The hanging rope problem is considered. The rope is subject to rotation with the rotation axis being parallel to the rope. Using a continuum model and the basic principles of dynamics, the differential equation governing the motion is derived. The dynamic equilibrium case without vibrational motion is assumed in deriving the equation. The equation…

When authoring physics problems, professors may develop an intuition for how much information they need to provide such that the problem has a unique answer and is not over constrained. It is an open question as to whether using intuition leads to a sufficiently broad range of problems. In this paper we discuss a systematic way of authoring…

The cases of constant and quadratic damping of free oscillations are missing from standard textbooks, even at college and university level. The case most examined is that of linear damping, the reason being that the student can work out a closed form which describes all stages of motion. The case of constant damping is straightforward to be…

We report an educational tool for the upper level undergraduate quantum chemistry or quantum physics course that uses a symbolic approach via the PySyComp Python library. The tool covers both time-independent and time-dependent quantum chemistry, with the latter rarely considered in the foundations course due to topic complexity. We use quantized…

The static equilibrium properties of a spool, resting on an incline and subject to the tension exerted by a string wrapped around the core cylinder, are studied by means of Newtonian mechanics. The overall behaviour of this system is imagined to be similar to that of a doggie kept on a leash. Starting from the well-known mechanical properties of…

Jigsaw-IV Problem-solving method is innovative active learning instruction used to improve college student's learning. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of Jigsaw-IV problem-solving instruction on preservice physics teachers' (PSPT) procedural knowledge in college of teacher education in the Southern nation nationality…

This article looks at an interdisciplinary college movement and mathematics course from the perspectives of one of its co-creators and a mathematics education researcher. It suggests deep, embodied use of choreographic problem solving can form an effective path to mathematics learning through (a) conceptual overlap between mathematics and dance,…

Problems involving rotating systems analysed from an inertial frame, without invoking fictitious forces, is something that freshman students find difficult to understand in an introductory mechanics course. In this article we try to see what could be the factors that lead to this difficulty and propose a set of arguments that could be used to…

The present study explores students' understanding of calculus-based kinematics (henceforth, CBK), in which argumentation is taken as the sequence of the modes of fostering reasoning and problem-solving. The investigation stresses the importance of arguments students bring to the learning situation of CBK and recognizes the active construction of…

Recently, Gauthier introduced a method to construct solutions to the equations of motion associated with oscillating systems into the mathematics education research literature. In particular, Gauthier's approach involved certain manipulations of the differential equations; and drew on the theory of complex variables.Motivated by the work of…

Mathematics is a particularly notable domain in which to understand the role of body movement for improving reasoning, instruction, and learning. One reason is that mathematics ideas are often expressed and taught through disembodied formalisms--diagrams and symbols that are culturally designed to be abstract, amodal, and arbitrary (Glenberg et…

Describing the motion in a vertical roller coaster loop requires a good understanding of Newton's laws, vectors and energy transformation. This paper describes how first-year students try to make sense of force and acceleration in this example of non-uniform circular motion, which was part of a written exam. In addition to an analysis of the exam…

The purpose of the study is to investigate the elementary education undergraduate students' understanding levels of one dimensional motion which they take in the compulsory general physics course in the second year, third term and instructors' predictions about the students' responses. The study is a descriptive study. The data of the study were…

Background: Recent critiques of twenty-first century physical education (PE), and by association physical education teacher education (PETE), position the discipline as largely uncontested, unproblematised and uncritical. This critique encourages researchers to re-consider the nature of PE and what it means to move, be moved, value movement or be…

To familiarize first-year students with the important ingredients of a physics experiment, we offer them a project close to their daily life: measuring the effect of air resistance on a bicycle. Experiments are done with a bicycle freewheeling on a downhill slope. The data are compared with equations of motions corresponding to different models…