Application of Computers for Experiment Design, Data Acquisition, and Analysis inthe Chemistry Laboratory

摘要

The objective of this research was to develop an introductory chemistry programwhich uses computers in the laboratory for experiment design, data acquisition, and data analysis. The project used the Montana State University (MSU) laboratory interface system. The system is an integrated hardware and software package which allows for a wide variety of measurements (pH, temperature, time, voltage, current, etc.) totally under the control of the user. The MSU lab interface system was designed to allow students to participate in the process of science. The hardware and software contain components which allow students to design experiments, acquire data in methods which they choose, and organize and analyze the data to draw conclusions. To meet the objective, we developed and accomplished the following: (1) we developed a model which explains how computers in the laboratory can improve a student's overall understanding of chemistry and laboratories; (2) we developed a laboratory program which successfully taught students how to use the MSU laboratory interface system to design their own experiments; and (3) we developed, tested, and evaluated experiments designed to utilize the capabilities of the MSU lab interface system.