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Comments about this Publication
Date: 2012.09.30
Posted by Mónica S. N. Oliveira (Portugal)
Message: This particular link presents a virtual experiment designed to illustrate the differences in viscosity between several common liquids, as well as the effect of temperature on the viscosity. The “experiment” is a classical ball-drop experiment, and can qualitatively illustrate the concept of viscosity without requiring a real experimental set-up. The virtual experiment is probably of limited use in the classroom (unless time and basic resources are an issue), but its simplicity and visual appeal mean that it can be used as a learning resource by people of all ages, for example in the home environment. Furthermore, it can serve as a basis to develop an in-class experiment.
The link posted does not provide any information about the physical phenomena, but in reality it is part of a larger resource collection set-up by Schlumberger that includes much more detailed information. The main website is not straight-forward to navigate, but after you find the lab related resources section (http://www.planetseed.com/science/lab/) it contains a range of very useful information for students and teachers, including a large array of experiments related mostly to physical properties of fluids. In each experiment, a detailed protocol with illustrations is provided, both in html and as a downloadable pdf file (the latter can be directly used as a handout in class), as well as teacher’s notes, providing further in-depth information, safety concerns, expected results, etc. Very interestingly the site, as well as the downloadable files, are translated in several languages, including Portuguese and Spanish, which may be of added value to school teachers. The experiments are simple, well conceived and tested, and focus on materials and properties of relevance in day-to-day life. Importantly, most experiments can provide not only qualitative information about the physical phenomena, but also quantitative measurements of the relevant property (e.g., density, viscosity) and results are provided for comparison.
National Reports on successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry The national reports on chemistry successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry are now available on the related section of the project portal. The reports presents examples of successful experiences in the partner countries and the results of testing of ICT resources with science teachers.
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