explain teaching is all about. The article presents an illustrative example of how an assessment probe can be used to initiate explore-before-explain lessons and ground learning in a scientific phenomenon. While the approach is consistent with other ways the activities have been used at the middle level, it is unique for elementary students (see Brown and Concannon 2018; Brown 2011). Presented is a 50-minute, fifth-grade explore-before-explain lesson on properties of matter that includes an assessment probe, data-producing experiences, and authoritative explanations to engage students in learning the transfer of energy.

A spreadsheet-based exercise for students is described in which they are challenged to explain and reproduce the disparate temperature dependencies of the heat capacities of gaseous F[subscript 2] and N[subscript 2]. For F[subscript 2], C[subscript p,m] increases from 300 K, reaches a maximum at 2200 K, and then decreases to 74% of the maximum value at 6000 K, while C[subscript p,m] for N[subscript 2] rises monotonically in this temperature range. Students compare this behavior with the prediction of the equipartition principle and then test four models with increasing sophistication, from closed-form expressions of the harmonic/anharmonic oscillator-rigid/nonrigid rotor to calculations using discrete sums over rovibrational states, all using molecular spectroscopic constants. Fundamental principles of statistical thermodynamics are used to calculate the partition functions, which yield the internal energy, heat capacity, and third-law entropy of the molecules. They encounter the need to include the role of quasibound rotational states that arise from the rotational barrier to molecular dissociation and to employ methods for truncating the sums used in the partition functions. In this exercise, students confront the fact that, for N[subscript 2], C[subscript p,m] continues to rise, reaching a maximum at 16,000 K that is 1.8 times the equipartition value. The inclusion of electronically excited states in the partition function is discussed.

The aim of this study was to design a digital game that imparts the concept of urban heat island effects to aid in environmental education. Within the play-time limits, gamers must be alert to signs of warning from the environment and keep the balance between economic growth and the temperature of the environment, so they can safely manage the development of a virtual city. We investigated gamers' learning efficiency in terms of a city's development scale, socioeconomics and the environment, environmental sustainability, increasing areas of green metropolitan space, and heat management of environmental knowledge and gaming experience through a survey of 209 sixth graders. Interestingly, results indicate that heavy gamers are less interested in serious games; they exhibit shorter periods of concentration and lower levels of immersion. If an individual exhibits a high level of fluency in the dimensions of challenge, player skills, control, and clear goals, then she or he is able to acquire knowledge through message involvement when gaming. This allows a serious game to appear less didactic and more fun. This study explored the means by which gamers acquire procedural and descriptive knowledge related to environmental protection through gameflow and immersion.

Scientific thinking can be applied to things we do at home. Effective results can be achieved in cooking or cleaning while also focusing on doing so with minimal waste of resources. This can also mean better economy. Choosing appropriate designs of equipment can make certain jobs easier. Three different topics are described to demonstrate these principles.

We describe four classical undergraduate physics experiments that were done with everyday objects and low-cost sensors: mechanical oscillations, transmittance of light through a slab of matter, beam deformation under load, and thermal relaxation due to heat loss. We used these experiments to train students for experimental homework projects but they could be used and expanded in a variety of contexts: lecture demonstrations, low cost students' labs, science projects, distance learning courses...

Flavonoids have been studied extensively for their antioxidant properties. Specifically, the flavonoids in tea, such as catechin and epigallocatechin gallate, have been shown to have positive health effects. These compounds are also oxidizable, so the concentrations of these compounds in a given kind of tea can be determined using cyclic voltammetry. Green, black, oolong, and herbal teas were each diluted using pH 7.0 phosphate buffer, analyzed using cyclic voltammetry, and compared to the standards of epigallocatechin gallate, catechin hydrate, and catechol. The effect of brewing temperature on the concentration of catechins was also examined. Students learned about the common flavonoids in tea and the effect of brewing temperature on the concentration of catechins in solution.

Heat and temperature concepts are found at all levels in the science curricula and are well-known for creating conceptual difficulties for learners. Students have difficulty understanding concepts related to heat, temperature, and thermal radiation. Inquiry-based pedagogies that can foster the learning of these difficult concepts are needed. Physical experiments and computer simulations are two alternatives with the potential to increase students' conceptual understanding. The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of computer simulations with primarily physical experiments on undergraduate engineering students' understanding of rate versus amount and thermal radiation concepts. While some previous research has found that students using computer simulations outperformed those doing physical experiments, other research has discovered no significant differences in the conceptual understanding of students using the two different pedagogies. Given these findings, more research is warranted. A secondary purpose of this study is to determine whether computer simulations and physical experiments would be equally effective with different heat transfer concepts and by gender. Is there a difference in the students' level of understanding of rate versus amount of heat transferred and thermal radiation by method of instruction? Does one pedagogy work better for one concept? Does the effectiveness of the modes of instruction vary by gender? This quasi-experimental study compared two implementation methods for inquiry-based activities. One group of participants used computer simulations while the other group primarily did physical experiments. Descriptive statistics showed that while students' scores on the pre-test were very close, there was a difference between them on the post-test favoring those taught by doing a physical experiment.

Purpose: Heat intolerance (HI) is determined in the Israel Defense Force according to a heat tolerance test (HTT) before returning to duty after an exertional heat stroke (EHS) event. Recently, increased numbers of female combatants resulted in an increased number of EHS cases among women and a higher percentage of heat intolerance (HI) individuals. We aimed to evaluate the differences between tolerance to heat among women performing an HTT in relation to their menstrual cycle phase. Method: Thirty-three female participants were sorted into two groups: HI and heat tolerant (HT) according to two HTTs performed during both the luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle or while consuming and during a break from consuming contraceptives. Results: HT women had an 18% higher maximal oxygen uptake (p < 0.005, 95% CI [2.6,9.8]) and 1.2% lower skin temperature in the HTT at the during and follicular phases (p < 0.01, 95% CI [0.12,0.77]) and 1.7% lower at the off and luteal phases (p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.34,0.92]). The mean sweat rate was 14% lower among the HI group only at the HTT at the during and follicular phases (p < 0.05, 95% CI (3,88)]). Conclusion: We found that HT can be predicted using aerobic capacity and core body temperature. Moreover, during the luteal phase, women presented altered thermoregulation that decreased the probability of being HT. This emphasizes the importance of considering the HT/HI criteria in the HTT for women, according to their aerobic ability and menstrual-cycle phase.

In the present theoretical study, we introduce the entropy concept into Chi's ontological shift theory. Chi distinguishes between two categories of process phenomena, direct and emergent, and claims that incorrectly considering emergent processes as direct ones is one of the sources of students' robust scientific misconceptions. The present study aims to address the needs of high school and undergraduate physics, chemistry, and engineering students being already familiar with the basics of mechanics and the kinetic molecular theory. Acknowledging the contribution of the ontological shift category theory to improving the learning of science, the present paper aims at taking this theory one step further. We argue that more information about scientific phenomena could be gained if we view direct and emergent phenomena as edges of the same scale level of emergency. We show that entropy can be used to evaluate the level of emergency of physical processes. We believe that interpreting scientific phenomena in terms of level of emergency and entropy might promote students' understanding about the underlying mechanisms explaining these phenomena, as well as about the concept of entropy itself. We provide two pedagogical examples of teaching heat and sound using the level of emergency scale and the entropy concept. We demonstrate analytically in these terms: (a) the development of the heat flow rate equation; and (b) the adiabatic nature of the sound propagation process.

Science is one of the most important subjects for students at all educational levels. To promote engagement, hands-on experiments can provide a 'realistic and exciting experience of the content' (Holstermann, Grube and Bögeholz, 2010: 744) and hopefully facilitate motivation. In this article, George Stylos and Konstantinos T. Kotsis present four experiments to teach about heat that require only everyday materials. The four activities can easily be performed by students aged 10-12. The approach adopted in the article gives students the opportunity to use everyday materials, makes them easy to carry out and offers clarity of understanding. The activities have been tested successfully and can be integrated into any STEM project. The authors integrated activities focusing on heat conduction and contraction in solids and gases and thermal equilibrium with everyday materials in the training and teaching curriculum of pre-service elementary teachers. They also undertook the experiments in a pre-service student laboratory course as well as a grades 5-6 (ages 10-12) primary school classroom in Greece to show their effectiveness.

In this article we examine cases of more classical and less classical nature compared to results found by quantum mechanics and attribute a form of Free Energy discontinuity for each case within a boundary layer. The concept of a boundary layer is broadened as to include areas of first or second variations of the Gibbs free energy. It is constructive to think not only of implosions like boundary layers but also of explosion like ones. Situations such as boiling and the passage of electric current are compared and results are deduced. It is illusive that free energy contains a term proportional to the surface tension times the area.

In this study, a Thermodynamic Concept Test (TCT) was designed to assess student's conceptual understanding heat and thermodynamics at undergraduate level. The different statistical tests such as item difficulty index, item discrimination index, point biserial coefficient were used for assessing TCT. For each item of the test these indices were calculated. For the entire test, test reliability and Ferguson's delta was calculated. Analysis of data shows that the students have serious difficulties in understanding of heat and thermodynamics in particular and physics in general when taught through traditional teaching method.

The learning and development of teamwork skill is only possible if its achievement is a self-building process of the student. In turn, the teachers must become guides in the process of a learning which is not limited only to the topic of their own course, but which must be imbedded with a good dose of this skill. Promotion of teamwork is not spontaneous but very often requires the use of self-regulation within teams. The aim of the paper is to elucidate if positive or negative self-regulation of teams are useful to promote teamwork. The paper presents some experiences on the use of self-regulation of teams within active teaching strategies that involve teamwork as a critical skill in engineering education. The paper presents first the fundamentals of the learning strategy adopted, intended to develop teamwork abilities in the students. It then describes the context and challenges faced up in the case studies, as well as the essentials of the learning activities proposed. Finally, the paper discusses the student's achievement and perception. Although some influence of unbalanced teams there exists, it can be stated that positive self-regulation of teams is more easily accepted by teams than the negative ones, because of the influence on interpersonal relationships amongst students. The topics involved in this experience are energy related topics such as electrical installations, heat transfer, engineering thermodynamics or theory of circuits.

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) requires students to engage in more autonomous work. This autonomy is an outcome of the self-regulated learning process. Self-regulation involves a self-management skill set that can cope with any adverse contingency and requires both knowledge of the available abilities and personal control to put these skills into action. Learning the self-regulation process is a critical step in developing competences that enable the transformation of mental aptitudes into academic competences. However, it is necessary to modify the learning conditions to achieve self-regulation in an adequate way. Thus, the academic authorities should empower skills that facilitate autonomous learning and contribute tools to student proactivity. In this regard, problem-based learning is an effective method to facilitate the acquisition of traversal competences. This didactic methodology may be performed in terms of the individual or team-based learning (TBL) that is necessarily linked to a teaching-learning open system. An adaptation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) to the thermal engineering studies, i.e., the project-based learning model, was designed for the Research Master subject of "Building Energetic Efficiency".

What if energy flowed from cold to hot regions? How would thermodynamics be different? We examine such an imagined cold-to-hot world, abbreviated here as a C2H world, and show that the unfamiliar direction of energy flow implies that two thermally interacting objects at different temperatures will not equilibrate. We find that there is no operational definition of temperature, and the first, second, and third laws of thermodynamics become meaningless.

The extinguishment of the candle flame in the well-known candle-and-cylinder experiment has been erroneously viewed as caused by the complete consumption of oxygen, for many reasons. To address this misconception scientifically, a series of experiments are carried out to illustrate the phenomenon from a new point of view. Limewater [Ca(OH)[subscript 2]] placed at different heights in a container was used to qualitatively describe the distribution of CO[subscript 2] in an enclosed cylinder with one or two burning candles. Temperature sensors, CO[subscript 2] sensors, and oxygen (O[subscript 2]) sensors were employed to visually and quantitatively compare the content of CO[subscript 2] at different heights within the container. The resulting temperature curves show that the heat from combustion rose first and then descended soon afterward. Chemical and sensor detection of CO[subscript 2] in the highest two quadrants of the container indicated that the hot CO[subscript 2] gas rose initially and accumulated there in the highest part of the container. Then, the hot CO[subscript 2] gas descended gradually and created a CO[subscript 2] atmosphere surrounding the flame. As a result, the flame was extinguished by the buildup of CO[subscript 2] and depletion of oxygen in the gas in the vicinity of the flame. The change of oxygen concentration showed that there was a mixing process between the remaining air and the hot CO[subscript 2]. These results indicate that the extinguishment of the flame does not mean that the oxygen in the container was completely consumed. Knowing this helps students understand that the density of CO[subscript 2] depends on its temperature.

In view of the current debate in Malaysia about the teaching of science and mathematics in English, a qualitative study was undertaken involving a purposeful sampling of three non-physics teachers to ascertain how well equipped they were with the necessary pedagogical content knowledge relating to the teaching of the topic of "heat energy" in the second language (i.e., English) to cater to the needs of Year 10 students of diverse interests and abilities in the subject. Data were obtained using video recordings from 10 classroom observations of the teaching and learning of the following topics/concepts: (1) thermal equilibrium, (2) heat capacity, (3) specific heat capacity, (4) latent heat, (5) specific latent heat, and (6) Boyle's Law, Charles' Law and the Pressure Law. This video analysis was triangulated using data from interviews with the three teachers. The findings revealed that the teachers possessed a variety of instructional strategies to teach the concepts in English and displayed commendable ingenuity to further facilitate student understanding by explaining in the Malay language when students experienced difficulty, while at the same time insisting that students used the appropriate English terms. In addition, when not familiar with certain physics apparatus, the teachers opted for simulations of the relevant experiments. As a result, the study has introduced a new component to PCK, i.e., the role of a second language in teaching science. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

Emerging evidence indicates that culture influences pupils learning of science. However, the influence of culture on science learning is usually not considered when developing science curricular for both primary and secondary schools. This study investigated the extent to which primary and secondary school pupils believe in cultural interpretations of the physical phenomenon of "heat" associated with anger and the influence of education level, ethnic communities and gender on cultural beliefs. Cross-sectional survey research design was used. The target population was Standard Seven, Form one and Form Three pupils in ten districts selected from Nyanza, Rift Valley, Central, Eastern and Coast Provinces in Kenya. The ten districts were selected purposively to represent 10 different ethnic communities from the five provinces. A total of 2837 secondary and 625 primary school pupils participated. The pupils were drawn from 15 primary and 31 secondary schools. A questionnaire was used to gather information from pupils. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used in analyzing data. Hypotheses were tested using the chi square (?[superscript 2]) statistic at a = 0.05 level of significance. Some of the results obtained give statistically significant relationship between pupils' beliefs in cultural interpretations of scientific phenomenon of heat associated with anger and the communities where they come from. This implies that such beliefs are confined to specific communities studied. There appears to be no significant association between pupils' beliefs in cultural interpretations of the scientific phenomenon of heat and level of education in some of the communities. The implication is that education reduces beliefs in cultural interpretations in such communities but does not eradicate such beliefs. There was also no statistically significant association between pupils' beliefs in cultural interpretations of the scientific phenomenon of heat and gender, implying that both boys and girls equally believe in cultural interpretations. The findings from this study inform curriculum developers of some of the cultural beliefs that are likely to influence the learning of science. It is recommended that teachers discuss cultural interpretations of scientific concepts before introducing them in their lessons.

A WebQuest is an Internet-based and inquiry-oriented learning activity. The aim of this work is to outline the creation of a WebQuest entitled "Power Generation Plants: Steam and Gas Turbines." This is one of the topics covered in the course "Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer," which is offered in the second year of Mechanical Engineering at the Defense University Center at the Naval Academy in Vigo, Spain. While participating in the activity, students will be divided into groups of no more than 10 for seminars. The groups will create PowerPoint presentations that include all of the analyzed aspects. The topics to be discussed during the workshop on power plant turbines are the: (1) principles of operation; (2) processes involved; (3) advantages and disadvantages; (4) efficiency; (5) combined cycle; and (6) transversal competences, such as teamwork, oral and written presentations, and analysis and synthesis of information. This paper presents the use of Google Sites as a guide to the WebQuest so that students can access all information online, including instructions, summaries, resources, and information on qualifications.

Building owners are caught between two powerful forces--the need to lower energy costs and the need to meet or exceed outdoor air ventilation regulations for occupant health and comfort. Large amounts of energy are wasted each day from commercial, institutional, and government building sites as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems replace indoor air with fresh outdoor air multiple times per day. Heating or cooling energy is continually wasted in the exhaust air stream, while new energy must be generated and used to condition entering outdoor air. Building owners who fail to capture this wasted energy will continue to incur high energy costs, negatively impacting asset values, profitability, and the ability to attract tenants, customers, or students with corporate or federally directed energy-efficiency mandates. To address this challenge, many building owners are turning to site-recovered energy technologies such as Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV). Designed to operate with new or existing HVAC units, ERV technology provides an affordable means to simultaneously cut HVAC energy costs without compromising outdoor air ventilation requirements. (Contains 3 figures and 5 endnotes.)

From October 2003 to April 2008 a systemic reform of the Mechanical Engineering program at The City College of New York was undertaken with the goal of incorporating emerging technologies (such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), intelligent systems) and new teaching methodologies (such as project based learning, hands-on laboratory experiences, inquiry based learning, home experiments) into the curriculum. This reform activity was supported by NSF and affected all the courses taught by the Department. Almost all faculty participated in the effort. In this paper, we describe the modifications introduced in four courses of the curriculum, namely, Mechatronics, Mechanics of Materials, Heat Transfer and System Modeling, Analysis and Control. The modifications consisted both of topics related to emerging technologies and new teaching methodologies. Results of assessment conducted to ascertain the effect of the changes are presented. For example student opinions about course outcomes before and after the modifications were surveyed for the four courses discussed above. Based on the limited assessment data available thus far, it appears that students' confidence and overall academic performance has improved in some courses following the reform. It is the authors' opinion that these will see further improvement in coming years as the specifics of the reform elements are refined.

Understanding the distinctions among heat, energy and temperature can be difficult for students at all levels of instruction, including those in engineering. Misconceptions about heat transfer have been found to persist, even after students successfully complete relevant coursework. New instructional methods are needed to address these misconceptions. This pilot study examined whether researcher-developed and inquiry-based activities could increase conceptual understanding of heat transfer and alter common misconceptions. Twenty-two undergraduate chemical engineering students were assessed before and after instruction with inquiry-based activities using a ten-item concept inventory. Concept inventory questions were developed to assess students' performance on questions closely related to the inquiry-based activities and questions applying concepts in new contexts. Participants significantly improved their overall scores from pre-test to post-test. An examination of performance on individual items revealed significant improvement on half of those questions closely related to the instructional activities and half of those applying concepts in new but related contexts. Results are examined in light of the assessment and inquiry activities that were used, as well as the difficulty of the concepts. Educational implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. Descriptions of inquiry-based learning activities are appended. (Contains 3 tables.)

Field experiments offer the opportunity for hands on experience with the scientific process. While this is true of a wide variety of activities, many have pitfalls both experimental and logistical that reduce the overall rate of success, in turn, influencing student learning outcomes. Relying on small, territorial, diurnal lizards and an array of inexpensive data loggers and lizard models provides a reliable method of testing a hypothesis in the field. This approach virtually guarantees that every student obtains a useable data set within a short period of time. Behavioral responses in lizards are dependent on becoming active only after external, sun driven, heat sources are adequate to permit daily activity on the one hand and avoiding excessive heat uptake above a critical maximum. Activity is dependent upon three primary modes of heat transfer (gain or loss): solar radiation, conductive exchange and convection, concepts that all students seem to understand. Over 11 of the past 15 years all students (more than 80) who undertook this project obtained useable data sets (data log records matched to focal observations). We relied on two different subspecies of "Holbrookia maculata." Numerous other lizards are amenable to this approach. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)

Gram staining bacteria is a fundamental technique introduced in general biology and microbiology laboratory courses. Two common problems students encounter when Gram staining bacteria are (1) having a difficult time locating bacterial cells on the microscope slide and (2) over-decolorizing bacterial cells during the staining procedure such that gram-positive bacteria, which should appear purple in color, are pink instead. In this study, we examined whether the method of fixation (heat versus methanol) that is used to adhere bacteria to the slide prior to staining might influence the staining results. We found that significantly greater numbers of "Staphylococcus aureus" (gram-positive) and "Escherichia coli" (gram-negative) cells adhered to slides following methanol fixation compared to slides that were heat-fixed. Additionally, methanol-fixed cells of "Staphylococcus aureus" were consistently stained the correct color (a dark purple) while the staining of heat-fixed cells was more variable with cells ranging in color from purple to pink. Overall, our results indicate that students are more likely to successfully visualize and Gram stain bacteria if the cells are fixed with methanol rather than heat. (Contains 3 figures.)

In the present work, we demonstrate the phenomenon of temperature difference power generation, which is achieved by the reversible conversion between thermal and electrical energy.

Thermochromic paint can be made in the laboratory and used for temperature sensing by observation of colour changes. This can be illustrated by an improved method of showing comparative conductivity of heat by different materials, and an amusing method of indicating approximate temperatures of liquids in drinking glasses. The fabric Lycra, used to make stretchable close-fitting clothing, can be made electrically conductive (Electrolycra) by using a fine coating of metal. The changes in resistance when the material is stretched can be used as a model force-sensor and to illustrate measurement of duration of a collision and the reaction force of a dynamics trolley.

This article describes and evaluates an activity within the process of socio-scientific inquiry-based learning (SSIBL). 'Mobility, Traffic and Renewable Energies' is a project drawing on an inquiry approach in schools in the province of Carinthia in Austria, involving a range of scientific and educational support agencies. This activity was carried out with older primary school children and was based on real-life aspects and environmental effects of heat transfer, together with an evaluation through teacher responses.

Physical principles are involved in almost any aspect of cooking. Here we analyse the specific process of baking pizzas, deriving in simple terms the baking times for two different situations: for a brick oven in a pizzeria and a modern metallic oven at home. Our study is based on fundamental thermodynamic principles relevant to the cooking process and is accessible to undergraduate students. We illustrate the underlying physics by some simple common examples and then apply them in detail to the example of baking pizza.

Understanding the relationship between energy and temperature can be challenging, but it is crucial to developing an understanding of the underlying mechanism behind climate change. In this article, the authors review the development of a unit that focuses on the relationship between energy, greenhouse gases, aerosols (a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air), and temperature through a model known as the Earth's Energy Budget, which tracks incoming and outgoing radiation, similar to a monetary budget. They implemented this unit in an Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science class, using the framing question: "Could aerosols worsen or improve what greenhouse gases are doing to our atmosphere?" By the end of the unit, the students knew why greenhouse gases and aerosols affect the climate and used this understanding to ask insightful questions that the authors hope will propel their intellectual curiosity.

Thermogravimetry coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) is a useful technique for the thermal and structural characterization of materials at academic and research levels. This paper describes an experiment for chemistry students to understand the use of TG-FTIR for advanced qualitative and quantitative thermal analysis using a natural compound as a sample. In the classroom, students learned about the fundamental principle of thermal analysis, TG-FTIR instrumentation, and different applications of this coupled technique for materials characterization. In the laboratory, students received a description of each part of the TG-FTIR system, as well as how to tune the system and to develop a method. The primary objective of the experiment was to guide them in the interpretation of results including thermograms, infrared spectra, DSC, and Gram Schmidt (GS) curves. For this, students prepared and analyzed cellulose fibers extracted from pineapple leaves and a mixture of them with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and monoethanolamine (MEA). Students were initially instructed to study the TG, DSC, and Gram Schmidt curves and to identify the temperatures at which the most significant mass changes occurred. Then, they focused on analyzing the infrared spectra obtained at each temperature range. This practice allowed them to identify the gases emitted during fiber decomposition and the volatile character of the MEA as well as to corroborate the MEA presence in the fiber/MEA mixture. This procedure can be adapted to guide students in the analysis of pure substances and mixtures.

Developing simpler, more accessible, and more affordable methods for the determination of the boiling point of microscale amounts of liquid may lead to increased utilization in research and teaching laboratories as an analytical technique. Our efforts toward that goal have revealed that digital hot plates can be used as the heat source. One option is to simply use a test tube and a digital thermometer, requiring 300 µL of liquid that accurately determines boiling points that range from 35 to 150 °C. An alternative method, requiring as little as 30 µL of liquid, utilizes a modified aluminum block and a temperature control probe coupled to the digital hot plate that results in the accurate determination of boiling points that range from 35 to 205 °C. Both modifications to the Siwoloboff-Wiegand method provide consistent, reliable, and accurate boiling points for a variety of liquids with a wide range of boiling points.

A low-cost alternative to the typical scientific laboratory water bath or a hot plate stirrer water bath is proposed. Readily available immersion circulators have been developed for sous vide cooking. These precision cookers are designed to maintain water at an exact temperature and thus are well-suited for the similar laboratory requirements of a stirred water bath. It was found that these devices can maintain a laboratory water bath within ±0.1 °C.

This paper presents a system for remote monitoring of turbidity data that can detect light intensity and temperature using a microcontroller and the Internet of Things. The system comprises a light dependent resistor and infrared temperature sensor interfaced with an ESP-12E microcontroller, a programmable data acquisition platform; together these enable remote real-time monitoring of turbidity data applicable to chemical education. This system will allow educators and students to monitor chemical experiments in real-time through a web browser. Changes in turbidity and signal processing associated with a light dependent resistor are stored locally on the microcontroller and transmitted wirelessly via a WiFi-based connection to a cloud-based server. The light intensity signals are displayed on the system through an organic light-emitting diode and subsequently uploaded to a cloud-based server. A web-based signal processing MATLAB program plots the uploaded signals available as real-time streams to authorized subscribers over standard browsers.

The article proposes a new research object for a general physics course--the vapour Cartesian diver, designed to study the properties of saturated water vapour. Physics education puts great importance on the study of the saturated vapour state, as it is related to many fundamental laws and theories. For example, the temperature dependence of the saturated water vapour pressure allows the teacher to demonstrate the Le Chatelier's principle: increasing the temperature of a system in a dynamic equilibrium favours the endothermic change. That means that increasing the temperature increases the amount of vapour present, and so increases the saturated vapour pressure. The experimental setup proposed in this paper can be used as an example of an auto-oscillatory system, based on the properties of saturated vapour. The article describes a mathematical model of physical processes that occur in the experiment, and proposes a numerical solution method for the acquired system of equations. It shows that the results of numerical simulation coincide with the self-oscillation parameters from the real experiment. The proposed installation can also be considered as a model of a thermal engine.

The purpose of this study is to examine the process of conceptual change in which the heat concept has gone through in time and provide an analytical assessment. To this end, problem-based learning groups were formed with 13 sophomore university students. One of these students was selected and interviewed. The interviews were examined using the content analysis method, which is one of the qualitative analysis' methods. Grounded theory techniques were used to interpret the data. According to the results, the student had difficulties in distinguishing between heat and thermal energy. The student explained what heat is as "a type of energy stored in a matter" and how heat comes out as "a result of frictions which occur while particles of a matter collide with each other." It is seen that the opinions of the student are affected by common misconceptions such as "heat loss" or "the energy lost during friction turns into heat." The opinions of the student are disconnected pieces of information and her opinions change constantly throughout the process. At the end of the process, the student managed to differentiate the heat concept and thermal energy concept. In addition, she corrected her conception of heat in line with scientific theories.

The infrared camera is a useful tool in physics education to 'see' in the infrared. In this paper, we describe four simple experiments that focus on phenomena related to heat transfer and optics that are encountered at undergraduate physics level using an infrared camera, and discuss the strengths and limitations of this tool for such purposes.

The purpose of this research was to investigate an efficient method to assess year 8 (age 13-14) students' conceptual understanding of heat and temperature concepts. Two different types of instruments were used in this study: Type 1, consisting of multiple-choice items with open-ended justifications; and Type 2, consisting of two-tier multiple-choice items. Each of the instruments was administered to two separate cohorts of 173 and 143 year 8 students of similar achievement. The findings indicated that the students were better able to show their understanding in the two-tier multiple-choice items. Hence, based on this investigation, two-tier multiple-choice items may be more suitable for evaluating year 8 students' understanding of science concepts.

A procedure for the study of structural differences and intermolecular attraction between ethanol and 1-butanol based in laboratory work is described. This study provides comparisons of data retrieved from both a determination of boiling point and gas chromatography traces for the mixture. The methodology reported here should provide instructors with an investigation that functions within a molecular structure unit, and provides the students with valuable insight into intermolecular forces.

This paper describes an undergraduate laboratory experiment where students study the heating behavior of magnetic nanoparticles in the presence of alternating magnetic fields. Average score on the post-test was 45±12% for students who completed the lab online, versus 43±11% for those doing the activity hands-on. Post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-tests in both sections (p < 0.05). Results also indicate that the activity contributed to outcomes set forth by ABET, Inc. for undergraduate chemical engineering students.

This cross-sectional study examined how the progression and consistency of students' understanding of thermal concepts in everyday contexts changes across the grade levels. A total of 656 Turkish students from Grade 8 (age 13-14), Grade 10 (age 15-16), and the first year of college (age 19-20) participated in the study. The data were analysed using statistical procedures (descriptive and inferential). Findings indicated a substantial progression in the students' scientific understanding of thermal concepts across grade levels. In addition, the students' alternative conceptions about thermal concepts generally decreased in frequency across grade levels, but certain alternative conceptions were observed in every grade level to a similar extent. Even though the number of students who consistently used scientific ideas increased across grade levels, the number of students who consistently used non-scientific ideas decreased across grade levels. However, the number of students who used scientific and non-scientific ideas inconsistently generally increased as they progressed in the science curriculum. These findings can be associated with either fragmentation or alternative conceptions that result from the gradual enrichment processes students experience when they try to integrate scientific concepts into their conceptual frameworks.

Exposure of organisms to high temperatures and various chemical and physical stressors can cause protein misfolding and aggregation. In turn, this can disrupt the functions of proteins, threatening both development and homeostasis. To overcome this, cells can initiate the highly conserved heat shock (HS) stress response pathway. In eukaryotes, this is a coordinated cellular response, in which the master HS activator, heat shock factor (HSF), is rapidly recruited to the HS protein genes, and triggers the recruitment of additional coactivator proteins that facilitate gene expression. This results in the production of HS proteins that function as nuclear and cytosolic molecular chaperones, to promote refolding of proteins and prevent aggregation and increase protein degradation pathways. Here, we describe a laboratory exercise in which students visualize and quantify Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)-tagged HSF binding to the HS protein genes in living "Drosophila" salivary gland nuclei as an output of chemically induced protein misfolding. Students are assigned an array of chemicals, and using the scientific literature, predict impacts of these chemicals on protein folding. Students then test the effects of their chemicals by measuring GFP-tagged HSF binding to the HS genes in salivary glands using confocal microscopy. Designed for junior and senior level students in a cell/molecular biology course, this is a two-part lab, in which student work closely with an instructor to help familiarize them with developing hypotheses supported by scientific literature and testing these hypotheses by quantitating the levels of GFP-HSF binding, using confocal microscopy of living "Drosophila" cells.

This paper explains how heating and ventilation systems as technical artefacts shaped the historical meaning of Swiss school buildings between 1830 and 1930 by analysing official and legal documents, sources regarding the World Exhibitions, and minutes at the Zurich cantonal and city archives. It exposes the theoretical assumptions of heating and ventilation systems as historical artefacts and their relevance for the history of education. It analyses the first legislation on school buildings in Switzerland as an engine and product of modern schooling. It examines the construction of the 'good schoolhouse' in the context of the World Exhibitions. It traces how both the school regulations and knowledge transfer are reflected in construction processes of local school buildings in the Canton of Zurich. Finally, it synthesises the previous discussions to explain the historical meaning of the school building in Switzerland creating national identity and cosmopolitanism at the same time.