Implementation of an Accessible Gas Chromatography Laboratory Experiment for High School Students

Knowing the volume of evolved gases is helpful to select an optimal leavening agent for a particular application. The comparison of leavening agents, their reactions through the baking process in the modern and attractive way, is presented here. A gas pressure sensor probe was used to monitor the pressure change due to the carbon dioxide produced in the decomposition as a function of time. The experiment is simple to set up, uses nonhazardous materials, and provides students with an opportunity to engage with commonly used household products. It was conducted by over 200 high school students. Both students and teachers found the activity interesting. Students’ engagement was increased by seeing the real-world application of this activity. Most students and teachers recommended this activity to be part of the laboratory practices.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leavening Agents: The Chemistry of Baking Discovered with a Computer-Based Learning

Babinčáková

2020

“…Several chemistry and chemical engineering laboratory experiments typically use contexts that are familiar to students as the foundation. Examples of this approach include food and beverages, ,, fragrances , and even music to introduce relevant concepts such as the impact of various chemical functional groups or analytical techniques such as chromatography or spectroscopy.…”

Section: Design Principle 4: Accessibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

How to Design Experiential Learning Resources for Independent Learning

Inguva

Shah

et al. 2021

Key components of any experiential learning module are the resources students use to learn. These typically include laboratory equipment, handouts, and instructional material in the form of videos or standard operating procedures (SOPs). Their design and implementation require careful thought to ensure that students learn in an effective and meaningful way. From our own experience in the undergraduate teaching laboratory and from a variety of literature sources, we have identified five design principles that educators should consider and integrate into their resource development workflows: safety, authenticity, flexibility, accessibility, and robustness (SAFAR). We present several examples of how each principle can be implemented using Kolb’s experiential learning cycle as a lens to understand the impact of each design principle on the learning process.

“…While the National Research Council’s A Framework for K–12 Science Education references the “interaction of electromagnetic radiation and matter” (Disciplinary Core Idea PS4.B), its application within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS; the basis for learning standards for the bulk of our students) does not include any examples of spectrophotometry itself. The only chemistry-related reference of the interaction of light and matter is in performance expectation HS-PS4-4 that states, “Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter.” While some high school students might use spectrophotometers in an AP or second year chemistry course and receive instruction in the interactions of light and matter on a molecular level, , these students often bypass the first semester general chemistry lab.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The only chemistry-related reference of the interaction of light and matter is in performance expectation HS-PS4-4 that states, "Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter." 21 While some high school students might use spectrophotometers in an AP or second year chemistry course and receive instruction in the interactions of light and matter on a molecular level, 22,23 these students often bypass the first semester general chemistry lab.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mass Is Better than Light: Students’ Perception of Using Spectrophotometry and Gravimetric Analysis to Determine the Formula of a Hydrate in the General Chemistry Lab

Milligan,

Wink

2024

A key part of the practice of chemistry is the analysis of chemical composition, including through gravimetric analysis and spectrophotometry. However, the complexity of doing multiple calculations to obtain analytical evidence, such as that required to determine an empirical formula, presents a challenge if such analytical methods are to be understood by students and if they support meaningful learning about other chemical concepts and methods. In this study, we investigate student use of spectrophotometry and gravimetric analysis to determine the number of water molecules in hydrates of copper(II) salts, a method previously described by Barlag and Nyasulu. Using phenomenography to analyze students’ reports through the lens of meaningful learning, we identified four distinct perceptions and, within them, information on how students make sense of the complex analytical steps involved in the experiment. We identify how meaningful learning is present where students recognized that spectrophotometry was based on light–matter interactions (cognitive), was faster and more accurate (psychomotor), and allowed students to express confidence in the process and their results (affective). However, it is also the case that meaningful learning was compromised where students had trouble conceptualizing spectrophotometry, saw it as a set of disconnected steps, and saw absorbance as a computer-generated value and not a property of the solution. This led to the perception that gravimetric analysis provided a more direct and understandable technique. We discuss the implications of these findings for chemistry education research (CER) and curriculum development in the undergraduate teaching lab.