Related papers: Four pedagogic exercises
The object of this laboratory work: to explore dependence mass point oscillatory motion parameters in the following cases: - without resistance (free oscillations); - the resistance force is proportional to the velocity vector; - the…
We derive the path integral action for a particle moving in three dimensional fuzzy space. From this we extract the classical equations of motion. These equations have rather surprising and unconventional features: They predict a cut-off in…
The motion of astronomical bodies and the centre of mass of the system is not always well perceived by students. One of the struggles is the conceptual change of reference frame, which is the same that held back the acceptance of the…
The article presents a proposal to contextualize the study of movement in first courses of university physics, as a contribution to decision-making in situations of a social nature. For this, the case of the use of kinetic impact…
Several scenarios used in teaching feature a rolling motion with slipping that transitions to one without through friction with the ground. We summarise these transitions by introducing an unknown impulse that is transferred to the ground.…
The friction force, friction coefficients and the effects on the dynamics of particles, bodies and systems, are fundamental themes in university physics of the first cycles and also in general physics courses of upper secondary education in…
We analyze the frictionless motion of a point-like particle that slides under gravity on an inverted conical surface. This motion is studied for arbitrary initial conditions and a general relation, valid within 13%, between the periods of…
Physics students now have access to interactive molecular dynamics simulations that can model and animate the motions of hundreds of particles, such as noble gas atoms, that attract each other weakly at short distances but repel strongly…
At a macroscopic level, concepts such as top spin, back spin and rolling are commonly used to describe the collision of balls and surfaces. Each term refers to an aspect of the coupling of rotational motion during the collision of a…
We analyse a mechanical system in two-dimensional relative motion with friction. Although the system is simple, the peculiar interplay between two kinetic friction forces and gravity leads to the wide range of admissible solutions exceeding…
The spring-mass system studied in undergraduate physics laboratories may exhibit complex dynamics due to the simultaneous action of gravitational and elastic forces in addition to air friction. In the first part of this paper, we describe a…
In a recent report, the American Association of Physics Teachers has developed an updated set of recommendations for curriculum of undergraduate physics labs.1 This document focuses on six major themes: constructing knowledge, modeling,…
We give analytic expressions for the gravitational inner spherical multipole moments, q_{lm} with l <= 5, for 11 elementary solid shapes. These moments, in conjunction with their known rotational and translational properties, can be used to…
What kind of problem-solving instruction can help students apply what they have learned to solve the new and unfamiliar problems they will encounter in the future? We propose that mathematical sensemaking, the practice of seeking coherence…
Energy transfer through quantum coherences plays an essential role in diverse natural phenomena and technological applications, such as human vision, light-harvesting complexes, quantum heat engines, and quantum information and computing.…
Rolling of a small sphere on a solid support is governed by a non-linear friction that is akin to the Coulombic dry fiction. No motion occurs when the external field is weaker than the frictional resistance. However, with the intervention…
In the problem of cylinder rolling without slipping on a horizontal floor, both the cylinder and floor are generally treated as rigid bodies in normal textbooks. When the air resistance is ignored, the equation of motion has a solution with…
Classroom response systems (CRSs) can be potent tools for teaching physics. Their efficacy, however, depends strongly on the quality of the questions used. Creating effective questions is difficult, and differs from creating exam and…
The spring-mass system studied in undergraduate physics laboratories may show complex dynamics due to the simultaneous action of gravitational, elastic, and torsional forces, in addition to air friction. In this paper, we describe a…
We show that two basic mechanical processes, the collision of particles and rolling motion of a sphere on a plane, are intimately related. According to our recent findings, the restitution coefficient for colliding spherical particles…