This experience describes immersion in a virtual laboratory environment, using virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) to simulate scientific experiences.It aims to familiarize participants with virtual laboratory equipment and basic chemistry procedures, emphasizing the use of immersive technologies for education and training.
Educational Goals
- Familiarization with the virtual environment: Learn to navigate and interact with a simulated laboratory environment, using AR or VR commands to manipulate laboratory objects and equipment.
- Use of protective equipment: Understanding the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) in a laboratory, even in a virtual environment, highlighting safety practices.
- Substances measure: exercise to measure the mass of solids and the volume of liquids using virtual laboratory instruments, such as electronic scales and graduated cylinders, to develop skills in manipulation and precise measurement.
- Virtual chemical experimentation: carrying out basic chemical experiences, such as checking the pH of a solution, to understand the chemical reactions and the properties of substances.
- Analysis and communication of results: Learn to analyze the results of experiences in a virtual interface and to communicate these results, illustrating the importance of documentation and communication in science.
- Challenges to overcome: Protect yourself: virtually put the necessary PPEs before starting the experiences. Weigh a solid substance in powder: use virtual instruments to precisely measure the mass of a powder.
- Measure the volume of a liquid substance: apply volume measurement techniques to prepare a solution. Check the pH of a solid sample: Understand how to prepare a solution and test your pH using chemical indicators. Recover and send the results: use the virtual interface to examine and share the results of the experiments.
This immersive experience offers an innovative approach to scientific education, allowing participants to learn and practice laboratory techniques in a secure and controlled environment, without the risks associated with real chemicals. It highlights the potential of virtual reality technologies and augmented in teaching science, offering an interactive platform for the exploration, and understanding of scientific concepts.
Protocol
Start by familiarizing yourself with your environment. Different laboratory instruments will be made available to you so that you can conduct some experiments.
In the upper right corner of your workspace there is a button. You can switch between virtual reality and augmented reality at any time by pressing this button.
To pick up an object with hand tracking, place your open hand opposite the object, when the object turns green (a symbol that it can be picked up), completely close your fist to pick up the object.
To release the object with hand tracking, you simply have to reopen the hand.
To grab an object with the controllers, place your hand opposite the object, when the object turns green (symbol that it can be picked up), press and hold the pickup button.
To release the object with the controllers, simply release the pickup button.
You can return to the Meta menu at any time by pressing the device’s menu access button or, in hand tracking mode, by making the gesture indicated in the quick instructions.
In case of a problem, you can also reset the experience by pressing the Restart button on the tablet. This can be found in the options menu, which is accessible from the main menu.
Locate the laboratory safety equipment.
The lab coat, safety glasses, nitrile gloves and thermal protection gloves will be useful to protect you against the dangers of various experiments.
To use laboratory equipment with hand tracking, place your open hand facing the equipment, when the equipment turns green (symbol that it can be used), fully close your fist, then reopen your hand to use it.
To use laboratory equipment with controllers, place your hand opposite the equipment, when the equipment turns green (symbol that it can be used), press the pickup button, then release the pickup button to use it.
Here are now some challenges to take on to familiarize yourself with the equipment of this virtual laboratory.
Protection
Before any experiment, it is important to equip oneself with the appropriate protective gear.
1) Put on the smock.
2) Put on the safety glasses.
3) Put on the nitrile gloves.
The scale
Some laboratory instruments can be used to collect and transport solid or liquid substances.
Among these instruments, some, like the tweezers or the pipette, require an additional action for their operation.
In hand tracking mode, once the interactive object is picked up, join the thumb and index finger to activate the object’s interaction.
With the controllers, press the interaction button to operate the object.
Some laboratory instruments may require pushing buttons. To push a button, press it with a finger.
1) Place the weighing basket on the platform of the electronic scale.
2) Press the Tare button on the scale to set it to zero.
3) Place 5ml of magnesium powder in the weighing pan using a spatula. The spatulas are calibrated to 5mL, 2.5mL, 1mL and 0.12mL.
4) Throw the magnesium powder into the black recovery bin.
Volume of a liquid
Some laboratory instruments, such as beakers, Erlenmeyer flasks, test tubes, or graduated cylinders, can be used to contain a liquid, a solid, or even to create a solution.
Several products will be made available to you from the start of a laboratory in containers. You will also have access to the sink on your right to get water.
1) Open the cold water tap.
2) Fill a 500 mL beaker with water.
3) Close the cold water tap.
4) Using the graduated cylinder, measure 50 mL of cold water from the 500 mL beaker. Be careful to correctly identify the meniscus!
The pH
Depending on the molecules to be mixed during the experiment, you can generate a reaction that can influence the physical and chemical properties of the solution.
1) Remove 0.12 mL of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) powder with the orange spatula and place the powder in a test tube.
2) Using the wash bottle, fill a 50 mL beaker with distilled water.
3) Take 10 mL of water from the beaker using the pipette.
4) Transfer 5ml of the sampled water into the test tube (each press gives 1mL).
5) Close the test tube using a rubber stopper.
6) Mix by shaking the contents of the test tube until completely dissolved.
7) Remove the rubber cap.
8) Using the dropper, draw up the solution contained in the test tube.
9) Transfer the entire contents of the dropper into a well of the spot plate (the dropper contains about 20 drops).
10) Add a drop of pH indicator to the same well of the well plate using another dropper.
11) Observe the obtained color and compare it to the pH chart.
Results
A portion of the results can be analyzed in the results section of the tablet. This section can be accessed from the main menu.
To send your results, a Send Results button is located in the options menu of the main screen.
1) Observe the results obtained.
2) Send the results.
Anticipated Outcomes
- Mg has a density of 1.74g/mL; therefore 5 mL = 8.7g.
- 0.12 mL NaOH = 0.2556g = 0.006 moles; in 5mL H2O = 1.2 M. The pH will be 14 (purple indicator).
Summary of Assignment by Grade Range
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
- Focus: Basic navigation, introduction to PPE, and simple volume measurements.
- Activities: Putting on PPE, measuring liquid volumes, and simple solution preparation.
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
- Focus: Intermediate navigation, detailed use of PPE, and precise measurement skills.
- Activities: Putting on PPE, measuring solid masses and liquid volumes, and basic pH testing.
Grades 9-12 (Ages 14-18)
- Focus: Advanced navigation, comprehensive PPE use, precise and accurate measurements, advanced chemical experiments, and result analysis.
- Activities: Putting on PPE, measuring solid masses and liquid volumes, advanced pH testing, and analyzing and communicating results.
Laboratory essentials
Instruments
- Beakers (50ml, 500ml)
- Bucket plate
- Droppers
- Electronic Scale
- Graduated Cylinder (70ml)
- Pipette
- Spatulas
- Test Tube
- pH chart
Products
- NaOH(s) powder
- Mg(s) powder
- Liquid pH indicator