Educating our future citizens in science and engineering is vitally important to ensure future advancement. Presently, in the light of environmental sustainability, it is critical that students learn concepts relating to energy, its consumption and future demands. In this article, we harness the state of the educational technology, namely…

Algodoo (http://www.algodoo.com) is a digital sandbox for physics 2D simulations. It allows students and teachers to easily create simulated "scenes" and explore physics through a user-friendly and visually attractive interface. In this paper, we present different ways in which students and teachers can use Algodoo to visualize and solve…

A cordless mouse with an added reed switch is used as a wireless data logger to record every time the wheel of a trolley completes a revolution. The limitations of the system in terms of maximum clicking rate and spatial resolution are considered and data obtained from the descent of a trolley down a ramp at various different angles is analysed in…

Some balls which are made of high-quality rubber (an elastomeric) material, such as tennis or squash balls, could be used for the determination of an important property of such materials called resilience. Since a bouncing ball involves a single impact we call this property "rebound resilience" and express it as the ratio of the rebound height to…

WebTOP is a three-dimensional, Web-based, interactive computer graphics system that helps instructors teach and students learn about waves and optics. Current subject areas include waves, geometrical optics, reflection and refraction, polarization, interference, diffraction, lasers, and scattering. Some of the topics covered are suited for…

Describes an experiment demonstrating Lenz's law by measuring a magnet falling through a copper tube compared to a nonmagnet falling. Presents diagrams and pictures showing the apparatus. (YP)

Computers are routinely used to control experiments in modern science laboratories. This should be reflected in laboratories in an educational setting. There is a mismatch between the power that can be delivered by a computer interfacing card or a TTL logic circuit and that required by many practical pieces of laboratory equipment. One common way…

Described is a position transducer used to convert the position of an object into a voltage read by a computer with use of an interface board. The arrangement of the apparatus, electronic circuit, and typical graph displays are presented. Discussed is the instructional use of the transducer. (YP)

Computer interfaced electrostatic charge sensors allow both qualitative and quantitative measurements of electrostatic charge but are quite sensitive to charges accumulating on modern synthetic materials. They need to be used with care so that students can correctly interpret their measurements. This paper describes the operation of the sensors,…

Although technological innovations have the capability to significantly change how scientific investigations are done and greatly enhance the teaching and learning of science, its use is no more effective than any other resource or innovation when researched-based effective teaching practices are not followed. This paper reviews established…

Describes the use of a computer-linked camera to demonstrate Coulomb's law. Suggests a way of reducing the difficulties in presenting Coulomb's law by teaching the inverse square law of gravity and the inverse square law of electricity in the same unit. (AIM)

Introduces a photogate arrangement using a photo-reflective sensor for air track experiments. Reports that the sensitivity to sunlight can be eliminated and a mechanically more convenient package produced. Shows the mounting, circuit, and usage of the photogate. (YP)

Describes a junior-level, one-year optics laboratory course for physics and engineering students. The course offers a range of experiments from conventional geometric optics to contemporary spatial filtering and fiber optics. Presents an example of an experiment with pictures. (Author/YP)

Describes an exercise designed for an introductory level calculus-based physics class. Presents a problem on why a rod dipped in water is stable when it is oriented at an angle with the vertical. Discusses qualitative understanding, mechanical understanding using equations, and experimental verification of the problem. (YP)

Discussed is a method of measuring the coefficient of linear expansion of a solid. Getting many data points, using a computer program using the least square fit technique, and modifying the apparatus are described. (YP)