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Teaching fluorescence of plants & algae in physics class to address climate change Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Yi Jinn Lillian Chen, Jiann-Shing Lih, Tzu-Chun Chen, Jeng-Fung Hung, Heng-Miao Kuo, Jing-Yuan Ko
In physics classes and general education classes, teaching the concept of fluorescence can be challenging, and it may seem too theoretical for some students. A short YouTube video titled ‘Seeing Photosynthesis from Space’ displays a global map of photosynthesis, and this is an excellent, attention-getting way to visually introduce fluorescence to students and also to address climate change. Therefore
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From Spherical Cows to Schrödinger’s Cat: what students want to learn in physics Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-04-10 T Richardson
This paper reflects on feedback received from 161 Ontario grade 12 physics students between 2017–2018 and 2020–2023, on the content and delivery in different modes (face-to-face, online, hybrid) of the 2008 Ontario Grade 12 Physics—University Preparation course (SPH4U). Across modes, students considered Revolutions in Modern Physics significantly more interesting and less stressful than any of the
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Acoustic testing of the inverse-square law using the infrared signal of a remote control Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Camila F Marín-Sepúlveda, Santiago Ortuño-Molina, Juan C Castro-Palacio, Juan A Monsoriu
In this work, the inverse-square law has been tested for the electromagnetic radiation in the infrared range. As a point-source, a TV remote control has been used. The intensities registered by a solar cell plugged to a speaker have been measured acoustically by recording the sound produced by the infrared pulses. The recorded audio is edited to find the intensities for different distances between
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Innovative flight control explanation and demonstration: bridging theory and practice in secondary education Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Yajun Wei, Xiaotong Chen, Wanrong Luo, Qingsong Zou, Xiaopan Zhang
How do airplanes turn, pitch, and roll? This fundamental question about airplane control captivates many pupils. Offering a comprehensible explanation to secondary school students is challenging due to the complex nature of fluid dynamics and mechanics. In this paper, we provide an accessible explanation of flight control principles, supported by carefully designed illustrations. Furthermore, we address
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Atomic line spectra and the conservation laws Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Ker Liang Goh
By conservation of linear momentum an atom recoils after it de-excites by giving out a photon. The de-excitation energy is shared by the photon and the recoiling atom. There was no mention in textbooks of this recoil energy when discussing atomic line spectra. We illustrate why it is valid to assume that the de-excitation energy is the energy of the emitted photon in line spectra around the visible
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Investigating air resistance with classroom projectiles Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Wes Johnson
The effects of air resistance on ball bearings launched in the Physics classroom are small but measurable. This paper describes a method for modeling the effects of both quadratic and linear air resistance. This method allows students to more accurately predict where their projectiles will land. More importantly, it allows students to explore multiple explanations for the motion they observe.
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Corrigendum: A new look at orbits (2024 Phys. Educ. 59 023002) Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Stephen Hughes
The orbital data for the Moon was inadvertently omitted from table . A supplementary Excel file has also been added which shows the original data in table and how the equivalent 26 inch bike wheel tolerances were calculated.
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Using a hall sensor with GoGo board to determine angular speed and angular frequency Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-26 Kanokporn Intakaew, Pornrat Wattanakasiwich
This research focuses on modifying two physics experiments, a rotating wheel and a simple harmonic oscillator, to train pre-service physics teachers with an emphasis on digital and maker skills. The primary aims are twofold: first, to demonstrate the application of a Hall sensor, combined with the GoGo Board, in determining the angular speed in the rotating-wheel experiment and the angular frequency
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Teaching physics remotely: determining the speed of sound in the air using a pan flute Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-19 Luiz Artur Cordeiro Filho, Rodrigo Oliveira Bastos
The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of schools and the transition to online teaching, making it necessary to find solutions for lab-based subjects such as experimental physics. In scenarios like this, a good alternative is for students to conduct experiments at home. In this study, we evaluated the potential of a pan flute for teaching acoustics at a distance. We explored the simplicity of assembly
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A total rip-off—crack propagation in paper Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-19 Joanna Bates, Julian S Dean
The explanation of material properties starts at a young age identifying materials using words such as strong or brittle, but it is not until higher education that we teach how and why materials break along with what brittle really means. It is an important concept to understand, as a material that could be thought strong can be made to appear weak with the addition of a very small crack. As force
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Sound escapes any gravity well Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-19 Germano D’Abramo
The principle of mechanical energy conservation limits the height at which a body of mass m and initial total mechanical energy Ei can get in a uniform gravitational field g, namely hmax=Ei/mg . However, the same conservation principle does not pose any limit to the height reachable by a sound wave in a vertical column of (ideal) fluid in the same uniform gravitational field. Here, we provide two accessible
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Demonstration of bonding interaction by attraction and repulsion forces measurement using disc magnets Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-19 W P S Freitas, P S Carvalho Jr, L B Calheiro, A M B Goncalves
Using a 3D-printed device, an Arduino board, and a force sensor, we measured the force interaction as a function of the distance in an apparatus-like ‘magnetic tractor beam’. This apparatus has been designed to demonstrate the nature of the chemical bond. The magnet configuration is such that the interaction follows a potential analogous to that described by Leonardo–Jones for a chemical bond. This
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Measuring velocity and acceleration of a moving object in linear motion using proximity sensor of smartphone Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-18 Narongsak Khongthiamsri, Chokchai Puttharugsa
This paper describes an alternative method for measuring the time or time interval of a moving object in linear motion using a smartphone’s proximity sensor. Two smartphones are stationary, placed on an inclined plane, and measure the time or time interval of a moving object (with attached a cardboard) passing through the sensor using the Phyphox app. The obtained data are used to calculate both velocity
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Exploring the effect of a phenomenological teaching-learning sequence on lower secondary school students’ views of light polarisation Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Kristóf Tóth, Marisa Michelini, Philipp Bitzenbauer
The wave model of light in general, and the phenomenon of light polarisation in particular, are difficult topics for secondary school students. Prior research has indicated that a model-free phenomenological teaching approach may be fruitful in helping students overcome some of the widespread learning obstacles. These phenomenological approaches are characterised by their departure from abstract and
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Experimental validation of the brachistochrone curve Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Matheus Azevedo Silva Pessôa, Jelena Kljunak, Elena Zhivaljevikj, Mihaela Smilevska
We built a simple, cheap and accessible experiment to study the motion of spherical beads through three different curves, one of them being the curve of fastest descent, or brachistochrone. Despite the absence of a no-friction constraint and the rolling of the beads, our experimental findings consistently support the conclusion that the brachistochrone path remains the fastest. We perform a numerical
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Bounce of a rubber ball on a slippery surface: answer Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Rod Cross
Video film of a rubber ball bouncing on three different surfaces shows that wet surfaces can be very slippery.
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Comment on ‘Acceleration of a car from rest: friction, power and forces’ Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Rod Cross
The work done by static friction on the wheels of a car is zero, despite the fact that the friction force is directly responsible for its acceleration. The problem can be resolved by considering the torque generated by the friction force.
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An equation for the ‘weather glass’ Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Michael Jewess
The ‘weather glass’, containing air and (usually) water, is a compact barometer, less accurate but more convenient than the Torricellian barometer of 1644. The weather glass pre-dates the Torricellian barometer, and coexisted with it until it was out-competed from about 1860 by the more accurate, comparably compact aneroid barometer. Today, the weather glass is sold as an elegant interior decoration
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Simple quantitative examples illustrating how the centrifugal and Coriolis forces ‘rescue’ Newton’s second law in rotating frames Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Chiu-King Ng
This paper is prepared for those who have already learned the physics of circular motions and the centripetal force and are curious about the centrifugal and Coriolis forces. Instead of deriving them or exploring the theory, we aim to bring forward several quantitative examples to illustrate what conceptually they are, along with evidencing the notion that ‘Newton’s second law in rotating reference
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Indicating the direction in conservation of angular momentum Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Fatih Yıldırım, Gamze Sezgin Selçuk
This study developed a teaching material that makes the conservation of angular momentum, which students find very difficult, more concrete. The fact that angular momentum is a vector concept, the direction of the vector and the importance of this vector direction in angular momentum conservation are visualized. The teaching material consists of a table mounted on a freely rotating shaft, two electric
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A mechanical device to demonstrate the composition of two simple harmonic motions Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Lian Hu
The slot link mechanism can project uniform rotation to a simple harmonic motion (SHM), based on which, the device including two sliding table systems has been prepared. These two sliding table systems can be stacked up and down, and each of them can produce a tunable mechanical SHM using a stepper motor. When the upper sliding table system is attached to the lower one and both are turned on, the motion
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Fermat’s principle in high school classes: an experimental approach using video analysis Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-06 E S Silva, G A C Perez, A L de Oliveira, V L B de Jesus
This work presents an experimental approach to Fermat’s principle using a video analysis investigation applied to two high school classes whose students have basic knowledge of kinematics. The results indicate that without knowledge of advanced calculations, the students could verify the minimum time required for the light to travel between the two points compared to other alternative paths. This work
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A spectacular demonstration of energy transformation in an internal combustion engine Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Mykola Holovko, Serhii Kryzhanovskyi, Viktor Matsyuk
The structure and operating principle of a four-stroke internal combustion engine are usually demonstrated using the cut-away model of an internal combustion engine or its computer animation. However, by observing the operation of the engine mechanism, the understanding of the main essence, which consists of the transformation of thermal energy from the combustion of gasoline into the mechanical energy
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Explaining Grover’s algorithm with a colony of ants: a pedagogical model for making quantum technology comprehensible Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Merel A Schalkers, Kamiel Dankers, Michael Wimmer, Pieter Vermaas
The rapid growth of quantum technologies requires an increasing number of physicists, computer scientists, and engineers who can work on these technologies. For educating these professionals, quantum mechanics should stop being perceived as incomprehensible. In this paper we contribute to this change by presenting a pedagogical model for explaining Grover’s search algorithm, a prominent quantum algorithm
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Motion of a metal nut sliding around a vertical loop Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Rod Cross
An experiment is described where a metal nut was allowed to slide from the top to the bottom of a vertical wire loop. An interesting feature is that the normal reaction force on the nut decreases to zero and reverses direction before the nut reaches the bottom of the loop.
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Making sense of the induced emf in a coil using sensors and visualisation of the voltage–force parametric plot Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Darren Wong, Paul Lee
We investigated the emf (V) induced with time (t) in a search coil due to an oscillating bar magnet along the axis of the coil using the IOLab device. Experimental data was simultaneously collected with the force sensor which tracked the oscillation of the magnet and the voltage sensor which gave real-time readings of the induced emf in the coil. For small amplitudes of oscillation, where the predominant
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Modelling gravitational-wave emission and detection on spandex using a high-speed camera Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-28 András Molnár, Márk Czura, Bence A Dercsényi
This paper demonstrates a variation of the rubber sheet experiment (Gravitational Waves Work Like This Drill on Spandex) for measuring the properties of modelled gravitational waves. Mechanically induced waves on the rubber sheet are observed by a high-speed camera and the slow-motion videos are analysed with the Tracker program. We describe the theoretical background and the execution of the measurement
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Study of electromagnetic damping of an oscillating bar magnet and its energy budget Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Avik Banerjee, Sonali Saha
The oscillation of a bar magnet along the axis of a closed loop solenoid has been studied quantitatively using an ultrasonic sensor and Arduino microcontroller-based platform. Real-time displacement of the oscillatory magnet with and without the solenoid shows an additional damping effect due to electromagnetic induction in the presence of the closed-loop solenoid. Variation of the induced current
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Novel demonstration of the Doppler shift of planet spectra Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Matthew Lewis
In this paper, a novel approach to teaching Doppler shift is presented using a readily available Doppler buzzer, free to download spectrum analyser, turntable and electric motor, enable students to recreate the work done by astronomers when finding by astronomers when exoplanets.
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Archimedes’ principle experimental apparatus for remote physics laboratory Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-23 T K Indratno, Ishafit1, Y D Prabowo
The latest developments in information technology have made it possible to have experimental activities that can be accessed remotely. This article offers an explanation about the development of experimental tools that can be accessed remotely based on Archimedes’ principle. The equipment has been developed by adding a stepper motor to control the object to submerge in liquid. The stepper motor is
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A new approach to determining the specific heat using the Arduino® platform and Newton’s law of cooling Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Thalyta de Oliveira Inocêncio Martins, Frederico Alan de Oliveira Cruz, Marcelo Dumas Hahn, Juliana Lobo Paes
This article describes a new approach for determining the specific heat of solid and liquid samples in an educational laboratory setting. The experiment employed automated data collection, using Arduino® to record temperatures as the system cooled. Samples of water, ethyl alcohol, lead, and aluminium were analysed by exchanging heat with preheated water in a non-insulated container. To identify the
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A modern, rapid and simple investigation of Ampère’s law Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Pietro Cicuta, Giovanni Organtini
Classical physics results are often taught purely from the theoretical side. Key results, especially in electromagnetism, are typically not explored experimentally, and in applications students are then expected to leap straight into more complex scenarios that make use of these principles in electronics, sensors and instrumentation. This is unfortunate because not all individuals are equally able
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Measurement of the charge-to-mass ratio of particles trapped by the Paul trap for education Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-23 R J Saito, T A Tanaka, Y Sakemi, M Yagyu, K S Tanaka
Paul traps are devices that confine particles using an alternating electric field and have been used in undergraduate experimental classes at universities. Owing to the requirement of a high voltage ( > 103 V), Paul traps are not used in middle and high schools. Therefore, we developed an all-in-one-type Paul trap, including a high-voltage transformer. The Paul trap can be equipped with two different
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An elementary proof of the amplitude’s exponential decrease in damped oscillations Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Stylianos-Vasileios Kontomaris, Anna Malamou
A damped oscillation is characterized by the diminishing amplitude of an oscillating system resulting from the dissipation of energy. A crucial example of damped oscillations involves a block of mass attached to the end of a linear spring, experiencing a damping force proportional to the object’s velocity and acting in opposition to the direction of its motion. For small values of the damping constant
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Burning facial tissue and corroding graphite rods of recycled batteries: two simple experiments in preparation of nanomaterials Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Ngo Khoa Quang
This report presents two hands-on activities for high school students that focus on the preparation of nanomaterials in a relatively simple manner. Carbon dots (CDs) were chosen as a demonstration. The article is categorised into two parts. The first part roughly performs the same work as a previous publication by Jumeng Wei, in which ultrasonication was utilised to cleave paper ash. Furthermore, we
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Work done by static friction on an incline Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Rod Cross
The total work done by the static friction force acting on a ball rolling down an incline is zero, despite the fact that work is done by the friction force to increase the rotational kinetic energy of the ball. It is shown that an equal and opposite amount of work is done by the friction force to decrease the translational kinetic energy of the ball.
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Investigating the effect of coolant on cooling rate of engine oil used in automobile industry using Arduino interfaced temperature sensor Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-20 Amit Kumar Pandey, Raghav Sharma, Nikhil2, Divyanshu Choudhary, Neha Batra Bali, Maya Verma, Rashmi Menon, Amit Tanwar
Heat is lost by the system due to temperature difference between the hot object and surroundings. Two models which explain cooling are conduction-convection method and radiation method. During an automobile engine operation, both engine and engine oil get heated up. To overcome the problem of excessive heat generated, coolant is used to cool down the system. In present study, cooling rate of engine
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Teaching the asynchronous general physics course in a crisis context: a case study at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-20 Dariya Savchenko, Tetyana Chyzhska, Olha Shtofel
The imposition of martial law and power outages in Ukraine made the first semester of the 2022/2023 academic year at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute a challenge for lecturers and students, especially in learning the general physics course. An asynchronous learning mode became the only possible form in such a situation, so the problem of increasing the efficiency of conducting a lecture, problem
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Demonstration of conservation of momentum using Lato Lato 2.0 Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Edy Wibowo, Naily Ulya, Putut Marwoto
In this work, the second generation of Lato Lato (Lato Lato 2.0) has been used to demonstrate the concept of conservation of momentum. The Lato Lato 2.0 toys are two identical solid balls that are attached to the stick handle via a stick. The balls are meant to rotate in response to the movements of the stick handle. With the assistance of these toys, the concepts of action-reaction forces, two objects
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Investigating magnetization of permanent magnets by magnetic flux viewing film Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Jiří Erhart, Pavlína Hejsková
Permanent magnets are used in many current industrial as well as home appliances today. Frequently, kitchen plastic magnets could be found at the refrigerators at home. However, the magnetic domain structure of such permanent plastic foils is not known and understood to the users at all. The purpose of this paper is to explain the magnetic domain structure of plastic magnets with Halbach array and
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Moire fringe measurement method for Young modulus Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Jia-hui Niu, Wei Jiang, Jia-xin Ma, Liu-zhen Peng, Duan-bin Luo, Fei Xu
In this paper, a device is introduced to enlarge micro deformation of steel wire by using Moire fringe formed by double grating, and then measure the Young modulus. Since the angle of the double grating in the device is difficult to control accurately, and it is difficult to accurately achieve the desired magnification, we chose to calculate the magnification by measuring the width of the Moire fringe
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Construction and remote demonstration of an inexpensive but efficient experimental setup for studying self-inductance and mutual-inductance between two coils Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Arijit Roy, Munmun Ghosal, Abhishek Mallick, Durjoy Roy, Bidisha Biswas
Measurement of self-inductance and mutual-inductance has been demonstrated as a laboratory experiment with great simplicity. The novelty of this demonstration lies in its straightforward circuitry and methodology, enabling the experiment accessible to students with minimal prerequisite knowledge. A coil-pair setup was constructed using discarded common household articles, costing very low but provides
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Experiments at the edge of space: balloon flights to the stratosphere Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-13 M H Denton, L Blum, R Kivi, S Bruce, P Ramos, M Feinland, T Ulich, J J Denton
Over 1500 balloons are launched every day, from every continent on Earth, to provide forecasting of tropospheric weather. Similar balloons, which can fly to the edge of space (>30 km), can be used for other science projects. Professional scientists, military users, commercial organisations, and interested amateurs, all fly payloads that provide a relatively low-cost means to reach the upper atmosphere
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A surprising two-inductor circuit Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Carl E Mungan, Joel S Helton
Introductory textbooks often consider circuits in which a switch is used to alternately connect or disconnect a battery from series or parallel combinations of simple components such as resistors and inductors. An example circuit is presented here whose behaviour is contradictory if all components are ideal. A simple modification is proposed for the behaviour of the switch to resolve the contradiction
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Graph plotting of 1-D motion in introductory physics education using scripts generated by ChatGPT 3.5 Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-09 Bhavesh Ramkorun
Introductory physics courses often necessitate students to graphically represent one-dimensional (1-D) motion and derive various physical parameters. Physical quantities are often solved by calculating either slope or the area under the graph. Instructors and students who do not have access to paid software must plot graphs by hand. This paper explores three introductory physics examples related to
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Australian teachers’ perspectives of two distinct physics curriculum paradigms Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Helen Georgiou, Jessy Abraham
In New South Wales (NSW), Australia, since 2019, senior high school students have been experiencing a transformed Physics syllabus. This syllabus takes a ‘back to basics’ approach where core principles and problem solving are prioritised, and was a response to the earlier syllabus, which was much more contextual, including the history of ideas and technologies and a wide range of ‘option’ topics. This
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Work and energy during a head-on collision Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Rod Cross
When two balls collide head-on in an elastic collision, the work done on each ball by the impact force is equal to the change in kinetic energy of each ball. A calculation of the work done during the collision is presented as an interesting extension of the work-energy principle, including an example where one of the balls is infinitely heavy.
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Centre of mass of standard weights: another experiment with Lego and Tracker Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Omar-Jair Purata-Sifuentes, Carlos-Augusto Echegoyén-Naranjo, Carlos Vargas-Torres
Determine the centre of mass (CM) of standard weights is needed when two weights with different heights are compared. However, reproducing related experiments is difficult for high school or higher education institutions with non-expensive instrumentation or low budgets to construct specialised devices. This work addresses that problem in a two-way approach: dynamic video-based analysis and making
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An elementary method for calculating the duration of motion of a block with mass attached to the end of a spring under the influence of kinetic friction Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Michail Poulakis, Anna Malamou, Stylianos Vasileios Kontomaris
Calculating time intervals in motions with non-constant acceleration is a challenging task. In most cases, advanced mathematical tools are required. Therefore, these topics are usually not suitable for presentation at the high school level. In this paper, the case of the motion of a block of mass attached to the end of a linear spring on a rough surface is revisited. The goal is to find an elementary
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On (not) setting the atmosphere on fire with nuclear weapons Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 B Cameron Reed
The question of possibly igniting a fusion chain reaction in the atmosphere by detonating nuclear weapons is analysed with some basic concepts of nuclear physics and order-of-magnitude estimates. This scenario is shown to be impossible in any realistic situation.
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Visualising relativity: assessing high school students’ understanding of complex physics concepts through AI-generated images Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Maira Giovana de Souza, Mihye Won, David Treagust, Agostinho Serrano
This study investigates how students utilized artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images to represent their understanding of general relativity concepts. Ten high school students participated in an extracurricular course on relativity theory. Using AI chatbot, these students created visual representations of ‘relativity’ before and after the course. The produced images, the accompanying prompts
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Thirty-one physics words with unusual origins Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 P-M Binder
The unusual etymology of 31 words commonly used in introductory physics is presented in detail. This work can inspire class conversations on the interplay between science and culture, the mutual influence of cultures, and doing physics in non-English languages.
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On Joule’s paddle wheel experiment in textbooks Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Ricardo Lopes Coelho
Authors of university and secondary school textbooks have resorted to Joule’s famous paddle wheel experiment when introducing the topic ‘energy’. The explanations provided are misleading. In this study, Joule’s original article was used to address this problem.
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Do it in a different way: use a TDS meter to determine the colour degradation of dye solutions Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Edy Wibowo, Naily Ulya, Ismudiati Puri Handayani, Mamat Rokhmat, Sutisna3
This study demonstrated how a dye solution’s per cent colour degradation (η) may be calculated using the total dissolved solids (TDS) meter. As test solutions, varied concentrations of the brilliant blue solutions were utilised. We compared the results of TDS meter readings for per cent degradation with those of standard spectrometer measurements. The results of our measurements agree with those of
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Why every observatory needs a disco ball Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Robert J Cumming, Alexander G M Pietrow, Livia Pietrow, Maria Cavallius, Dominique Petit dit de la Roche, Casper Pietrow, Ilane Schroetter, Moa Skan
Commercial disco balls provide a safe, effective and instructive way of observing the Sun. We explore the optics of solar projections with disco balls, and find that while sunspot observations are challenging, the solar disk and its changes during eclipses are easy and fun to observe. We explore the disco ball’s potential for observing the moon and other bright astronomical phenomena.
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The impact of AI in physics education: a comprehensive review from GCSE to university levels Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Will Yeadon, Tom Hardy
With the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), its potential implications for higher education have become a focal point of interest. This study delves into the capabilities of AI in physics education and offers actionable AI policy recommendations. Using openAI’s flagship gpt-3.5-turbo large language model (LLM), we assessed its ability to answer 1337 physics exam questions spanning general
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Investigating the beliefs of experts on teaching quantum physics at secondary schools: key concepts, topics, and fundamentals Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 P Onorato, M Di Mauro, M Malgieri
This study presents the findings of a series of interviews conducted with 17 Italian academic experts in the field of physics. The interviews aimed at exploring various aspects of teaching quantum physics (QP) at the secondary school level. The focus was on evaluating the overall suitability of teaching QP, the benefit of introducing it with an historical approach, the necessary mathematical grounds
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Low-cost optical home-lab experiments Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Tiago E C Magalhães, Tânia M Ribeiro
Low-cost experiments have the advantage of being affordable to schools, universities, and families. In the particular case of optics, these experiments can be important to help students understand the properties of light and optical phenomena. In this article, we demonstrate optical experiments to be carried out at home by students learning remotely. These experiments were designed and performed at
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Low-cost experiments for teaching eletrostatics in Brazilian high school Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Henrique M Juliatto, Matheus A Martins, Matheus Kusman, Fabiano Yokaichiya, Margareth K K D Franco
Many public schools in Brazil do not have the financial resources to obtain certain equipment for teaching physics. Considering that the Brazilian National Common Curricular Base, a normative document that defines the organic and progressive set of essential learning that all students must develop, determines that the curriculum for teaching electromagnetism for high school encompass electrostatics
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Drones as observers and students as data points: a large-scale demonstration of sound waves Phys. Educ. Pub Date : 2024-02-05 Sebastian Kilde Löfgren, Mathilda Virta, Javier Tello Marmolejo, Annie Ringvall Moberg, Jonas Enger, Dag Hanstorp
Sound is central in everyday life, and the physics of sound is present in many parts of physics education. A common way to teach physics concepts is to conduct experiments or show a phenomenon through demonstrations. However, it is far from trivial to get students to experience the wave nature of sound firsthand. This paper presents three experiments where students become part of the demonstration