My students need optical lab equipment to analyze polymer diffraction patterns. We would like two for multiple groups to be able to work at the same time.
Students may believe science is broken into three categories: chemistry, biology, and physics. When all three work in tandem, the full scope of science can be realized. This project will use lasers (physics) to analyze a polymer (chemistry) that universities are using for bio-sensing (biology).
Our school is currently going through a population shift.
We are seeing a larger diversity of races, languages, and social-economic status within our building. Our standards and expectations are still high and the students embrace that. Many of our students take AP level courses and look to challenge themselves academically to get ahead. Through student requests, the school added organic chemistry to the curriculum because they wanted a class to take after completing chemistry, AP chemistry and physics. This school is a wonderful place to work because of the outgoing nature of the students. It is clear that they want to better themselves and are willing to put in the work to succeed.
My Project
The materials requested are necessary to help students analyze the structure of their polymer. Students will create a negative image of a CD or DVD using a heat-curable polymer. In class, we will discussing the development of polymers and their properties. To analyze the diffraction pattern, students will shine lasers through the sample and measure the diffraction pattern produced. From there, students will be asked to develop their own experiments to determine how changing different aspects affect the pattern. Throughout this lab, students will learn how polymers link together, how light diffracts as it passes through a polymer, how to use a laser to analyze polymer structure, and how to calculate the wavelength of a laser using their polymer.
This lab will help students make the connection between chemistry and physics.
Students taking this class already enjoy science but this activity can show them how all branches of science can be interconnected. It is a goal for students to realize the potential of science when you stop separating it into three subjects and instead use them together.
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