Plant gums are often used in the food industry as thickening and stabilising agents. Gums are water soluble polysaccharides, such as starch and cellulose. In this activity, students investigate what happens to the texture when different polysaccharides are mixed.

When solutions of some polysaccharides are...

Eight practicals produced by the Institute of Physics (IOP) that help students to understand energy transfer and transformation and the use of energy in its various forms.

Accompanied by the Teacher and technicians'...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Thermocolour film is a fascinating material that changes colour depending on the temperature. It allows a very wide range of phenomena to be...

The Propagator project introduces students to hydraulic systems and their inner workings. Using a...

A Catalyst article about hydrogels. Soft contact lenses, disposable nappies, hair gel and plant water crystals all make use of substances called hydrogels. These are polymers which have the unusual property of being able to absorb huge quantities of water. The article looks at the structure of hydrogels and their...

These resources were developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme and the Centre for Science Education at Sheffield Hallam University in order to demonstrate new ways that ICT can be used to enhance practical work in science. Research scientists use computer technology in both the collection and the...

This biology extension module from the Salters’ Science course reviews the history of biotechnology to introduce the use of microbes in large-scale industrial biochemistry. Student ideas about positive uses of microbes are reviewed. Students monitor the growth of single...

This Salters’ Chemistry Course unit from the University of York Science Education Group covered:
* The use of soaps and soapless detergents.
* Emulsions and the action of emulsifiers.
* The hardness of water.
* The manufacture and use of cosmetics,...

A Year Ten module from the Salters’ double award science course. Practical tests using “urine” samples illustrate chemical diagnostic testing for illness. Different types of illness are classified, also different types of micro-organisms and the body’s defences against them. Experiments show how bacteria grow and...

In this lesson from the Science and Technology Council (STFC), students use an experiment to see if carbon dioxide does cause global warming. The lesson starts with a presentation which raises questions to be answered by the experiment. Students are asked to evaluate the method and results before planning and...

This mystery can be used to introduce osmosis and diffusion. 

Two beakers are displayed at the front of the room. Both look identical in that they both contain a plastic zip--lock bag with a starch solution inside. The zip-lock bags are both sitting in a clear solution. What the students don’t know is that...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Electromagnetic waves show a huge range in terms of frequency and wavelength, but the same basic principles underlie wave behaviour:...

This activity, produced by Solar Spark, uses "magic dye", a mixture of three different dye molecules. The mixture contains a yellow disperse dye, a direct blue dye and an acid red dye. When a fabric is put into the mixture, the dyes only attach to the types of fabrics they can bond well with. For example, the blue...