Modeling Diffusion

 

Greg Q. Butcher, Juan Rodriguez, & Scott Chirhart

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2015, Volume 36

Abstract

In order to increase students’ awareness for and comfort with mathematical modeling of biological processes and increase their understanding of diffusion, the following lab was developed for use in 100-level, majors/non-majors Biology and Neuroscience courses. The activity begins with generation of a data set that uses coin-flips to replicates movement of dye molecules at an interface of a permeable gel. The class results then are collapsed into a single data set that is then used to predict the movement of real dye molecules over time, which are then measured by students in a “wet-lab” activity

Keywords:  diffusion

University of Oregon (2014)