The Virtual Laboratory represents an extension to the ways in which people utilize the internet. Most people use the internet to search for information, or perhaps make it available to others. The Virtual Laboratory empowers students to create information on the internet by collecting it from the physical world. Remote computer access to laboratory instruments allows undergraduate students to conduct actual experiments at any time and from any location. This technology greatly enhances the flexibility of laboratory education, and introduces students to the new paradigm of remote experimentation.