This is successful in teaching students the abstract concepts of solid-state structure and diffraction by applying the diffraction concepts learned from an optical-model experiment to a solid state material whose structure they chemically modified. Students also learn that there are different way to collect data to prepare a titration curve, as this titration is performed in separate portions. The weakest part of the lab was the pH data, which was due to the fact that our students were not properly trained in the use of pH meters. Eighteen out of twenty students were able to corectly use the Bragg law to calculate the d spacing of their sample for their lab report. At the end of the second lab period, students were asked to write an explanation of definition (not confident at all, fairly confident, or extremely confident in their response 18 of 21, and all of our students recognized at least one of the following four major features of diffraction: light passing through
an obstruction is scattered or reflected or bounced resulting in patterns of light that can be used for identification of a substance. Student interest in the instrumentation increased when we explained that forensic scientists use powder X-ray diffraction