Physicochemical analysis of commercial detergents using standard and alternative instruments: Approaches to teaching exact sciences

Edenilson dos Santos Niculau; Leandro Lima Carvalho; Melquisedeque dos Anjos Alves; Pedro Lucas Ribeiro Tavares; Gabriel de Assis Araújo Alencar; Rogerio Mendes Figueiredo; José Henrick Pereira de Oliveira; Karen Leticia Gomes da Silva

doi:10.29333/ijese/18526

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Edenilson dos Santos Niculau ¹ ^* , Leandro Lima Carvalho ² , Melquisedeque dos Anjos Alves ³ , Pedro Lucas Ribeiro Tavares ² , Gabriel de Assis Araújo Alencar ² , Rogerio Mendes Figueiredo ² , José Henrick Pereira de Oliveira ² , Karen Leticia Gomes da Silva ¹

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¹ Centro de Ciências Integradas, Universidade Federal do Norte do Tocantins, Araguaína, TO, BRAZIL² Colégio Estadual Adá de Assis Teixeira, Secretaria de Estado da Educação do Tocantins, Palmas, TO, BRAZIL³ Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Palmas, TO, BRAZIL^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

The development of low-cost alternative laboratory tools has become increasingly important for interdisciplinary teaching in physics, chemistry, and mathematics. In this study, high school students applied project-based learning and investigation teaching sequences methodologies to design and build an alternative viscometer for educational use. This device was employed to measure the flow times and estimate the viscosities of ten commercial detergent brands, classified as Newtonian and quasi-Newtonian fluids. Results showed that the alternative viscometer produced consistent viscosity and density measurements, demonstrating its potential as a practical, low-cost instrument to enhance science and mathematics education.

Keywords

viscometers
physical and chemical properties
project-based learning educational methodologies
investigation teaching sequence

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

INTERDISCIP J ENV SCI ED, Volume 22, Issue 2, 2026, Article No: e2614

https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/18526

Publication date: 05 May 2026

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Article Downloads: 3

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How to cite this article

APA

dos Santos Niculau, E., Lima Carvalho, L., dos Anjos Alves, M., Ribeiro Tavares, P. L., de Assis Araújo Alencar, G., Mendes Figueiredo, R., Pereira de Oliveira, J. H., & Gomes da Silva, K. L. (2026). Physicochemical analysis of commercial detergents using standard and alternative instruments: Approaches to teaching exact sciences. Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 22(2), e2614. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/18526

Vancouver

dos Santos Niculau E, Lima Carvalho L, dos Anjos Alves M, Ribeiro Tavares PL, de Assis Araújo Alencar G, Mendes Figueiredo R, et al. Physicochemical analysis of commercial detergents using standard and alternative instruments: Approaches to teaching exact sciences. INTERDISCIP J ENV SCI ED. 2026;22(2):e2614. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/18526

AMA

dos Santos Niculau E, Lima Carvalho L, dos Anjos Alves M, et al. Physicochemical analysis of commercial detergents using standard and alternative instruments: Approaches to teaching exact sciences. INTERDISCIP J ENV SCI ED. 2026;22(2), e2614. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/18526

Chicago

dos Santos Niculau, Edenilson, Leandro Lima Carvalho, Melquisedeque dos Anjos Alves, Pedro Lucas Ribeiro Tavares, Gabriel de Assis Araújo Alencar, Rogerio Mendes Figueiredo, José Henrick Pereira de Oliveira, and Karen Leticia Gomes da Silva. "Physicochemical analysis of commercial detergents using standard and alternative instruments: Approaches to teaching exact sciences". Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education 2026 22 no. 2 (2026): e2614. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/18526

Harvard

dos Santos Niculau, E., Lima Carvalho, L., dos Anjos Alves, M., Ribeiro Tavares, P. L., de Assis Araújo Alencar, G., Mendes Figueiredo, R., . . . Gomes da Silva, K. L. (2026). Physicochemical analysis of commercial detergents using standard and alternative instruments: Approaches to teaching exact sciences. Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 22(2), e2614. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/18526

MLA

dos Santos Niculau, Edenilson et al. "Physicochemical analysis of commercial detergents using standard and alternative instruments: Approaches to teaching exact sciences". Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, vol. 22, no. 2, 2026, e2614. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/18526