This Catalyst article explains how to make an elastic band using Copydex, a source of rubber latex. Rubber latex is a liquid polymer. It is made of long molecules which are all separate. Elastic bands are made by cross-linking the polymers in rubber latex. This changes the properties of the polymer and forms a...

This Catalyst article describes how an indicator changes colour when in solutions of different pH. Most indicators simply turn one colour in acid and another in alkali, although they are often an in-between colour when neutral. A universal indicator only turns as many colours as it does because it is a mixture of...

In this STEM activity pupils will perform an experiment to investigate how rain falls from clouds. The activity asks pupils to spray shaving foam on top of a glass of water to create a ‘cloud’, before adding food colouring and watching as the cloud fills up, producing ‘rain’. Pupils will then have the opportunity...

This book from the Schools Council is one of the Mathematics for the Majority project's background guides. It brings together, from a variety of branches of mathematics, topics in which an element of pattern is strongly emphasised. In particular, the chapters cover: 1. Pattern's pervasiveness 2. Some patterns in...

This simulation explores the factors which determine the concentration of a solution. It illustrates the relationships between moles, litres and molarity by adjusting the amount of solute and solution volume.

The moles of solute and the volume of solution (water) can be changed using sliders to make...

The Nuffield Advanced Biology Topic Reviews for students were an integral part of the Advanced Biological Science materials, but each could be read on its own. Thus, students could use them for their current work, or to pursue personal interests.

This topic review dealt in a general way with some aspects of...

The Nuffield Advanced Biology project published this guidance for students and teachers on all of the main issues involved in practical work and extended investigations following changes to the specifications in the 1990s.

Contents

Chapter 1: A guide for students on class practical...

The second year of the Nuffield Physics programme, like the first, put great emphasis on providing students with hands-on experiences so they would delight in learning through their own experiments. Teachers were asked to think of themselves as leading strangers in the...

To complete this Core Maths students need to be familiar with financial concepts including taxation, National Insurance, and buying and selling shares.

The assessment task os based on the use of...

In this practical activity, students explore how the technique of re-infection (using infected material to infect healthy plant tissue) can help to identify the cause of a plant disease.

 Ideas about communicable diseases in plants are included in the updated programmes of study for Key Stage 4 science...

Sodium alginate is one of the structural polymers that helps to build the cell walls of plants like brown seaweed and kelp. It can be extracted for a wide range of uses. Alginate is a common food additive, E400, used as a thickener, stabiliser and gelling agent. Calcium alginate (a cross-linked polymer) is used in...

A report produced by the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME), published in July 2010, discussing the proposals for 16-19 mathematics in anticipation of the review of qualifications scheduled for 2013 with resulting changes to be implemented from 2016.

The report proposes that:
• Three...

This STEM activity gives pupils the opportunity to investigate the effects of static electricity. Pupils will rub a balloon against their jumper and use the build-up of static charge to make tissue paper cat shapes pounce onto and stick to the balloon. They will then be encouraged to discuss and explain the outcome...