Innovative Uses of Vernier Technology

In addition to our large variety of experiments offered in our curriculum, teachers use their creativity to bring excitement to the classroom. Find out how our sensors have made the ordinary into the extraordinary!

Doing something innovative in your classroom? Tell us about it by e-mail at innovativeuses@vernier.com

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Showing all 89 innovative uses, most recent entries shown first.

Title	Excerpt	Products Used
Getting a Grip on InspireData�	Brendon Walters, a 7th grade student at Patton Middle School, McMinnville, OR, recently spent the day at Vernier as part of "Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day." We put him to work collecting data that he could graph and model using InspireData software from Inspiration Software. Brendon's experiment combined sensor data and survey questions to investigate relationships among grip strength, hand temperature, gender, handedness, and perception o... [more] Science Subjects: Middle School Science, Physiology	Hand Dynamometer Surface Temperature Sensor Vernier LabQuest
Measuring Motor Speed	Brian Lamore, physics teacher at the Chinquapin School, Highlands, Texas, has his students build a "Beakman's" Motor to study electromagnetic induction. This simple motor can be built in a single class period and the activity is always a favorite of his students. But nothing makes an activity more interesting than a little competition, so Brian challenges his students to build the motor that will spin the fastest. Instructions can be found at http://www.simplemotor.com/bmotor.ht... [more] Science Subjects: Engineering, Physics	LabPro Interface Voltage Probe Logger Pro 3
Spectral Analysis of Fireflies	10 year-old Ben Carter of Nashville, Tennessee, was curious about the light given off by a firefly. Ben has inherited his natural curiosity and love of science from his father, Vernier consultant David Carter. Ben borrowed his dad�s Vernier Spectrometer and used it to capture the emission spectra of the fireflies. It took a lot of patience and a bit of luck to capture the data. Ben wanted to be sure to note that no fireflies were harmed in doing this experiment. Download the Logger ... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Earth Science, Life Science	Vernier Spectrometer Logger Pro 3
Capturing Monarch Metamorphosis in Logger Pro	Ben Carter, a 12-year-old from Nashville, TN, captured a beautiful time-lapse video of a monarch caterpillar pupating into a chrysalis using Logger Pro and a ProScope HR camera (order code BD-HRB, $275). After planting milkweed obtained from www.livemonarch.com, the monarch caterpillars began showing up in their yard. Ben used the 1-10X lens on a ProScope HR digital USB camera connected to a laptop computer running Logger Pro to capture this video, then shared his results with us. Show ... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Life Science	Basic ProScope HR Kit Logger Pro 3
Hot House	Clarence Bakken, a retired physics teacher from California, explored insulating capabilities of different wall materials. Clarence used an Infrared Thermometer (order code IRT-BTA, $159) to study the rate at which heat is transferred through the walls in a model house. He used a simple cube that students built out of wood, glass, or plastic. During the activity, students investigate basic concepts in heat transfer. Download this sample activity (105 KB PDF) ... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Vernier Infrared Thermometer
How Do You Dim an LED?	Have you ever seen an LED-based headlamp that has selectable brightness? Sometimes the brightness change is from turning on more or fewer LEDs, but sometimes the individual LEDs seem to change brightness. How does this work? Usually when you reduce the voltage across an LED, it just goes out. We looked into this question using a Vernier Light Sensor and a LabQuest. You could do this with any visible light sensor and a computer or calculator interface. The first clue was an observation: ... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Light Sensor Vernier LabQuest
Creative Classroom Solutions	Peter O'Connor, a teacher from Boonsboro High School in Maryland, described a situation facing many teachers�lots of students and only a few computers. "Having used Logger Pro for many years dating back to the ULI days, my school has been happy using it in our labs. However, as class size increased, we have had issues with maintaining a small lab group size for each lab. This is a large issue when it comes to doing Vernier labs with computers. We only have 8 computers ... [more] Science Subjects: AP/IB, Chemistry	pH Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Spectrophotometric Analysis of the Metals in a U.S. Five-Cent Coin	A number of methods have been developed to determine the composition of a binary mixture spectrophotometrically. Most of these are directed at mixtures where one component can be isolated from the other or they require a Beer's law experiment to measure the molar absorptivity of each of the substances in the mixture. Vernier consultant, Walter Rohr, came across an article published in the February 1989 Journal of Chem Ed that described a method of resolving mixtures with overlapping spect... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry	Vernier Spectrometer Logger Pro 3
Creating a Topographic Map with Motion Detectors	Brillion Middle School teachers Ryan Peterson and Matt Van Thiel have their 8th grade Earth Science students do a fun and engaging activity on topographic mapping. The activity is based on the Earth Science with Vernier activity "Ocean Floor Mapping." Using plastic utility tarps, they create a simulated lake in their classroom. Fishing line is used to set up a 24 x 24 grid over the top of the "lake." Vernier Motion Detectors are taped to the end of long poles and are used as �boats� to go arou... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science	Motion Detector LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Natural Bridge Caverns	Vernier recently attended the GLOBE annual conference in San Antonio, TX, where we sponsored a field trip to Natural Bridge Caverns, a limestone cave. Sixty teachers made their way through the wet, drippy tour of the caverns and collected relative humidity, temperature, and barometric pressure data along the way. Due to the recent, heavy rains in the region, the water in the cavern rose high enough to measure the pH of the water in the aquifer. Five Vernier sensors meet GLOBE Program sp... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, Middle School Science	Conductivity Probe Dissolved Oxygen Sensor pH Sensor Relative Humidity Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Human Respiration	We all know that when you inhale, some of the oxygen gas in that breath is converted into carbon dioxide gas and then exhaled. But how much CO2 gas is produced? Would more CO2 gas be produced if you held your breath before exhaling? We used our CO2 Gas Sensor on its high-range setting and a BioChamber 250 to answer these questions. First, a normal breath was exhaled through the neck of the BioChamber 250, filling the chamber. A #6 rubber stopper was placed in the top vent and a CO2 Gas ... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Physiology	CO₂ Gas Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3 O₂ Gas Sensor
What a Drag!	A customer called recently looking for ideas on aerodynamic drag experiments. This inspired us to do a little research with toy cars on the roof of a car. We mounted two toy carts: one streamlined, and one not as aerodynamic. They were connected so that our Dual-Range Force Sensor would measure the drag force on them as we drove them along through the air. Our team of investigators included a driver, a computer operator, and someone to yell out the speedometer readings. We collect... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Dual-Range Force Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Heat Conduction	Bernard Zalewski from Marianist Province USA sent us some information on how he uses our Go!Temp to do experiments on thermal conductivity. He uses several different metals. Here are some of his results. ... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry, Physics	Go!Temp Logger Pro 3
Investigating an Acid Mixture	An interesting and challenging problem for AP Chemistry students is the investigation of a mixture. We have a great chemistry experiment available in which the student analyzes a mixture of hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid. This lab presents the student with the task of conducting a seemingly routine acid-base titration. However, the student must analyze the titration data to determine how much HCl and how much H3PO4 were mixed. As an added bonus, the student will determine the Ka2... [more] Science Subjects: AP/IB, Chemistry	Logger Pro 3
Osmosis Experiment	Finding examples of osmosis for the biology laboratory that promote student inquiry and offer relatively quick results have been hard to come by. A new osmosis investigation has been developed by Mike Collins, one of our staff biology teachers, that helps students understand this essential concept of cell homeostasis. In this easy to perform experiment, students use their sensory inputs of smell, touch, sight, and possibly taste in combination with software and technology to explore osmosis... [more] Science Subjects: Biology	Gas Pressure Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Electrostatics with Charge Sensors	Robert Morse wrote an excellent and detailed article titled, "Electrostatics with Computer-Interfaced Charge Sensors". Download the article and discover how to use this sensor to measure charge polarity, charging by induction and more. Download Electrostatics with Computer-Interfaced Charge Sensors (143 KB PDF) ... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Charge Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Troubleshooting a Radio	Ham radio enthusiast and Vernier consultant Lew Malchick was having trouble with one of his radios. The packet system radio is set up to support the Nassau County, NY Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group, so it was important to keep the radio functioning. Lew's packet data was being corrupted as the radio switched from receive to transmit, rendering the information unusable. Lew suspected a faulty power supply and connected a voltmeter to watch for irregularities, but nothing show... [more] Science Subjects: Engineering, Physics	Differential Voltage Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
An Oscillating Reaction	Each year, Joan Pease, AP Chemistry teacher at Hall High School, West Hartford, CT, has her students participate in a Chemistry Fair. She has her students design a unique experiment testing a topic that was studied during the year. Last year, two of her students, Douglas Dell'Accio and David Leer, designed a project that investigated the Belousov-Zhabotinsky Oscillating Reaction. Their novel approach was to use a Vernier Conductivity Probe to investigate the reaction. The variation o... [more] Science Subjects: AP/IB, Chemistry	Conductivity Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Get Ready for the Ring	Comparing hand strength Nick La Rosa, a Level 2 boxing coach from Victoria, Australia, found he could use Vernier data-collection technology to improve the performance of his boxers. Nick has developed various tests to help him evaluate fitness levels of the boxers, as well as effectiveness of the training program. Nick uses the Force Plate to evaluate jump and arm strength power rates. One boxer more than doubl... [more] Science Subjects: Physiology	Force Plate Hand Dynamometer LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
What To Do With Old CBLs?	Nüsret Hisim (Walkersville HS, Walkersville, MD) was in the same situation as many other customers: He long ago updated his interfaces to newer LabPros or CBL 2s. Here are some creative ways he makes use of those older, original CBLs: Use them as stand-alone meters. The original CBL not only had a meter screen on the unit, but it also came with three inexpensive sensors—temperature, light, and voltage. Simply turn on the CBL, connect one of these senso... [more] Science Subjects: General Science	Force Plate LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Speed of Sound in a Snap	One of the experiments in our physics lab manuals has students determine the speed of sound in air by creating a short sound in a column of air, such as a hollow tube. A Vernier Microphone is used to pick up the initial sound and the echo of the sound from the end of the tube. Sample data collected with a clicker and a fluorescent tube guard A graph of the data allows the student to determine the round-trip time... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Microphone LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Testing Heat Packs	Investigating single-use heat packs A popular, inexpensive, product sold in northern climes is a single-use packet that warms up upon "activation" and stays warm for a few hours. They come in different sizes, most are small enough to fit in an adult palm, and they're advertised as "hand warmers," "feet warmers," or generically as heat packs. The label of these heat packs tells the user to simply open the outer package before use, ... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry	O₂ Gas Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Speed of Sound in Air	There are a number of ways to measure the speed of sound in air. Some use simple equipment, and others use computer- or calculator-based technology. A common, non-technical method uses a tuning fork to set up resonance in a column of air. The length of the resonating air column, along with the frequency of the tuning fork, is used to calculate the speed of sound. Microphones and computer- or calculator-based technology provide other methods. Experiment 24, Speed of Sound, in our... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Gas Pressure Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Comparing LED and Traditional Holiday Lights	LED lights are becoming much more common. They�re used in traffic lights, bicycle lights, flashlights, message displays, and their application is growing. LED holiday lights have been available for several years; however, the sales of the LED versions lag behind the traditional incandescent lights, primarily because of cost. (LED lights can be as much as five times more expensive.) Nevertheless, LED lights have several important advantages over conventional incandescent bulbs, including ... [more] Science Subjects: Engineering, General Science, Physics	Light Sensor Surface Temperature Sensor Vernier Spectrometer LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Battery Life Comparison	Brian Lamore, physical science teacher at the Chinquapin School in Highlands, Texas, wanted to get his students to investigate which battery was the best. Based on their experiences (and with a little help from advertising) the students made their predictions. Using four Voltage Probes connected to a LabPro, Brian's students measured the changes in voltage as the batteries supplied power to a simple circuit. Each battery was in a circuit that powered a 6.2 W lamp. The results were fa... [more] Science Subjects: Engineering, Physics, Technology	Voltage Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Investigating Resistivity	Alan Gleue, physics teacher at Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Kansas, called our tech support line with a challenge. He wanted to be able to use Vernier sensors to investigate resistivity in copper wire. The issue troubling Alan - how to measure small changes in voltage with enough precision to be able to see the relationship between wire length, cross-sectional area, and resistance. At the Vernier end of the call was our own Rick Sorensen. Rick is one of the co-authors of our physics ... [more] Science Subjects: Engineering, Physics, Technology	Logger Pro 3 LabPro Interface Instrumentation Amplifier Current Probe Vernier Circuit Board
Students Monitor Classroom Conditions	Two groups of local science students from Westview High School, Beaverton, OR, recently won honors with projects using our sensors to monitor their school environment. Julio Montano, Jose Perez, and Josean Perez used our temperature sensors to monitor classroom temperature and how it affects student attention span. The project won awards at the science fair. One of the science fair judges told the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about it, and the students w... [more] Science Subjects: Environmental, General Science, Physical Science, Technology	CO₂ Gas Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Mercury Fingerprint	Spectrum from a "green" fluorescent lamp Did you know that even if a fluorescent lamp is labeled "green" it may still contain some mercury? We used a Vernier Spectrometer to study the emission spectrum of a modern fluorescent tube. It had a very strong peak at 546 nm, one of the characteristic emission wavelengths of mercury. Dispose of your old lamps properly, even if they are marked as "green." You can also use a cool new Logger... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry, Physics	Vernier Spectrometer Logger Pro 3
Forensics Death Scene Investigation	Students at Susquehanna Township High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, participated in a program where the students studied the life cycle of the blowfly and its relationship to the decomposition of a deer. This program motivated 9th grade student Drew Evans to do some further investigation for his science fair project. Drew was intrigued with the effect that temperature had on the activity of the insects. Knowing that death scene investigations focus on deter... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, General Science, Integrated, Life Science, Physical Science, Technology	Logger Pro 3 LabPro Interface Stainless Steel Temperature Probe
Measuring a Plant's Response to Gravity	Judy Day, with the Science House, a NC State University K-12 science outreach program, has developed an activity investigating a plant's response to gravity. Judy uses a ProScope USB digital microscope to record changes over time in a plant that has been placed on its side. For best results, Judy recommends using an Arabidopsis thaliana (the wild variety) having an inflorescence stem at least 10 cm long. Here is a brief description of Judy's procedure: ... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Environmental, General Science, Life Science, Middle School Science, Physical Science, Technology	Logger Pro 3 Basic ProScope HR Kit
Investigating Airport Sound Levels	Sound levels of airplanes at take off and landing Anyone who lives along the flight path of a major airport knows that sound pollution is an unpleasant fact of life. Riley Wilson, Tim Horton, and Mario Bautista, 8th grade students at Hughes Middle School in Long Beach, California, know this all too well, often having instruction interrupted as planes fly over their school. Airplane noise in the Long Beach area is a frequent topic ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Engineering, General Science, Middle School Science, Physics, Technology, Environmental, Life Science	Sound Level Meter LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Determination of Chlorophyll in Olive Oil	Chlorophyll absorbance We bought some fresh spinach to add to our salad for a healthy lunch, and saved a few of the leaves. We then chopped up the spinach leaves and soaked them in ethanol for an hour, to extract chlorophyll. By filtering the liquid and diluting it with distilled water, we had our chlorophyll sample. We ran two tests. The first test was similar to the food dye/mouthwash investigation; we measured adsorbance as a function of wavelength. T... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental	Logger Pro 3 Vernier Spectrometer
Spectral Analysis of Food Dyes Revisited	The new Vernier Spectrometer allows students to do a wide variety of new lab investigations. To highlight some of its many capabilities, we walked down to the nearest grocery store and picked up a few products to test. We analyzed the visible light absorbance spectrum of various food colorings to see if we could identify the FD&C dyes used in a popular brand of mouthwash. By comparing the "fingerprint" of the food colorings with the absorbance spectrum of mouthwash, it was easy to deter... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry	Vernier Spectrometer Logger Pro 3
Fun with a Wireless Dynamics Sensor System	We�ve been having fun putting the new Wireless Dynamics Sensor System through its paces. This new sensor system, which includes a 3-axis accelerometer, dual-range force sensor, and altimeter, is perfect for exploring physics topics both in and out of the classroom. Here are just a handful of things we have tried. Measuring the Acceleration of a Car Amusement Park Rides at Paramount�s Great America Theme Park Snowboarding at Palmer Snow Field, Mt. Hood, Oregon... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Vernier Wireless Dynamics Sensor System Logger Pro 3
Making the Invisible Visible	Reprinted with permission from the author Roger Delpech and the publication School Science Review. School Science Review (the ASE�s journal for science education 11 - 19), ASE, March 2006, 87 (320) Abstract This paper introduces the use of a gaseous CO2 sensor and data logging equipment, for a variety of purposes in the school laboratory, including measurements of respiratory and photosynthetic rates of animals, plants and microbes. Suggestions are made for taking... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, Life Science	CO₂ Gas Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Measuring Stress Limits of Printer Ribbon	Paul Lulai, physics instructor at Saint Anthony Village Senior High School in Saint Anthony Village, MN, developed an activity to measure the stress limits of printer ribbon. Paul�s students use a Force Sensor and Motion Detector to find the yield point of a single loop of the ribbon. Paul uses printer ribbon, since its yield point is typically within the range of the Force Sensor. Students create two loops on either end of a small length of printer ribbon. (Each loop is taped ... [more] Science Subjects: Engineering, Physics, Technology	Dual-Range Force Sensor Motion Detector LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Determining the Mass of a Copper Atom	In order to determine the mass of a copper atom, students in William Green's AP Chemistry class at E.O. Smith High School, Storrs, CT, follow a procedure similar to the lab "Determining Avagadro's Number" found in Advanced Chemistry with Vernier. His students use an electrolytic cell having copper wire for both the anode and the cathode. During data collection, the current passing through the cell is measured using a Vernier Current Probe. Using the average current, t... [more] Science Subjects: AP/IB, Chemistry	Current Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Skiing with LabPro	Jean-Jacques Rochat spent a few days skiing near his chalet in Ovronnaz, Switzerland. Even though he is no longer a science teacher (now a principal), he could not resist collecting data. Here is a photo and a day's data from a temperature probe and a barometer, used to calculate approximate altitude. Note that you can see each run, his (short) waits in lift lines, and his visit to the store. The altitude data nicely matches the labeled altitudes of the tops of the chair lifts. ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, Physical Science, Physics	Barometer Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface
Around the World with LabPro	Ute Kaden is the first teacher in Brownsville ISD, Texas, to teach AP Physics. To keep the interest of her students at Hanna High School, she literally spans the globe in search of new and exciting ways to bring real-world data into the classroom. Recently she took her Vernier LabPro and sensors to the North Pole! At a latitude of 89� 58.5' she measured salinity, temperature, barometric pressure, and acceleration due to gravity. Her results? g = 9.801 m/s2 ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, General Science	Barometer Salinity Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface
High Altitude Experiment	Anna Mika, 7th grade teacher at Cumberland Middle School in Cumberland, WI, got her class involved in a high altitude experiment. Anna is a member of the Network of Educator Astronaut Teachers Program, a NASA-sponsored organization, and her class is part of the NASA Explorer Schools program. Anna worked with her students to design a research project that NASA could implement on a high-altitude research balloon. The students� project was to measure the protection from UV radiation provided b... [more] Science Subjects: Physics, Technology	UVB Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Heart Rate of a Crayfish	In collaboration with researchers from the University of Kentucky, Heidi Anderson, AP Biology teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, KY, has developed an inquiry-based investigation of heart rate. What makes her approach unique is she studies crayfish. Students connect a Vernier EKG Sensor to leads attached under the dorsal carapace of the crayfish, near the heart. Some sample data and images are shown. Heidi's students develop experiments, using the crayfish, to in... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Environmental, Life Science, Physiology, Water Quality	EKG Sensor LabPro Interface
Spectral Analysis of Food Dyes	Creating the absorption spectrum of an aqueous sample is easy and fast with the Vernier Spectrometer. The graph below represents the spectral analysis of the four common food dyes. (The color of the line represents the color of the dye.) Students are often surprised to see that yellow dye peaks in the blue wavelengths and red dye peaks in green wavelengths. This activity is a great way to introduce spectral analysis, as it helps students understand the relationship between the ... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry	Vernier Spectrometer Logger Pro 3
Crash Test Dummies	David Drummer, physics teacher at Kutztown Area High School in Kutztown, PA uses a K'NEX� rollercoaster and Vernier 25-g Accelerometer to investigate impulse. His students mount the Accelerometer in a rollercoaster car and roll it down the coaster into a brick barrier. David has his students use the acceleration data and the mass of their car to produce a Force vs. Time graph for the impact. David then challenges his students to design crash protection using paper and masking tape to r... [more] Science Subjects: Physics, Technology	25-g Accelerometer LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Thanksgiving Experiments	Michele Perin of St. Louis, Missouri gets pretty creative with her Vernier labs. She doesn't have a lab for EVERY season yet, but she has written some tasty experiments for Thanksgiving! How Quickly Does Your Potato Cool? Have you ever sat down to a Thanksgiving dinner only to find that the potatoes have gotten cold while other dishes were being readied? Does the size of the potatoes affect how long they stay hot? Download experiment (PDF 229 KB) ... [more] Science Subjects: General Science, Physical Science, Physics, Physiology, Technology, Biology, Life Science	Dual-Range Force Sensor pH Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
The Chemistry of Bathtub Tints	A cute bath product made by Crayola�, called Bathtub Tints, offered us an interesting opportunity to conduct a few simple chemistry activities. The ads that we have seen for this product describe it as effervescent water color tablets. The first three ingredients listed on the label of a container of Bathtub Tints are sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid. It may not be bath time, but it�s time to do some investigations with these little bundles of fun. (NOTE: ... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry	Colorimeter Conductivity Probe pH Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
The Volume of a Person	Eric Koser and his 9th grade physical science students at Mankato West High School in Mankato, Minnesota, had spent a lot of lab time doing experiments studying mass, volume, and density with overflow cans. When the discussion of the density of a person came up, Eric took on the challenge to measure it. Fortunately, one of Eric�s colleagues is married to a welder, and she had her husband build a human-sized overflow can out of a 55 gallon drum. Eric placed four Vernier Force P... [more] Science Subjects: General Science, Life Science, Physical Science, Physics, Chemistry	Force Plate LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Hurricane Rita	While preparing to evacuate the Chinquapin School in Highlands, Texas (just east of Houston), physics teacher Brian Lamore had the presence of mind to recognize a unique data-collection opportunity. Brian set up a LabPro and Barometer in his apartment. He ran a length of rubber tubing from the Barometer through an open window. Even though the power went out sometime during the storm, the LabPro collected data throughout the storm using battery power. Brian made it through the storm safel... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, General Science, Physics, Technology	Logger Pro 3 LabPro Interface Barometer
Measuring Tennis Racket Forces	Thomas Haff, physics teacher at Issaquah High School in Issaquah, Washington, likes to assign inquiry-based projects to get his students to use what they have learned. The problem presented to students Kevin Bell and Christopher Nield was to determine the amount of force a tennis racket imparts on a tennis ball during an interaction. Haff chose this project because it is a typical problem found in many college textbooks. Kevin and Chris rigged a device that would drop a tennis b... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Vernier Photogate Voltage Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Experimenting with a Thermocouple	Thermocouples are one of the most common types of temperature sensors. They are inexpensive, rugged, and quite versatile, as they can measure a wide range of temperatures from very low (-250�C) to very high (1700�C) values. Since they can be made from very fine wire, they also allow for very fast response times. In 1821 a German physicist, Thomas Johann Seebeck, accidentally discovered that the junction between two dissimilar metals generates a voltage that is a function of the ... [more] Science Subjects: Physics, Chemistry	LabPro Interface Thermocouple Logger Pro 3
Flying with Vernier	Students from the University of Akron regularly enter the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Aero Design� Competition. The Aero Design Competition challenges engineering students to conceive, design, fabricate, and test a radio-controlled aircraft that can take off and land while carrying the maximum cargo. This gives students the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom on a practical problem. This year, Brian Czapor and his fellow students used our LabPro and 3-Axi... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	3-Axis Accelerometer LabPro Interface
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams	Two of the 13 teams awarded grants by the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams program in 2005 used our products extensively. The West Salem HS, OR team developed several methods of testing the ripeness of watermelon. One method was to measure the frequencies in the sound of the "thump" when the watermelon was hit by an object. They used the FFT graph of Logger Pro for the analysis. The team's mentor was Michael Lampert, who is also a 2005 Disney Teacher Award winner. The Bow HS, NH team... [more] Science Subjects: Water Quality, Physics, Biology, General Science	Digital Control Unit Sound Level Meter Logger Pro 3
Feline Radiation	Half life graph from Kinsey'sradiation treatment Richard Taylor (The Hockaday School, Dallas, TX) has a cat (Kinsey) that needed radiation treatment for feline hyperthyroidism. Richard used our Student Radiation Monitor, LabPro, and a TI-84 to monitor the radiation from Kinsey over several days. Kinsey was injected with I-131, which has a half life of about five days. The count rated dropped off faster than the half life would imply, but Richard noted that the litter box was als... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Physical Science, Physics, Biology	LabPro Interface Student Radiation Monitor
Juggling Physics	Some time ago, Tim Folkerts of Barton Co. CC, Great Bend, KS, posted a note on one of the physics internet discussion groups about juggling on a Force Plate. He even collected data on the apparent "weight" of jugglers as they perform. Well, it turns out Vernier Software & Technology has its own juggler, Scott Van Hoosen. We had Scott try this experiment with three balls and then five balls. For each trial, Scott first held the objects in his hands, and then started juggling. Note... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Force Plate LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Student Rocket Launch	Three different high school groups launched LabPros in rockets as part of the NASA Student Launch Initiative Program this spring. The teams were given the mission of building a rocket that would go one mile high carrying a scientific payload, take data, and then return safely. A team from University School of Milwaukee, WI launched two LabPros with an Accelerometer, UVA, UVB, and CO2 sensors. A team from Skyline HS, Sammamish, WA, launched a LabPro with a UVA, UVB, and Light Sensor. A th... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	25-g Accelerometer 3-Axis Accelerometer CO₂ Gas Sensor Light Sensor Surface Temperature Sensor UVA Sensor UVB Sensor LabPro Interface
Student Chest Protector Study	Carolyn Purington, a student of Jacklyn Bonneau at Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science, Worcester, MA, did a study of the effectiveness of sports chest protectors in preventing commotio cordis, which is the sometimes fatal damage caused by a blunt impact to the chest of young athletes. She studied various materials and designs, using our Force Plate for many of the impact studies. ... [more] Science Subjects: Physics, Biology	LabPro Interface Force Plate Logger Pro 3
Stephen Edberg's Space Science Labs	Stephen J. Edberg (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA) has written two interesting labs using our sensors to study topics in space science. One lab is modeled after spacecraft that use magnetometers to explore the interiors of planets. Students use our Magnetic Field Sensor to investigate models of planets made of clay that have magnets imbedded inside. This lab can be seen at www.vernier.com/physics/vernier_planetmagfield.pdf. There is a lower tech version, with more detailed discussion... [more] Science Subjects: Physics, Earth Science	LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3 Force Plate
What Causes the Seasons?	Parker Moreland has been volunteering at an intermediate school in New Milford, CT, where he has come up with a clever modification of the "What Causes the Seasons" lab in our Earth Science with Computers book. First, instead of taping a temperature sensor to a globe, he opened a cardboard globe and mounted a Surface Temperature Sensor at the school's latitude from the inside of the globe, letting it protrude just a bit. He also mounted a light sensor (homemade, in his case) inside the... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Middle School Science	Logger Pro 3 LabPro Interface Surface Temperature Sensor
GIS Mapping Enhances Salinity Study	Students gathering data on Laguna Madre In March 2005, Olathe North HS (Olathe, KS) students Kevin Skov and Greg May, along with teacher Steve Obenhaus, took a trip to the southern reaches of Texas to explore Laguna Madre's hypersaline characteristics. Laguna Madre, a large body of shallow water separating Padre Island from the South Texas mainland, is one of only a few hypersaline lagoons in the world. Using a Vernier Salinity Sensor, LabPro, and a laptop PC running L... [more] Science Subjects: Water Quality, Environmental, Life Science, Technology	LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3 Salinity Sensor
Molar Mass of Metals	Here is a nice lab idea by James Gordon, Amber Boyce, and Thoren Maule (Central Methodist University, Fayette, MO) that was published in The Chemical Educator (2004, 9, 1-2). Their experiment uses our Gas Pressure Sensor to collect data using the DataMate program and a TI calculator, but it can be easily adapted for Logger Pro, EasyData, or Data Pro software. In the described experiment, small samples of manganese (0.0500 g) and zinc (0.0600 g) were reacted with 10 mL of 6.0 M HCl in ... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry	Gas Pressure Sensor
Earth Day with Evergreen State College	Earth Science with Vernier Water Quality with Vernier If there�s one thing the state of Washington has plenty of, it�s water. Blessed by an abundance of rain, and laced with a network of lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds, the state is typically lush and green year-round. But a steadily shrinking ozone layer, acid rain, and other environmental calamities are as much of a threat to the verdant Pacific Northwest as they are to the country�s drier climes. That�s why Dr. Dharshi B... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Water Quality	UVA Sensor pH Sensor UVB Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Which Hot Dog Cools Faster?	Introduction Different types of hot dogs will cool at different rates after they have been cooked. This activity takes the first steps in investigating this phenomenon by measuring the rate that a warmed hot dog cools. Students can compare the ingredients of various types of hot dogs (all-beef, veggie, turkey, etc.) to help explain the differences in cooling rates. Objectives The objectives of this activity are to observe, measure, and explain the capacity of different types of hot ... [more] Science Subjects: Elementary, General Science, Middle School Science	Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3 Vernier EasyTemp� Go!Temp
On the Halfpipe	The halfpipe used by skateboarders and BMX bike riders allows for some spectacular tricks. Given that the riders can rise nearly two meters above the top of the pipe, which is itself about three meters high, the forces and accelerations must be fairly large. It is the magnitude and timing of those forces that we studied. The Discovery Channel held a competition for middle-school-aged kids who won their regional science fairs. The kids went through several challenges, among them the skateb... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	3-Axis Accelerometer LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Vomit Comet	The March 30 issue of USA Today featured a story on students of Jim Jordon and George Irwin (Lamar University) flying on the KC-135, known as the "Vomit Comet." This plane flies in a pattern of 40 flight parabolas to produce periods of "weightlessness." It is used to train astronauts and was used for filming Apollo 13 capsule scenes. The students took along our 3-Axis Accelerometer, a ULI, and a laptop computer to take the data shown here. The accelerometers that were orien... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	3-Axis Accelerometer LabPro Interface
Vernier at Antarctica	Vernier sensors have been used for exciting data-collection activities in some interesting locations over the years. We can now count Antarctica among these. From January 5 to February 7, 2001, chemistry teacher Kevin LaVigne from Hanover HS, NH, participated in a program called �Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic.� Kevin joined a research team under the direction of Drs. Ross Virginia (Dartmouth College) and Diana Wall (Colorado State University) that is studying life i... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry, Earth Science, Environmental	pH Sensor LabPro Interface
Bracket-Mounted Force Sensor	The March, 1999 issue of The Physics Teacher includes an article entitled �Measuring Equilibrants with a Bracket-Mounted Force Sensor� by Robert Kingman and David Maddox (Andrews University, MI). The article shows how to use our Dual-Range Force Sensor and a force table for vector resolution labs and get great results. The Force Sensor is clamped on the force table using our Force Table Adapter (order code FTA-DFS). ... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Dual-Range Force Sensor
Two-Liter Creek	John Fischer, Ashwaubenon HS, Green Bay, WI, has created an artificial �Two Liter Creek� in his classroom for water quality studies in the middle of a Wisconsin winter. It is simply a 50-gallon aquarium with a pump that lifts water into an array of 15 two-liter bottles that have been mounted on a pegboard. This closed-loop creek has gravel in the bottles and in the aquarium. Over time, the artificial creek forms an ecosystem, as does a real creek. John�s students become experts at us... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Environmental, Life Science, Water Quality	Dissolved Oxygen Sensor Conductivity Probe Calcium Ion-Selective Electrode Chloride Ion-Selective Electrode Ammonium Ion-Selective Electrode Nitrate Ion-Selective Electrode pH Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe
TOTO II	Jake Niemand, a high school student from Montevideo, MN, has used LabPro and some of our sensors for some remarkable data collection. He constructed TOTO (TOtable Tornado Observatory) II. TOTO II is loaded into a pick-up truck and driven to a location where severe weather is approaching. It can be left at the location to record data and then picked up after the storm. Jake hopes the data collected will help engineers and architects design houses with a "tornado-proof" room for safety... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, Physics	LabPro Interface
Stomp Rockets	Tom Bird (Austin Community College) uses our Gas Pressure Sensor to study the launches of Stomp Rockets. This is a light-weight, inexpensive toy rocket, powered by air that is compressed by stomping on a plastic air chamber. He drilled and tapped a threaded hole and installed a pressure tap, which he connected to a Biology Gas Pressure Sensor. He then uses a CBL� to capture the pressure data as the rocket is launched, graphing the pressure vs. time. He computes the impulse and a theoretical... [more] Science Subjects: Physics, Middle School Science	Gas Pressure Sensor LabPro Interface
Speed of Sound with a Motion Detector	An interesting article by Inge H. A. Pettersen (Stavanger, Norway) called "Speed of Sound in Gases Using an Ultrasonic Motion Detector" appears in the May 2002 issue of The Physics Teacher. It provides a good lesson in how motion detectors work, and on how the speed of sound varies. The motion detector is placed pointed upward inside a large bucket with a lid. Normally it reads the distance to the lid, as you would expect. But what happens if you vary the temperature of the air inside the buc... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Motion Detector LabPro Interface
Sound Level Meter Experiments	Our Sound Level Meter (SLM-BTA, $209) offers lots of possibilities for the kind of investigations that students really get into. Here are some ideas: Some hair dryers are really noisy, and the noise source is right next to your ear. This inspired us to do a little checking. We tested five hair dryers, recording the sound level with the dryer about 2 cm from our Sound Level Meter (about the closest distance the hair dryer gets to your ear). The noisiest hair dryer read around 101 de... [more] Science Subjects: Environmental, Physics, Physiology	Sound Level Meter LabPro Interface
Accelerations in Snowboarding	I've often wondered about the magnitudes of accelerations as I ride my snowboard at Mt. Hood in Oregon. Last summer I did some experiments, and here is one data set from those trials. (And yes, I did say summer- we have snow year- round on the glaciers of Mt. Hood.) While this discussion is about snowboarding, it also illustrates how you can take data in the field for any experiment. When making deep, carved turns on skis or snowboard there is a significant feeling of co... [more] Science Subjects: Physics, Physiology, Technology	Logger Pro 3 LabPro Interface 3-Axis Accelerometer
Sky Dive with LabPro	Marvin Giesting (Connersville HS, IN) arranged to have one of his former students, Rusty Ammerman (who works for "Jumpin' Indiana"), skydive with our LabPro, 3-Axis Accelerometer, and Barometer. Graphs of a sample jump are shown below. ... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	25-g Accelerometer 3-Axis Accelerometer Barometer LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Police Car and Speeder	Ralph Newell, (South Portland HS, South Portland, ME) has developed an exercise using toy cars, which he reports has been a real hit with his students. Students use a Photogate to measure the speed of two constant-velocity toy cars. The challenge to the students is to predict where the faster (police) car will catch the slower (speeder) car if they start at the same instant, with the faster car one meter behind. The students are encouraged to solve this problem graphically, with Graphical Ana... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Vernier Photogate LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3 Graphical Analysis 3
Four-Color Oscillating Reaction	Not only does this exciting reaction change from green to blue to purple to red, in less than a minute, but then it repeats the four color sequence continuously for over an hour! This very famous reaction is known as the Belousov-Zhabotinsky Reaction, or simply the B-Z reaction. We thought it might be interesting to see if our sensors could be used to detect the repeating behavior of the chemical reaction. Some of the most interesting results came by using a Stainless Steel Temperatur... [more] Science Subjects: AP/IB, Biology, Chemistry	Colorimeter ORP Sensor pH Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Dimensions of a Rotating Box	In the December 2001 issue of The Physics Teacher described a unique way to use motion detectors. In "Obtaining the Length and Width of a Rotating Box with a Motion Detector," Tom Lough (Murray State University, Murray, KY) describes placing a cardboard box on a turntable and having it rotate. Aim a Motion Detector at the box and then graph distance vs. time as the box rotates. You get some interesting results, and there is a lot of geometry and trigonometry to be learned in the process of de... [more] Science Subjects: Integrated, Math, Physics	Motion Detector LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Light Reading	Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) have become a popular choice among energy-conscious homeowners. CFLs consume as little as one-fifth the power and last up to 13 times longer than incandescent lamps. A single CFL can save enough electricity (coal-fired) to keep a ton of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere1. While CFLs may save a lot of energy, some people comment that they are not as bright as they would like when they first turn them on. We decided to put some bulbs to the test to s... [more] Science Subjects: Engineering, Physics	Light Sensor LabPro Interface
Juggling with Logger Pro	Check out www.jug.net/wt/jgpl.htm for a remarkably complete collection of information about the science of juggling. William V. Thayer, (St. Louis CC at Meramec, Kirkwood, MO) even includes this sample graph made with Logger Pro showing the position of the balls during a juggling session. He made this graph using special gloves with aluminum-foil strips wired so that if adjacent strips were shorted out, the voltage goes to five volts. He then juggled metal-coated balls, reading the voltage fr... [more] Science Subjects: General Science, Integrated, Physics, Physiology, Technology, Biology	Logger Pro 3 Voltage Probe
Internet Data Collection	Kyle Forinash and Raymond Wisman (Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, IN) describe their use of LabPro and other interfaces in the article "Simple Internet Data Collection for Physics Laboratories" in the April 2002 issue of The American Journal of Physics. The web site for their software is http://physics.ius.edu/~kyle/K/DataCollect/LabPro.html. LabVIEW programming software provides a feature to create and post remote panels over the internet. We have written a program in LabVIEW t... [more] Science Subjects: Physics, Technology	LabPro Interface
Insulative Quality of Tumblers	Parker Moreland, Danbury, CT, has come up with many clever uses of our products over the years. This time, he performed a simple experiment using Logger Pro, LabPro, and four temperature probes. It is a study of how well various insulated tumblers keep a liquid warm. The best was an expensive, vacuum tumbler, followed by an inexpensive, polystyrene double-walled tumbler, then a polypropylene double-walled mug, and finally a thin, glass tumbler. Eight ounces of hot water was poured into each t... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry, Earth Science, Integrated, Middle School Science, Physics, Physical Science	Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Hot Biceps	Judy Day (The Science House, Raleigh, NC) has students and workshop participants use our new Surface Temperature Sensor to examine the increase of muscle temperature as a team member lifts a 2-3 lb (1 kg) weight. The Surface Temperature Sensor is designed for use in situations in which low thermal mass and/or flexibility is required. It has an exposed thermistor that results in an extremely rapid response time; therefore, it is ideal for this experiment. A student places the tip of the te... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, General Science, Integrated, Life Science, Physiology	Exercise Heart Rate Monitor Surface Temperature Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
High Flying Physics	Eric Muhs and his physics students (Roosevelt HS, Seattle WA) constructed a portable cosmic ray detector and sent it 35 kilometers into the atmosphere, recreating Victor Hess� Nobel Prize winning discovery of cosmic rays. The cosmic ray detector took two trips aboard a NASA high altitude balloon, along with a Temperature Probe, Magnetic Field Sensor, Barometer, and Relative Humidity Sensor. The data were recorded by a Vernier LabPro and transferred to a computer upon the balloon�s recovery... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Integrated, Physics	Barometer Magnetic Field Sensor Relative Humidity Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Vernier LabPro Goes to Denali	Pete Monte of Forest Grove, Oregon, recently climbed the highest peak in North America, Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley). Pete carried a Vernier LabPro, temperature probe, and a Gas Pressure Sensor all the way to the (20,320 ft, 6,194 m). He recorded temperatures well below freezing (in June), and pressure down to 54 kPa - approximately half of standard atmospheric pressure. ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, Life Science	Gas Pressure Sensor Surface Temperature Sensor LabPro Interface
Temperature at Death Valley	Steve Abitz and John Sebranek (Southwest HS, Green Bay, WI) took our LabPro, a calculator, and a temperature probe to Death Valley, CA in July. The average temperature in the air was 118�F (47.8�C). The average temperature on the ground was 125�F (51.7�C). ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, Life Science, Middle School Science, Biology	Surface Temperature Sensor LabPro Interface
Centripetal Force	Bill Jameson (DeForest Area HS, DeForest, WI) sent us a clever, inexpensive lab idea for studying centripetal force. This is an improvement on an idea he had written for The Physics Teacher in December 1999. The photo shows the setup. A Dual-Range Force Sensor is mounted on the rotating board. A Light Sensor is fastened near it, pointing down. On the other end of the board, the LabPro is taped to counterweight the system. A mass has been attached to the force sensor. When the system... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	LabPro Interface Light Sensor Dual-Range Force Sensor Logger Pro 3
Mouse Support System	Gus Frederick with the Oregon Public Education Network has come up with a fascinating idea that ties into the Millennium Mars Project, a project supported by NASA and the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of this project is to design a viable Martian colony. Participants are further required to produce a visual representation of their design. Gus took this idea a step further and built a small-scale working model of such a colony using mice rather than people. His "Controlled Ec... [more] Science Subjects: Engineering, Environmental, General Science, Integrated, Life Science, Middle School Science, Physiology, Biology	CO₂ Gas Sensor O₂ Gas Sensor pH Sensor Relative Humidity Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Bridge Swinging	There is a very interesting article on "Bridge Swinging and the Maximum Tension in a Pendulum String" by Edward P. Wyrembeck (Howards Grove HS, WI) posted on our Vernier Idea Board. In this article, Edward and his students explain how they measure the maximum tension in a pendulum string and compare the results to the theoretical model. The Vernier Idea Board is a place for teachers and students to post ideas on how to use Vernier products that might be useful to others. Go to the Discussion ... [more] Science Subjects: Physics	Dual-Range Force Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
LabPro's Antarctic Adventure	Heike Robinson, physics teacher, and sea kayaker, measures the temperature of Antarctic waters with a LabPro, Palm, and Stainless Steel Temperature Probe. Four years ago, Heike Robinson started sea kayaking. The more she learned about paddling, the more she discovered about the physics behind it. She started using examples from boating to help her students visualize many concepts, such as force, resistance, heat-flow rate (hypothermia), vector addition, and moment of inertia. In... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, General Science, Integrated, Life Science, Water Quality	Conductivity Probe Light Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe UVA Sensor UVB Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Hurricane Charley	Curt Witthoff, Secondary Math/Science Specialist for Collier County Public Schools in Naples, FL, recorded this data as Hurricane Charley pounded the coastline near his house. He used Vernier sensors with a LabPro and TI graphing calculator. The equipment was placed in a box with the sensors exposed, and left on his patio. The times on the x-axis correspond to the 24-hour clock on August 13, 2004. The pressure data tells us that the eye of the hurricane passed clo... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, General Science, Physics, Technology	Barometer Light Sensor Relative Humidity Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Human Pendulum Bobs	One of the "bobs" about to be released. The data collection station. Ken Kessenich at Pius XI High School in Milwaukee, WI found a great way to get his students more involved in his pendulum experiments. Using the laser gate feature of the new Vernier Photogate, Ken used an inexpensive laser to create a gate that was 4 meters wide and used 7.7 meter long pendulums with MUCH bigger bobs than usual: students! Pendulum lengths... [more] Science Subjects: Integrated, Physics	Laser Pointer Vernier Photogate LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3