A spreadsheet-based exercise for students is described in which they are challenged to explain and reproduce the disparate temperature dependencies of the heat capacities of gaseous F[subscript 2] and N[subscript 2]. For F[subscript 2], C[subscript p,m] increases from 300 K, reaches a maximum at 2200 K, and then decreases to 74% of the maximum…

In Volume 26, Number 2, we reported on a group case study run for level 3 mathematics students at the University of Brighton. At the core of the study was a quadratic assignment problem, and we reported on attempts by students to use Excel to solve the problem, and on the attendant difficulties. We provided an elegant solution. In this article, we…

This article shows how to use six parameters describing the International Space Station's orbit to predict when and in what part of the sky observers can look for the station as it passes over their location. The method requires only a good background in trigonometry and some familiarity with elementary vector and matrix operations. An included…

Very young students can begin to use technology to organize and analyze their data in sophisticated ways. The National Center for Education Statistics (2005) reported that 67% of nursery school students and 80% of kindergarten students were using computers in 2003. By the early elementary grades, some of these students are ready to begin using…

Sophomores interested in professional colleges with grade-point average (GPA) standards for admission to upper division courses will need specific and realistic information concerning the requirements. Specifically, those who fall short of the standard must assess the likelihood of achieving the necessary GPA for professional program admission.…