LAB SUPPLIES FOR PHYSICAL SCIENCE MODELING INSTRUCTION.
updated in March 2009 by Jane.Jackson@asu.edu
Expert modelers say, "most lab items can be scrounged, bought from Home Depot, Lowes, or a
hardware store, or bought cheaply from a scientific supplier like Frey or Cenco."
Your suggestions and improvements are always welcome: please post them on the listserv or
email them to jane.jackson@asu.edu
A. For the physical science with math modeling workshop, we buy the
following items when we can afford them on grants.
INTRODUCTORY PHYSICAL SCIENCE (8th edition)
by Haber-Schaim, Gendel, Kirksey, Pratt ($50).
Visit their extensive website: http://www.sci-ips.com
A teacher can buy the book individually at http://www.bookendswinchester.com or 781-7215933; information is on the website.
----------------------METRIC TAPE MEASURE (Science Kit and Boreal Labs, sciencekit.com, item #WW6683612,
pkg/12 $12.55)
CUBES: 1 cm plain CUBES (www.EAIeducation.com 1000 for $20),
1 cm interlocking cubes (1000 for $22).
VOLUME RELATION SET (www.schoolspecialty.com, item #30087714: $16 each),
electronic BALANCE (Ohaus 11379-238 TOP LOAD BALANCE 400G X 0.1G SP401: $125 if
you can get an institutional discount). The Ohaus triple beam balance is slower but sturdier, with
precision 0.01g. Get these from scientific supply companies.
(And/or have your students build a NO-COST soda-straw small scale balance. Precise to 0.001g
if made carefully, we are told. Download a Powerpoint about it at the modeling webpage:
"Resources for the modeling classroom". http://modeling.asu.edu/Projects-Resources.html)
GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS software (Vernier Software: $80 for school site license, and you can
freely burn copies for all students to take home. http://www.vernier.com).
--------------------------CONSTANT MOTION VEHICLE:
Each physical science teacher needs 6 to 10 vehicles of various types and speeds.
http://www.physicstoolboxinc.com/p-62-constant-speed-buggy.aspx
Constant Speed Buggy
Buggy runs with constant speed and constant-frequency blinking headlights and taillight.
Requires two C batteries to run at full speed. Use a conducting slug to use in place of one of the
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batteries and run the buggy at half speed...with half-speed blinking lights. Length: 17 cm.
Batteries not included. $5.00 each.
The tax ID is 54-2134209 and she can send a W-9 if necessary.
Add 10% for shipping.
Mary Anne Wells (She's an expert high school physics teacher, by the way.)
The Physics Toolbox, Inc.
148 Bromley Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808
Phone/Fax: 302-636-0351
www.PhysicsToolboxInc.com
a) A short article on how to make a conducting slug can be downloaded at their website. Or use
a dead battery as a slug; or use a metal spring.
b) Do NOT buy from certain other companies; the quality of their item might be poor.
c) Buy a few other types: from the Dollar Store, Toys 'R Us, etc., for variety.
d) A modeler wrote, "I got really good results using an old BOWLING BALL as my constant
velocity source. Our local bowling alley throws out old balls from time to time. I had a student
bring one in to try, and it worked as well or better than the cars because it would roll as slow as
you wanted it to."
e) Another modeler solved the noise problem by using a water-filled BASKETBALL.
----------------------------STOP WATCHES:
A simple stop clock (but long-lasting tiny batteries are very hard to replace) is: MyChron stop
watch. Widely available on the web (CENCO: www.sargentwelch.com item #WLS-77448 pkg/6
for $41)
Teachers say "they're terrific, for three reasons: (1) They have only 3 buttons, all on the front, all
clearly marked (Start Stop Reset) and my favorite (2) They have no alarm, which means that they
never go off during class, and (3) they turn themselves off after a while of non-use, which saves
batteries. Avoid the newer "MyChron II", which has 4 buttons, seems to be a countdown timer
as well as a stopwatch, and costs a little more." URLs for the original MyChron:
http://www.didax.com/shop/productdetails.cfm/GradeID/3/Sort/Item/
Order/Asc/StartRow/521/ShowAll/No/ItemNo/46-262.cfm
http://www.pelletlab.com/lab_supplies_measurment.htm
http://classroomprdcts.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/21/sort/4a/page/2
http://www.educatorsoutlet.com/2005/webcatalog.php? &showpage=39&showletter=K
[In 2008 we gave each teacher a Pasco SE-8768 student timer: $6 at www.pasco.com. It is
sturdy, and the battery is easy to replace, but the 'mode' feature makes it complicated.]
A modeler wrote: “We buy the cheap wristwatches (around $3 each) that have the stopwatch
function. The men’s styles have larger numbers. Then we cut off one strap so it doesn't fit on a
kid's wrist. They use the stopwatch in class but put them back at the end of the period--who
wants a busted band watch anyway? It sure stopped the stopwatches from growing legs and
walking away.”
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-------------------------------You can order the Eureka! videos at Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Princeton NJ.
I buy the 1/2 hour video called "Heat and Temperature" for teachers in our Physical Science
with Math Modeling Workshops and our Chemistry Modeling Workshop. The video master
(broadcast quality: best) cost $260 in 2002. The licensing fee to make 50 copies cost $2000 (thus
$40 per copy). (I took the master to a local video store and paid $4.50 each for DVDs.)
If you need only a single copy, they charge more. Call Mr. Chris Dedrick, Senior Media
Consultant, (800) 257-5126, ext. 5747.
http://www.films.com Click on "science", then click on "Eureka".
Item#: MMA4060
ISBN Number: 1-56950-476-8
The Series Includes : Energy and Force: Part 1 | Energy and Force: Part 2 | Simple Machines |
Heat and Temperature | The Conduction of Heat | The Convection of Heat
VHS $489.95
DVD-R $489.95
Prices include public performance rights.
B. MORE ITEMS (that modelers recommend but we haven't bought):
HOTPLATE:
Larry Dukerich wrote, for HS chemistry: "Buy good quality non-stirring plates. Good ones will
last a long time. Wards Scientific carries the Corning Scholar 170 for $142.
http://wardsci.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_IG0016472_A_Corning+Scholar%26trade%3B+170+H
ot+Plate
I'm sure there are others."
MASSES. Slotted are fine, from Cenco, Frey, Pasco, etc.
Or buy 1/2" I.D. "cut washers" from a hardware store.
SPRING SCALES, preferably calibrated in Newtons, from a scientific supply company. 5 N to
20 N maximum will work, depending on the experiment. (Rotary is more accurate; Ohaus costs
$15 from Cenco)
DENSITY CYLINDERS:
Larry Dukerich goes to a machine shop and gets aluminum and iron rods (0.5 inch or 3/4 inch
diameter) cut to different lengths (from 0.5” to 1.5” in 1/8” or 1/4" increments). He then paints
them (with enamel paint?) You can use fingernail polish to label them 'A' or 'B'. Quite
inexpensive. Larry wrote, "The choice of increments has to do with the graduated cylinders you
use and the fact that we try to provide 8 to 10 different-sized samples to get a good graph of M vs
V. If you use 3/4" diameter rod, you will need 25 mL graduates which are generally calibrated
only to the nearest 0.5 mL. For this, 1/4" increments would work just fine. If you use 1/2"
diameter rod, you might be able to fit the pieces into 10 mL graduates, which are calibrated to
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either tenths or fifths of a mL. So, it is possible to discern volume differences between pieces
that differ by 1/8" in length."
A new modeler suggested these alternative rods: brass, copper, Teflon, nylon, phenolic.
Or buy them from Cenco, etc.
Larry's and Don Yost's density labs are at http://modeling.asu.edu/modeling/professdevelop.html
Access them from the high school webpage: click on: Workshops for professional development.
GRADUATED CYLINDERS (25 or 50 mL: large enough to hold the density cylinders)
STEEL BALLS (1" diameter work fine) from Cenco, Frey, etc.
METAL RAILS for accelerated motion lab. You can make these from U-channel (extruded
aluminum, 6' long) from Home Depot, or shelf bracket material (what you put the brackets into),
again from Home Depot. Or use 2 long lab rods, side-by-side.
LONG TAPE MEASURE FOR BUGGY LAB. An Arizona physics modeler wrote: “I bought
some really nice metric tape measures at Harbor Freight for only $4 each. They are 51 meters
in length, cloth and wind up! Really durable and inexpensive! The tape measures are 161 feet
long! They are awesome. I use them for the constant velocity vehicles as they go about that far,
and get about 12 data points. My students love them and use them for everything. Very
indestructable as well. They have smaller metric ones for a buck or two. Harbor Freight is like
an Ace/Home Depot combination! It is the best! I bought some 500g balances there for $16
each and they run on batteries and very durable. Much cheaper than the $150 ones through
Flinn. I also got a set of 6 springs for $3 that work great for the energy lab with the carts. I bought
C clamps for $2 apiece. http://www.HarborFreightusa.com “
MORE ITEMS SUGGESTED BY PATRICIA BURR AND LEE RODGERS, workshop leaders
and 9th grade physical science teachers in urban Phoenix.
NON-CONSUMABLES:
Metal thermometer (Celsius only)
Ball bearings (3/4”) and (1/2”)
Bunsen burners with tubing
Beakers - glass (200mL,400mL,600mL) UNMARKED (safe for heating)
Beaker - glass (1000mL) UNMARKED (safe for heating)
Beakers – glass (25mL) UNMARKED (safe for heating)
Graduated cylinders (clear plastic)10mL, 50mL, 100mL
Test tubes 18 x 150mm
Test tubes 30 x 200mm
Test tube racks: 6-hole
Test tube holders
Rod /Base assembly (ring stand)
Iron ring with clamps (4” diameter)
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Scissors (pointed ends)
Stainless steel spoon/spatula (71/2”)
Spark timer (10Hz and 60Hz capacity)
CONSUMABLES:
Alka seltzer (lg box)
10-ply string
Batteries (C)
Batteries (AA)
Dry erase markers (red,blue,black,purple)
Metals – thin sheets: Al, Cu, Zn, Pb, Fe, Ni ( 6” x 24”)
Food coloring (green, yellow, red, blue)
Lauric acid
Spark paper
C. RESOURCES on the modeling website, to download
Equipment for the Modeling Classroom (partical list)
http://modeling.asu.edu/Projects-Resources.html
* Mechanics probeware (Vernier) for Physics First modeling instruction (2006)
* Low-cost/build it yourself lab equipment, modeling-style labs, video analysis, and lab practica
by Rex Rice and others
* Build a no-cost soda-straw balance for labs in Unit 3 of physical science modeling curriculum.
Compilations for 'simple' Newton's 2nd law, 3rd law, and acceleration experiments, at
http://modeling.asu.edu/listserv.html and http://modeling.asu.edu/listserv1.html .
From the high school webpage, click on: Compilations of teachers' posts to the Modeling listserv
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