Welcome to IDS Education Resources

The Spring 2011 Vernier Caliper newsletter is now available to download. The Caliper contains plenty of experiment ideas along with tips on how to use various sensors and updates on all the goings on at Vernier. Click Here... or on the picture to Download.

In this issue:

Locating a Black Hole: Read how students at Madonna high school applied vernier hardware and software to the task of locating a massive black hole believed to exist in the centre of out galaxy.

NEW Centripetal Force Apparatus: Read about the new apparatus we have to explore centripetal force.

Organic Chemistry with Vernier: 16 free to download organic chemistry experiments.

NEW Melt Station: A brand new sensor used to determine the melting temperature of solids.

Software Updates: If you are not fully up to date with Vernier software, download details can be found here.

Solar Panels: A nice experiment showing the output of small solar panels using Vernier voltage and current sensors.

Click here to Download this complete experiment, including: Teachers notes, safety tips and sample data: Taken from the Investigating Environmental Science Lab Book.

In the preliminary activity, students investigate the respiration of germinating peas using a CO2 Gas Sensor. A student handout for the preliminary activity can be found at the end of the experiment.

During the subsequent Inquiry Process, students will investigate various aspects of cell respiration of germinating seeds.

Renewable energy and energy conservation have key roles to play in humanity’s efforts to tackle the pressing global challenges of climate change, pollution and resource depletion. As a theme, renewable energy is an excellent way to teach STEM subjects and stimulate cross-curricular project work.

Lack of awareness of its technical intricacies can be a challenge to embedding it in the curriculum. There is a need to allocate time and resources for teachers to master both the theory and practice of renewable energy technologies and to develop a coherent work scheme.

To find out more Click Here to download the article.

Click on the titles below to download

These experiments are ready-to-use or you can adapt them to your own curriculum

• Beers Law
• The Determination of an Equilibrium Constant
• The Determination of Chlorophyll in Olive Oil
• Emission Spectra
• Flame Test
• Kinetics of a Bleach Reaction
• Rydberg Constant
• Transmittance of Theatrical Lighting Filters
• Visible Spectra of Commercial Dyes

Here are some innovative experiments from Vernier in the US:

• Video Analysis and Muscle Physiology
• Use the SpectroVis Plus to Explore Fluorescence Spectroscopy
• Watts Up with the Freezer
• Studying the Diving Reflex in the Laboratory
• Test Hearing Response with LabQuest
• How Do You Dim an LED?
• Spectral Analysis of Fireflies
• In The Best Light
• Showing Speed and Location in Google™ Maps
• LabQuest in Antarctica
• Force Plate Used to Measure Forces Exerted by Screws
• Investigating Periodic Trends
• Monitoring Temperatures in a Reptile Enclosure
• High CO² Levels Putting You to Sleep?
• Monitoring blood pressure and EKG simultaneously
• Experimenting with Solar Panels

Do you have any innovative ways of using Vernier equipment? If so, please send them to us.

For every one published, we'll send you a voucher for £50.

A member of our Irish team has put together this useful pamphlet highlighting 17 Experiments and Demonstrations using Vernier probes, sensors and interfaces. This course is ideal for any school which has recently purchased or is considering purchasing a Vernier data logging system.

Download it for free here.

• Beer's Law
  • Use a SpectroVis Spectrophotometer to determine the concentration of an unknown solution...
• Crystal Violet
  • An investigation of the rate law determination of the crystal violet reaction using the LabQuest and SpectroVis.
• LEGO^® NXT MINDSTORMS^® Videos
  • Design and build a rotating Solar Tracker, Migrating Robot, Mine Sweeper, Magnet Finder and much more...
• Intro to Gas Chromatography
  • Set up, collect data, and analyse with the Vernier Mini GC.
• Drug Test (LabQuest)
  • Test an unknown substance using qualitative analysis procedures from the Forensics with Vernier lab book.
• Watts Up with the Freezer
  • Using the Watts Up Pro sensor.
• Get a Grip!
  • Use a Gas Pressure Sensor and a LabQuest to investigate grip strength and muscle fatigue.
• Lemon Juice
  • Use lemons to make a battery and measure the voltage produced with the Differential Voltage probe and LabQuest.
• Bubbles in Your Bread
  • Use Gas Pressure Sensors and a LabQuest to measure the change in pressure as bread dough rises.
• Cool Reaction
  • Use a temperature probe and LabQuest to record the temperature of the reaction of vinegar and baking soda.
• Power Amplifier Overview
  • How to use it with a LabQuest to create standing waves on a string and pulsating light from a lamp.
• Beer's Law
  • Use a SpectroVis Spectrophotometer to determine the concentration of an unknown solution.
• Acid-Base Titration
  • Use a pH Sensor, Stir Station, Drop Counter and LabQuest to perform an acid-base titration.
• SensorDAQ
  • The SensorDAQ data-acquisition interface is designed to be programmed with National Instruments' LabVIEW software.
• Freezing & Melting of Water
  • Use a temperature probe and LabQuest to investigate the freezing and melting temperatures of water.
• Comparing Sunscreens
  • Use a UVB sensor to test how much UV light is blocked by different sunscreens.
• Bungee Jump Accelerations
  • Use a Low-g Accelerometer to measure bungee jump accelerations.
• Reflectivity of Light
  • Use the Light Sensor and LabQuest to measure the light intensity reflected off pieces of paper of different colour. The Stainless Steel Temperature Probe will measure the heat absorbed by the paper.
• Grip Strength Comparison
  • Use a hand dynamometer to compare the grip strength of one hand versus another.
• Heart Rate and Body Position
  • Compare the heart rate between various body positions using the Hand-Grip Heart Rate Sensor and LabQuest.
• Friction
  • Compare the frictional forces on a variety of surfaces using a Dual-Range Force Sensor with LabQuest.
• An Inclined Plane
  • Compare the forces necessary using a LabQuest and a Dual-Range Force Sensor.
• Crystal Violet
  • An investigation of the rate law determination of the crystal violet reaction using the LabQuest and SpectroVis.
• Enzyme Action
  • Measure the amount of oxygen produced when hydrogen peroxide is destroyed by an enzyme catalase using an O₂ Gas Sensor.
• Air Resistance
  • Observe the constant velocity of a falling coffee filter to learn about air resistance using a Motion Detector.
• Falling Objects
  • Use a LabQuest and a Motion Detector to study the velocities of two different falling objects.
• Cell Respiration
  • Use a CO₂ and O₂ Gas Sensor to measure the concentrations of gas during cell respiration of peas.

Here are two great PowerPoint presentations to use with your Vernier datalogging:

Neutralisation Questions

Exo- or Endothermic?

We have collected the 22 chemistry experiments into one Word document from which you can cut and paste experiments to make your own Practical Data Logging book.

The complete text is also available as a PDF document.

The complete set of e-books for these experiments has also been collected together into a zipped file - when selected in LoggerPro, (after unzipping), these files set-up the experiment and guide you through the data logging side of the experiment via short on-screen texts.

With grateful thanks to Lawson Cockroft. A few biographical details: 10 years teaching chemistry at grammar school, GCSE and A Level, then the rest of the time teaching Ordinary National and Higher National Certificate Chemistry to part-time day release students at technical college, eventually ending up teaching Physical Chemistry to GRSC and honours degree level. Now retired but still involved with the Chilterns & Middlesex Section of the Royal Society of Chemistry and is now mainly interested in applying ICT to practical work and individual assignments.

Why Learn That brings you educational material and demonstrations. Hands-on and multi-media are mixed to allow for a range of learning styles for all ages.

Science, mathematics, engineering, biology and art are brought together in cross-disciplinary activities to show that what you teach and learn in school can be relevant. And don't assume that science or maths is "dumbed-down" if it is applied. In application you often find your knowledge is stretched and often in areas you didn't expect!