Physics Education
To increase public awareness of theoretical materials physics, a small group of high school students is invited to participate actively in a current research projects at Chalmers University of Technology. The Chalmers research group…
In 2012, a pedagogic tool for monochromatic holography was realized for pedagogic and popular science purposes [Th. Voslion and A. Escarguel, Eur. J. Phys 33, 1803 (2012)]. Following its success, we decided to upgrade it to make larger…
The case-study teaching method has a long history (starting at least with Socrates), and wide current use in business schools, medical schools, law schools, and a variety of other disciplines. However, relatively little use is made of it in…
A lock-in amplifier is a versatile instrument frequently used in physics research. However, many students struggle with the basic operating principles of a lock-in amplifier which can lead to a variety of difficulties. To improve students'…
More than a decade ago Edwin Taylor issued a "call to action" that presented the case for basing introductory university mechanics teaching around the principle of stationary action. We report on our response to that call in the form of an…
We quantitatively analyze a familiar classroom demonstration, Van Waltenhofen's eddy current pendulum, to predict the damping effect for a variety of plate geometries from first principles. Results from conformal mapping, finite element…
Student learning in undergraduate physics laboratory courses has garnered increased attention within the PER community. Considerable work has been done to develop curricular materials and pedagogical techniques designed to enhance student…
We present a schlieren system comprised of 3D printed optical mounts, a sub-$10 mirror, and a smartphone camera. The system is intended to make schlieren imaging accessible to K-through-12 students, educators, as well as hobbyists. In the…
We investigated the effects of student-generated problems on exams. The process was gradual with some training throughout the semester. Initial results were highly positive with the students involved performing significantly better, and…
I give a concise introduction to some essential concepts of statistical mechanics: 1. Probability theory (constrained distributions, concentration theorem, frequency estimation, hypothesis testing); 2. Macroscopic systems in equilibrium…
I present an intuitive answer to an often asked question: why is the integrated difference K-U between the kinetic and potential energy the quantity to be minimized in Hamilton's principle? Using elementary arguments, I map the problem of…
At the beginning of a class or meeting an icebreaker activity is often used to help loosen the group and get everyone talking. Our motivation is to develop activities that serve the purpose of an icebreaker, but are designed to enhance and…
A simple interfacing project with the 8085-microprocessor kits available in under graduate college labs has been discussed. The interface card to study the I-V characteristics of a p-n diode emphasizes how the microprocessor can be used to…
A century after its formulation by Einstein, it is time to incorporate special relativity early in the physics curriculum. The approach advocated here employs a simple algebraic extension of vector formalism that generates Minkowski…
We investigated students' use of Newton's second law in mechanics and electromagnetism contexts by interviewing students in a two-semester calculus-based physics course. We observed that students' responses are consistent with three mental…
A heuristic but pedagogical derivation is given of an explicit formula which accurately reproduces the period of a simple pendulum even for large amplitudes. The formula is compared with others in the literature.
Carnot established in 1824 that the efficiency of cyclic engines operating between a hot bath at absolute temperature $T_{hot}$ and a bath at a lower temperature $T_{cold}$ cannot exceed $1-T_{cold}/T_{hot}$. We show that linear oscillators…
The workshop `Astrophysical Dynamics 1999/2000' followed a homonymous advanced research course, and both activities were organized by me. In this opening paper of the proceedings book, I describe them and document their strong impact on the…
This is a graduate course on elementary quantum mechanics written for the benefit of undergraduate and graduate students. It is the English version of physics/0003106, which I did at the suggestion of several students from different…
How can elementary grade teachers integrate programming and computational thinking with the science curriculum? To answer this question, we present results from a long-term, design-based, microgenetic study where 1) agent-based programming…