Ultrasound in the undergraduate lab

Raman Spectroscopy Setup and Experiments for the Advanced Undergraduate Lab

Raman Spectroscopy is an important characterization technique in analytical chemistry and in solid state physics. This contribution describes the redesign of a Raman experiment for the Advanced Physics Lab and shows experimental results acquired with this new setup. Solid and liquid samples are irradiated by a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser in backscattering geometry. The emission is focused on...

Virtual Instrumentation in an Undergraduate Electrical Machines Lab

At OSU, we have substantially completed a major instru-mentation upgrade of the undergraduate energy conversion laboratory. We are now utilizing digital signal acquisition and virtual instrumentation (using National Instruments' LabVIEW software) to collect and visualize data. Data from GPIB digital oscilloscopes can also be acquired in our setup. Dynamometers have been purchased which interfac...

Particle Size Determination: An undergraduate lab in Mie scattering

Reading English in the Computer Lab

The present study compares the performance of two TEFL reading classes: one taking place in a regular classroom and the other held in a computer lab, with the learners practicing reading online. The results of an independent samples t-test showed that the difference between the learners’ scores on their reading comprehension post-tests and pretests did not differ statistically significantly fro...

Using RNAi in C. elegans to Demonstrate Gene Knockdown Phenotypes in the Undergraduate Biology Lab Setting

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful technology used to knock down genes in basic research and medicine. In 2006 RNAi technology using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine and thus students graduating in the biological sciences should have experience with this technology. However, students struggle conceptually with the molecular biology behind the RNAi t...