Introducing Measurement in a Chemistry Course for the Allied Health Student: Calculating Percent Body Fat with Skinfold Calipers

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 10 Issue 2 (2005) pp 142-144

Introducing Measurement in a Chemistry Course for the Allied Health Student: Calculating Percent Body Fat with Skinfold Calipers

Laura DeLong Frost

Department of Chemistry, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, ldelong@GeorgiaSouthern.edu
Received January 4, 2005. Accepted February 19, 2005.

Published online: 10 March 2005

Abstract. A laboratory exercise introducing the allied health student to measurement concepts using skinfold calipers is presented. Students are introduced to measurement by determining their ideal body weight for their frame size and determining percent body fat using one, two, and four different skinfold sites. Surveys distributed following the exercise indicate that students gained an understanding of measurement concepts through the laboratory. In this work the laboratory procedures are described and the survey results are analyzed.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; general chemistry; nonmajor courses

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: ldelong@GeorgiaSouthern.edu)

Article in PDF format (176 KB) HTML format

Supporting Materials:

Student’s Laboratory Exercise: “Measurement 1: You Can’t Live Without Some Math!” is included as supporting material. It is provided in a Zip file (667 KB).