Table 1.1
Sample STEM Topics with Associated Tools, Instruments, and Tests What to measure Tool, Test or Instrument
Absorbance Spectrophotometer (Spec -20)
Acidity/alkalinity pH paper, pH meter
Altitude Altimeter
Angles of slope/tilt Clinometers, protractor, sextant, transit, goniometer, Geometer’s Sketchpad
Area Meterstick (with appropriate formulas), planimeter
Bacteria Gram stain, incubator, hemocytometer, spectrophotometer
Blood pressure Sphygmomanometer
Calculus Calculus modeling and equation solving systems (mathematica), graphing calculator
Color/pigments Chromatography
Conductivity Amperometer, potentiometer
Density Balance and meterstick, pycnometer, hydrometer
Earth movements Seismometer
Electrical current Ammeter, multimeter, galvanometer
Electrical potential Voltmeter, multimeter, galvanometer
Electrical resistance Ohmmeter, wheatstone bridge
Embryology Chick incubator
Force Spring scale, dynamometer
Global position Global positioning system (GPS)
Heat Calorimeter
Humidity Hygrometer
Insects (trapping) Berlese funnel, bait trap, aspirator, sand/mud sieve, nets
Length/width Meterstick, tape measure, micrometer, Vernier caliper
Light Spectrometer, photometer, light meter, photoelectric cell
Mapping transit
Mass Spring balance, lever-arm balance, electrical balance
Mathematics Geometer’s sketchpad, GeoGebra, statistical software, Mathematica, graphing calculator, TinkerPlots, Fathom
Muscle activity Electromyography, video analysis
Muscle tone Myotonometer
Optical density Photoelectric colorimeter
Photosynthesis (rate of) pH meter, chromatography
Plant growth Time-lapse camera, metric ruler, protractor
Pressure Barometer, manometer, mechanical pressure gauge
Radioactivity Geiger counter, imization detector
Range of motion Goniometer
Respiration Respirometer
Salinity Salinometer
Small live specimens Light microscope, stereoscope, magnifying glass
Soil Soil coring tube, screen sieve, soil thermometer, chemical tests (phosphate, nitrogen, potassium, pH)
Soil porosity Soil samples, beaker, water
Sound intensity Audiometer, decibel meter, sound-level meter
Statistical comparison Statistical software like Excel or SPSS, Fathom
Temperature Thermometer, infrared thermometer, thermocouple, thermistor, pyrometer
Tensile strength Spring scale, metric ruler
Time Stopwatch, timer, watch
Transpiration Graduated cylinder, closed container