Related papers: Teaching with Physlets: Examples from Optics
\textsc{Pykat} is a Python package which extends the popular optical interferometer modelling software \textsc{Finesse}. It provides a more modern and efficient user interface for conducting complex numerical simulations, as well as…
This teaching article describes a simple and low-cost methodology for studying electrical transport and constructing basic sensor devices using everyday stationery items, including pencils, paper, and a handheld multimeter. The approach is…
A functional hardware description language enables students to gain a working understanding of computer systems, and to see how the levels of abstraction fit together. By simulating circuits, digital design becomes a living topic, like…
Systematic observations of student gestures can not only fill in gaps in students' verbal expressions, but can also offer valuable information about student ideas, including their source, their novelty to the speaker, and their construction…
The paper presents a teaching module about liquid crystals. Since liquid crystals are linked to everyday student experiences and are also a topic of a current scientific research, they are an excellent candidate of a modern topic to be…
The purpose of this paper (which, in many passages, I take the liberty of writing in the first person singular for bringing a personal experience) is to show how teachers of Physics and Mathematics in Basic Education can teach, through a…
Developments in information and communication technologies have been greatly influential on the practices in all fields, and education is not an exception to this. To illustrate with, computers were first used in computer assisted education…
When we humans look at a video of human-object interaction, we can not only infer what is happening but we can even extract actionable information and imitate those interactions. On the other hand, current recognition or geometric…
Incorporating computer programming exercises in introductory physics is a delicate task that involves a number of choices that may have a strong affect on student learning. We present an approach that speaks to a number of common concerns…
Computation is becoming an increasingly important part of physics education. However, there are currently few theories of learning that can be used to help explain and predict the unique challenges and affordances associated with…
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…
During the last decade we have witnessed an impressive development in so-called interpreted languages and computational environments such as Maple, Mathematica, IDL, Matlab etc. Problems which until recently were typically solved on…
Courses in mathematical methods for physics students are not known for including too much in the way of mathematical rigour and, in some ways, understandably so. However, the conditions under which some quite commonly used mathematical…
In the present work we have made use of the animation freeware Algodoo,as an easy handling tool to teach and learn physics. The animation is based on the oblique motion model and we have described the movement qualitatively, showing changes…
Geant4 is a complex and widely-used software toolkit for the simulation of the passage of particles through matter and the interactions they undergo. It contains very extensive and flexible optical physics capabilities. These allow for the…
Transformation equations for physical quantities that characterize plane electromagnetic wave propagation in transparent optical media are presented. The Doppler effect, and measurements performed by an observer moving with the wave are…
The versatility of optics enables the design of a wide range of elegant beam instrumentation. Multiple properties of particle beams can be precisely measured by various optical techniques, which include: direct sampling of optical radiation…
I discuss some interesting classroom demonstrations of diamagnetism and how this effect can produce levitation. The possibilities for hands-on demonstrations of diamagnetic and superconducting levitation are discussed. To conclude I discuss…
The sensors in modern smartphones are a promising and cost-effective tool for experimentation in physics education, but many experiments face practical problems. Often the phone is inaccessible during the experiment and the data usually…
We describe a variant of the popular game "Pictionary" based on terms used in elementary and high school physics. We believe that drawing of physical terms helps students develop a deeper understanding of physical concepts behind them, as…