21st Century School | News

Vernier Introduces New Sensors for High School Science

• By Christopher Piehler
• 02/07/14

Vernier Software & Technology has introduced six new sensors for high school science. The MotionEncoder System is a complete kit for studying dynamics. It includes carts, a track and associated hardware, in addition to a new optical motion encoder to record cart positions. The optical motion encoder consists of a Motion Encoder Cart with a sensor and transmitter, a Motion Encoder Receiver that connects to a student's interface, and a track equipped with a Motion Encoder Strip. The Motion Encoder Cart uses an optical sensor, positioned beneath the cart, to sense the passage of the cart over a marked strip on the track. The position information is sent as an encoded IR signal to a receiver at the end of the track.

Vernier's other new sensors are the UV-VIS Spectrophotometer, a portable ultraviolet and visible light spectrophotometer; the Emissions Spectrometer, which allows students to collect emissions spectra from light bulbs, gas discharge tubes or the sun; the PAR Sensor, which measures photosynthetic light levels in both air and water; and the Potassium Ion-Selective Electrode, which is used to measure the concentration of potassium ions in aqueous solutions. Vernier also recently launched a family of wireless sensors. The first in the family is the Go Wireless Temp, a wireless temperature sensor that can be used with iOS devices.