Laboratories

Science is different than other subjects. It is not just the subject of science that is different; the entire process of doing science is different. The means by which knowledge is acquired is different in science than it is in history or mathematics or poetry or Science is different because the answers to scientific questions are not found in a textbook or through pondering high and lofty thoughts. Indeed, scientists ponder and hopefully think high and lofty thoughts; and indeed students in science class will find answers in a textbook. But the basis of what scientists believe and why they believe it is not the result of mere thinking or reading in a textbook. The basis of what scientists believe is the result of the careful collection and analysis of laboratory evidence. In any physics class, the differentness of science will be most evident when it comes time for lab.

It is in the laboratory that physics students learn to practice the activities of scientists-asking questions, performing procedures, collecting data, analyzing data, answering questions, and thinking of new questions to explore. The lab ideas and associated pages in The Laboratory section of this web site are designed to help teachers improve their lab programs by adopting labs with a purpose.

The primary focus of the Chemistry Laboratories is to develop answers to research questions both for energetic materials and other materials. The synthesis of new energetic materials, their testing and performance products are analyzed to provide safety information.

The function of the chemistry laboratory is to ensure technical and scientific support to the users for the preparation required in the beamline experiments and furthermore to provide the infrastructure needed for in-house research projects in the field of chemistry and materials science.

Biology laboratory provides the learners an environment where the process of learning is facilitated by hands on experiments. Biology is a unique discipline in the sense that it does not merely deal with the study of morphology, anatomy, physiology and reproduction of the living organisms; rather, understanding of the subject requires understanding of a number of interdisciplinary areas and approaches. Experiments and exercises in biology train a learner about skills of observations, manipulation of the organisms for the study of internal details, biochemical as well as molecular composition and processes, investigation of the abiotic environment and even analysis of phenomena like inheritance and evolution. Very often observation and study of the magnified image of the minute parts under a microscope provides a better insight about the features of the organisms.

Mathematics being a compulsory subject of study, access to quality mathematics education is every child's right. On the other hand, mathematics education in our schools is beset with problems. Due to the hierarchy of concepts and largely deductive and abstract nature of the subject, mathematics is considered as a very dull and difficult subject. A phobia has been created in the minds of the children that mathematics is tough to learn. As a result, most of the students are not taking interest in the subject and it has become one of the main cause of student's failure in mathematics.

A shift in focus is needed in mathematical teaching especially in mathematical learning environment, where whole ranges of process take precedence: Formal problem solving, Use of heuristics, Estimation and Approximation, Optimization and Mathematical Communication.

The main aim of the mathematics laboratory is to initiate children to enjoy mathematics, pose and solve meaningful problems, to use abstraction to perceive relationships and structure and to understand the basic structure of mathematics.