During the coronavirus pandemic, there have been significant challenges in the remote teaching and demonstration of experiments, especially those that require laboratory testing equipment. With a desire to give students a feel for our materials laboratory on open days and allow them to gain a deeper understanding of what materials science and engineering is about, we have designed an experiment focused

If a smooth ball is dropped vertically without spin on a smooth horizontal surface then one might expect the ball to bounce vertically without spin. If it does not then the centre of mass of the ball does not coincide with its geometric centre. An experiment is described where a billiard ball and a superball are deliberately biassed by adding a small steel ball on one side. The results agree well with

The estimation of the electric field in simple situations provides an opportunity to develop intuition about the models used in physics. We propose an activity aimed at university students where the electric field of a finite line of charge is compared, analytically or numerically, with the fields of an infinite line and of a point charge. Contrary to intuition, it is not necessary to get very close

In this work, three heuristic derivations of the Hawking temperature are presented. The main characteristic of these derivations is their extreme simplicity, which makes them easily accessible to a wide and diverse audience.

How does the comparative density of ice and water affect water levels as ice melts in different circumstances? This article attempts to demonstrate this.

Books: (Very) Small-scale Science for Young Scientists: Clare Thomson reviews ‘Nano’ by Dr Jess Wade What Does Quantum Mechanics Really Tell Us About Our World?: Rick Marshall reviews ‘Helgoland’ by Carlo Rovelli Only Connect: Rick Marshall reviews ‘A Life on Our Planet’ by David Attenborough A Meditation on the Meaning of Life: Peter Main reviews ‘Until the End of Time’ by Brian Greene The ‘How’ and

This paper demonstrates the use of a smartphone’s sensors in recording experimental data for investigating the large angle of a physical pendulum. The smartphone (iPhone 5s) was attached to a beam to record simultaneously both the angular position and the angular speed of the beam oscillating about the pivot. The period and phase space of the oscillation were theoretically calculated and were compared

If an egg rolls end over end along a horizontal surface at sufficient speed it will become airborne. A similar effect occurs if a person walks fast enough. The person then becomes airborne and both feet lift off the ground in a running stride.

In the violin, the fundamental air cavity mode (the A0 mode) is associated with the sound radiated by the f-holes. The dependences of the sound velocity of the A0 frequency on gaseous temperature and mass were investigated. It was found that the frequency of the A0 mode changed, depending on the molecular weight and the temperature of the gas filling the violin’s body. From these results, it was deduced

This study presents an experimental method that illustrates and quantifies the Doppler-effect phenomenon. Two stages of the experimental process were carried out. First, a simplified ripple tank was used to depict the Doppler effect, and the whole experiment was recorded by a digital camera. Second, video analyses of the recorded experiment were conducted to quantify the Doppler effect. The experiment

Physics teachers are often faced with the challenge of having to set up difficult experiments, or they have to consciously manipulate parameters in order to be able to demonstrate a phenomenon convincingly. Comprehensive laboratory courses are standard procedure in any study program for prospective physics teachers. However, many students, even after completing standard laboratory courses, show difficulties

Active learning yields better learning outcomes than traditional, lecture-based teaching. Common approaches in large lecture courses are activating elements during the lectures and warm-up activities using online learning environments. However, implementing warm-up exercises, on which students work on by themselves makes formative feedback increasingly important. We have studied students’ views on

Experimental teaching is essential for a good understanding of science, especially on Physics. Practical activities play an important role for engaging students with science, mainly when they interact directly with equipment, collect experimental data with computers and/or use interactive software for data analysis. In this work, we present the use of low-cost mini-robots as an ‘object-to-think-with’

This paper demonstrates the use of a smartphone as a low-cost multi-channel optical fibre spectrophotometer suitable for physics laboratory classes. A custom-designed cradle and structure support were fabricated using 3D printing. The plastic optical fibres were arranged and inserted into the hole of the cradle to guide the light to the rear camera of the smartphone. Here, we describe the multi-channel

We present a sequence of two physics experiments, designed for use with secondary students, which investigate the specific heat of sand, both qualitatively and quantitatively, without a calorimeter. We use two LM35 temperature sensors and an Arduino prototype board for data acquisition. The results are good and allow teachers to discuss the behaviours of water and sand in the heating and cooling processes

In this work, we have developed an alternative device composed by an Arduino board and an INA219 sensor to experimentally obtain the mathematical formulas describing the charge and discharge of the capacitor for educational proposes. We have obtained excellent agreement between theoretical prediction and experimental measurements. The INA219 DC sensor can measure direct current up to 26 V/3.2 A with

We present a study of the slowing of sound by a corrugated drainage pipe that serves as a straightforward project lab investigation for undergraduate students.

Fermat’s principle states that a light ray refracted across different media will traverse the fastest path as the physics for Snell’s law. A geometric proof of Fermat’s principle will be demonstrated as an intuitive approach to learn high school geometry and physical optics. It will be proved explicitly by showing that all alternative paths need more traversal time to complete their journey.

The hFE of a transistor, or commonly known as the hybrid parameter forward current gain, is one of the important factors that characterizes the working of a transistor in any circuit. So designing such an experiment with readily available materials would help STEM students gain more intuition about the working principle of transistors in general. In this experiment we had used an Arduino UNO microcontroller

Rod Cross (Phys. Educ. 56 035017) has investigated the translational and angular accelerations of a rigid body rolling down a ramp inclined at angle Θ relative to the horizontal. The transition from rolling without slipping to rolling with slipping is explicitly included. Experimental results (obtained by digitizing movies of the motion of the object with reference lines drawn on it) are plotted as

This study focuses on the experimental demonstration of the definition of kelvin using a triple point of water (TPW) cell and estimates the measurement uncertainty. The first part of this article is to construct the measurement setup and perform the measurements. The second stage is related with the calculation of uncertainty according to guides to the expression of uncertainty in measurement. The

A practical experiment is described to estimate the distance to a star using simple equipment, suitable for secondary or undergraduate students. The brightness of the star is visually matched to a miniature filament lamp, and its distance inferred from the inverse square law. Students gain an appreciation of astronomical units and practice in manipulating powers of 10. By additionally applying knowledge

This research aimed to design an instructional module to teach light diffraction by a grating to secondary students applying a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-integrated approach. Based on this approach, instructional management integrated the disciplines of physics and mathematics with engineering design process principles, while information searches, assessment, and evaluation

A digital learning-teaching environment is introduced in which undergraduate students are challenged to connect the basic physical concepts of oscillation, buoyancy and data analysis via an authentic experiment. The damped oscillation of a cylindrical body swimming upright in water is measured via the MEMS acceleration sensor of a wireless MCU SensorTag. The data are recorded with the app phyphox on

We have investigated the motion of water flow through glass tubes of different shapes by calculating the value of the Reynolds number denoted as . We know that at a given flow rate the value of determines the type of flow being classified as laminar, transitional or tubulent. The dependence of in different configurations of glass tubes as well as on temperature is investigated. The apparatus for the

The net force and net torque exerted by a uniform magnetic field on a rigid current-carrying loop are discussed in all introductory physics textbooks. A notable omission, however, is the discussion of the equilibrium of a deformable current-carrying loop in a uniform magnetic field. In the article, we present such an analysis for the simplest case of a quadrilateral current-carrying wireframe placed

In times of the explosion of distance learning, because of emergency due to the pandemic, smartphone sensors and cameras are extremely valuable for teachers as they allow students to perform significant experimental activities in their own homes. The open-source software Tracker can be used in combination with the smartphone camera to perform measurements not only of mechanics activities, but also

The purpose of this study is to consider Superman’s acts against impulse–momentum and conservation of momentum principles. Superheroes as fantasy fiction characters attract the attention of not only children and teenagers but also adults. Superheroes can be useful in explaining a phenomenon, as well as overcoming conceptual difficulties that may occur in students. Superman is a superhero who often

The drag effect on a falling ball caused by air is a conventional subject in the most well-known textbooks of classical mechanics and fluid dynamics. Further, there are some papers that employ video analysis to track objects movements in the air making it possible to obtain position data as a function of time and its graphs. However, none of them addresses the case of a ball thrown downwards, maybe

We consider the cases of a beam hanging from four and three strings. In addition to the static equilibrium equations, these statically indeterminate structures can be easily resolved for the unknown tension forces with only using Hooke’s law.

In the initial topic in basic physics in school and college, the concept of analysing a measurement error needs to be understood by students. This paper proposes the use of various sensors on smartphones for statistical error analysis which usually uses the classical method with repeated measurements. The smartphone sensors used were light, acceleration, and magnetometer sensors. The data from the

The sound of impacts made by the two outermost balls in a Newton’s cradle were recorded with a smartphone sound sensor. As a time series of sound pressure levels, the data made it possible to obtain the period of the identical pendulums. Hence the determination of the acceleration due to gravity. The result, on average, g = 9.99 m s−2, is close enough to the locally accepted value of 9.78 m s−2 for

Chaotic phenomena are not part of standard curricula, although this subject offers several interesting aspects which can help students better understand basic features of science. A central observation is that even simple physical systems, if chaotic, are unpredictable, just like the weather. We present the principles applied when developing a freely available short interactive material and outline

Although learning about Nature of Science (NOS) promotes a variety of important outcomes, teachers often lack suitable activities for younger students to effectively address NOS. In this article I elaborate on a NOS activity developed for a teacher professionalisation workshop. The activity is suited for younger students as well, where clear links are made between elements of the activity and how science

An experiment is described where a billiard ball and a golf ball were projected with backspin on a horizontal surface to measure the transition from sliding to rolling. During both phases, the torque on the ball is affected by an offset in the line of action of the normal reaction force.

The overall efficiency of a reversible thermodynamic cycle comprising steps around the periphery of back-to-back Carnot cycles is equal to the efficiency-weighted average heat-energy inputs taken over all of the cycles. A proof of this assertion is straightforward and brief enough to be suitable for classroom presentation.

The oscillation frequencies of a double pendulum are derived by extending the usual calculation for a single pendulum. Experimental results are presented as supplementary videos.

The flight of a spinning rugby ball is difficult to describe mathematically but easy to observe experimentally. The flight can be simulated by dropping an egg into a water tank and observing or filming the outcome. Differences between a spinning and a non-spinning wooden egg are presented as supplementary videos.

Modern instruments use sensors, analogue and digital electronics, and digital processing to measure almost any kind of physical quantities. Arduino is a very useful and widely used platform to build such systems in a school environment. Since it has analogue voltage inputs, it can be used as a digital voltmeter or even as a chart recorder. However, the ways of ensuring the required level of accuracy

An easy circuit for measuring the power of a solar panel in physics classroom by using the microcontroller Arduino will be introduced in this article. The measured data is transferred via Bluetooth to the smartphone app ‘phyphox’ where it is displayed graphically. The circuitry enables measuring the power of a solar panel in different situations of light intensity. Several model experiments for students

The human ears are wonderful detectors, and sound gets to them in many different ways. This ‘what happens next?’ briefly examines two experiments which are informative in the ways in which sound travels and is heard.

Books: Clare Thomson reviews Not Necessarily Rocket Science by Kellie Gerardi. Rick Marshall reviews How to Make the World Add Up. Ten Rules for Thinking Differently About Numbers by Tim Harford, and The Sun: A Very Short Introduction by Philip Judge. David Sang reviews The Physics Book, foreword by Jim Al-Khalili. Ruth Wiltsher reviews The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack

Research has identified several students’ misinterpretations of the principles of the photoelectric effect (PE). Students cannot interpret the formula using the graph’s context despite the linear dependence inherited in it. Many studies pointed out that the graphical representation of kinetic energy of the ejected electrons versus frequency of incident photons is unclear when a blend of mathematical

Einstein’s relation between mass and energy is perhaps the most famous equation of Physics. Despite its simplicity, the meaning of is not easy to grasp. Furthermore, its traditional derivations rely either on the integral of momentum, on properties of electromagnetic radiation, or even on the expression for transformation of energy. In the present work, we provide a simple thought experiment with an

When a new topic is introduced in the curriculum, teachers seek various ways to teach students the related concepts. For the novel topic ‘materials’ in the revised Dutch curriculum, I developed an experiment in which students determine Young’s modulus using a guitar string. The experiment not only covers several concepts related to ‘materials’ it also provides a clear link to the physics of music and

The two main expressions for power dissipation P in Ohmic conductors, namely and , typically confuse students about why high voltage V should be preferred to high current I when transmitting electrical power through the National Grid. Here we suggest that such misconceptions can be avoided if students are encouraged to focus on the delivery of useful power (transmission efficiency), rather than energy

A simple method is described for measuring liquid density based on stretching of the spring and equilibrium of weight and elastic force. The method involves placing a container with liquid under test on the spring causing a stretch of the spring that is directly proportional to the weight of the liquid. With this technique, the liquid density can be determined without measuring its mass and volume

Problems involving rotating systems analysed from an inertial frame, without invoking fictitious forces, is something that freshman students find difficult to understand in an introductory mechanics course. In this article we try to see what could be the factors that lead to this difficulty and propose a set of arguments that could be used to resolve the confusion. We take a specific example of a bead

A movie of the moving temperature pointer of a dial-type thermometer was analysed in Tracker, a machine vision application, revealing a satisfactory match between the theory and the experimental data. Also presented is an empirical model for the time-dependent angular positions of the pointer.

Single slit diffraction is part of many high-school physics curricula throughout the world. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether high-school physics teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia are adequately prepared to discuss with their students about various aspects of the single slit diffraction pattern, particularly about vertical length of diffraction fringes. To

Renewable energy is a trending topic due to its importance in today’s society especially because of global warming. Because of its importance, this topic should be discussed at schools in an inclusive education environment. Experimental work is a very good activity to provide students effective conceptual discussions, but it is necessary to improve the teaching–learning process for an inclusive education

When the thermal expansion of water is discussed in school or university lessons, functional relationships are often inferred without considering measurement uncertainties. Moreover, in some learning materials, the goal of experimentation and the experimental setup do not match. This creates the wrong picture of scientific practice. In this article we compare five experimental setups with different

This paper aims to introduce the initiative Escola Sirius para Professores do Ensino Mdio (ESPEM, Sirius School for High School Teachers) hosted by the Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials) and supported by the Sociedade Brasileira de Fsica (SBF, Brazilian Physical Society). The program covers the principles and applications

The quantum eraser is a variation of the celebrated Young’s interference experiment that can be used to demonstrate the elusive complementarity principle in quantum physics. Here we show the construction of its classical analogue for deployment in classrooms in a simple, cost-effective yet robust manner by employing a laser pointer, double-slits, and polarizers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced educational institutions to adjust their learning process to distance education or online learning. This paper explains how to teach optics during the Covid-19 pandemic by implementing project-based learning that can be supervised online. Students are instructed to design, characterize, and optimize droplet lenses to produce the highest possible lens resolving power

This paper starts with an introduction to the concept of momentum current. It is followed by a discussion of its strength and density with the aid of several analogies made between momentum current and electric current. Based on the novel concepts of thermal charge and its quantity (entropy), the analogies are extended to entropy current. The broadened analogies cover the driving force and resistance

Integrals of functions of the form over the domain occur in various areas of physics. This paper shows how students can evaluate such integrals to surprisingly good accuracy using only basic calculus.

Since the viscous behaviour of liquids is evident in many everyday situations, it is plausible to assume that students have (pre-)conceptions about the physics behind these phenomena. As yet, no reliable studies exist on this topic. Therefore, the present study aims to address this research gap by exploring secondary school students’ conceptions about the viscous behaviour of liquids. For this purpose

A standard problem for physics students is to calculate or measure the acceleration of an object down an inclined plane. Additional information can be obtained by measuring the angular acceleration as well as the linear acceleration. An experiment is described where a billiard ball was filmed as it rolled down an inclined plane at different inclination angles. The transition from rolling without slipping

The target of this study is to determine the minimum angle of deviation of a prism which is one of the optical experiments. Thus, the aim is to state the refractive index of a prism. In this context, the Tracker program, which might also be utilized in terms of distance education purposes, was preferred. The videos of the experiments were recorded with the help of a smartphone. The study showed that