Physics Education
We investigate student comfort with the material in an upper-division spins-first quantum mechanics course. Pre-lecture surveys probing students' comfort were administered weekly, in which students assigned themselves a "discomfort level"…
Quantum technology is exploding. Computing, communication, and sensing are just a few areas likely to see breakthroughs in the next few years. Worldwide, national governments, industries, and universities are moving to create a new class of…
It is well documented that students sometimes resist active learning techniques. A recent study showed how students believed that they learned less in active learning classrooms than they learned in lectures, even though they learned more.…
The pursuit of knowledge in particle physics requires constant learning. As new tools become available, new theories are developed, and physicists search for new answers with ever-evolving methods. However, it is the case that formal…
We describe a research project carried out with a group of undergraduate physics students and aimed at exploring the use of a neural network to study a classical problem in wave optics whose analytical solution is well known: the…
Quantum computing was once regarded as a mere theoretical possibility, but recent advances in engineering and materials science have brought practical quantum computers closer to reality. Currently, representatives from industry, academia,…
The African School of Fundamental Physics and Applications, also known as the African School of Physics (ASP), was initiated in 2010, as a three-week biennial event, to offer additional training in fundamental and applied physics to African…
We introduce a newly designed undergraduate-level interdisciplinary course in scientific computing that aims to prepare students as the next generation of research-oriented computational scientists and engineers. The course offers students…
One of the demands of modern teaching is the interdisciplinary approach of cognitive subjects and in particular that of the natural sciences, with simultaneous engagement of teachers and students. At the same time, teaching scenarios seem…
There is some evidence that conceptual inquiry-based introductory physics lab curricula, such as RealTime Physics, may improve students' understanding of physics concepts. Thus, these curricula may be attractive for instructors who seek to…
The long-term success of HEP lies in expanding inclusiveness beyond national labs and academic research institutions to a vast community of predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUI) and community colleges (CC). Institutions such as…
This work presents a structured systematic process for undergraduate capstone research projects embodying computational thinking (CT) practices. Students learn to conduct research with a decision support system utilizing CT. The system is…
This Snowmass2021 Contributed Paper addresses the role of the Particle Physics community in creating and fostering international connections in American education. It describes the pressing need to introduce students and faculty to the…
In this article, an experiment to measure air velocity with the barometer of a smartphone is presented utilizing the concept of a Pitot tube. For the experiment, the app phyphox is used which has a set of useful features for performing…
We propose an easy experiment that allows to determine the speed of sound through a simple time-of-flight measurement using two smartphones
Data analysis at the LHC has a very steep learning curve, which erects a formidable barrier between data and anyone who wishes to analyze data, either to study an idea or to simply understand how data analysis is performed. To make analysis…
The Community Engagement Frontier presents this set of three white papers, as part of Snowmass 2021. These papers address critical issues -- Power Dynamics in Physics, Informal Socialization in Physics Training, and Policing and Gatekeeping…
This paper addresses issues related to the process of informal socialization into physics, particularly for senior graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Many physicists' careers are built on the relationships they have and develop…
The purpose of this white paper is to lay out the impacts of policing and gatekeeping in STEM, illustrated with lived experiences of scientists of color who are achieving despite the daunting challenges they face.
Smartphones are widely available and used extensively by students worldwide. These phones often come equipped with high-quality cameras that can be combined with basic optical elements to build a cost-effective DIY spectrometer. Here, we…