Physics Education
Asking questions during class time is one form of participation not commonly employed by members of underrepresented groups in large enrollment college classrooms, even though the form of participation is highly conducive to student…
In this paper an alternative way of conducting the physics laboratory exercise for determining the adiabatic index of air using the Clement -- Desormes method is proposed. The process of isochoric cooling of air has been studied in terms of…
This study examines the complex interplay of gender and other demographics on continuation rates in high school physics. Using a diverse dataset that combines demographics from the Canadian Census and eleven years of gendered enrolment data…
Theory of Relativity (Special and General) is one of the most influential theories of the 20th century and has changed the way we view the world. It is part of many undergraduate curriculums and it is often suggested that it should be…
We present a new virtual laboratory developed with COMSOL Multiphysics for the simulation of an acoustic levitator. Our computer application simulates the acoustic pressure field and its interaction with a set of particles. Students can…
In thermochemistry experiments, a large volume and relatively high concentration of chemicals are often used to get a significant temperature change using an analogue thermometer. A greener experimental protocol is developed as an…
In Radiation Physics classes, point sources are typically used, for which it is relatively easy to describe the signal obtained by a radiation detector, such as the NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. The use of large extended radiation sources…
In recent years there has been growing evidence that even after teaching designed to address the learning difficulties dictated by literature, many physics learners fail to create the proper reasoning chains that connect the fundamental…
In the popular imagination, science and technology are often seen as fields of knowledge production critical to social progress and a cooperative future. This optimistic portrayal of technological advancement also features prominently in…
This article describes an undergraduate physics module at a university in England that places year 3 student physicists in secondary school classrooms for a semester. This is done as a way of introducing them to the occupation of secondary…
Physics education researchers are interested in using the tools of machine learning and natural language processing to make quantitative claims from natural language and text data, such as open-ended responses to survey questions. The…
A recent paper evaluating a new rubric-based graduate admissions approach using generic methods tentatively suggested that its decisions differed noticeably from the previous approach in an unspecified way. Using prior knowledge that the…
The viscous behavior of fluids can be observed in numerous everyday situations. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that people, since they are usually not specialists in fluids' flow behavior, possess na\"ive conceptions about the…
Einstein's theory of relativity is largely thought of as one of the most important discoveries of the 20$^{th}$ century and continues to pass observational tests over 100 years later. Yet, it is Newtonian gravity, a 350 year old formalism…
This article describes the reform of a physics undergraduate lab course by introducing new technologies such as Arduino microcontroller and smartphone, to help students experience a more authentic lab experience. This paper outlines the…
We present an educational proposal which aims to illustrate the elegant, refined and coherent physics contained in Thermodynamics, through a path which assigns to the microscopic description of the physical systems a constantly privileged…
In light of a recent direct experimental confirmation of a Lorentz contraction of Coulomb field (an electric field of a point charge in a uniform motion), we revisit some common confusions related to it, to be mindful of in teaching the…
Communicating science through mobile smartphone and tablet applications is one of the most efficient ways to reach general public of diverse background and age coverage. The Higgsy project was created in 2022 to celebrate the 10th…
In this work, we present an educational activity aimed at measuring the Wigner distribution functions of quantum states of light in the undergraduate laboratory. This project was conceived by students from various courses within the physics…
In the years 2015-2018, the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and the Italian Ministry of Defense proposed the joint initiative "Space for Your Future. The ISS: Innovatio, Scientia, Sapientia" in partnership with the…