Explore stretching just a single strand of DNA using optical tweezers or fluid flow. Experiment with the forces involved and measure the relationship between the stretched DNA length and the force required to keep it stretched. Is DNA more like a rope or like a spring?
| Discipline: | Biology |
| Topic: | Stretching DNA |
| Product: | PhET Labs Interactive Simulations |
| Vendor: | PhET Labs |
| Cost: | All PhET simulations are available free of charge from the PhET Website |
| Technical requirements: | Java and Flash |
| Accessibility info: | Accessibility and PhET For additional information contact phethelp@colorado.edu |
| Link to Lab: | Stretching DNA |
| Reviews: | Peer Reviews in MERLOT |
| MERLOT Resources: | MERLOT material detail page for PhET Labs |
| Instructional materials: | instructor and lab manuals available online from PhET Websites |
| Description: | All of PhET simulations are extensively tested and evaluated |
| Case studies: | PhET Research Page Over One Hundred Million Simulations Delivered: A Case Study of the PhET Interactive Simulations |