The principle of relativity is of fundamental importance in practice when we are solving problems in physics since the axiom states that the result of any physical experiment is the same when performed with identical initial conditions relative to any inertial coordinate system. Hence, conceptual knowledge of coordinate systems is central in any…

High school students' difficulties with quantum physics (QP) are partly due to their limited understanding of the nature of science (NOS). The essence of QP can only be understood with informed views about NOS aspects such as the role of models and the relevance of controversies between physicists. Inversely, QP is an ideal topic for teaching…

In the transition from classical to modern physics, the idea of taking some certain quantities as distinct or bounded values and keeping the rest continuous has proved useful in dealing with many problems. In this paper we assume an upper bound on the velocity of classical particles and indicate that applying this assumption to electromagnetism…

The vertical bounce of a plastic egg was investigated by dropping the egg on a horizontal surface and filming the result with a video camera. If the egg is dropped on one end then it bounces just like a spherical ball. If the top end of the egg is pointing forwards or backwards when it lands on the surface, or if the egg is spinning when it lands,…

The private company SpaceX regularly launches satellites into geostationary orbits. SpaceX posts videos of these flights with telemetry data displaying the time from launch, altitude, and rocket speed in real time. In this paper this telemetry information is used to determine the velocity boost of the rocket as it leaves its circular parking orbit…

Student cognition in response to intuitive and counterintuitive stimuli in the school science curriculum is not well understood. To address this issue, this study examines high school students' cognitive responses to three counterintuitive physics problems. Our analysis reveals that student success in arriving at counter-intuitive physical…

In this article, physical quantities related to the motion of a parachute system in the framework of Newton's law of mechanics guide an informal approach to the mathematical concept of function. Furthermore, a graphical simulator that enables visualization of the fall of object-parachutes system is presented. The article is aimed at students and…

A simple and low-cost, DIY-type, Arduino-driven experiment is presented for the study of friction and measurement of the friction coefficient, using a conductive rubber cord as a force sensor. It is proposed for high-school or college/university-level students. We strongly believe that it is worthwhile planning, designing and performing Arduino…

Most of the physics (as well as the other sciences) taught in school can be described as well-established or consensus science. This is the kind of science knowledge that was mostly developed over a century ago. The inclusion of contemporary science research in compulsory school science teaching could be justified from a variety of reasons:…

This article discusses, at a simple level, the dynamics of the wheel-rail interface, which is fundamental to the stability of rail vehicles. The physics underlying this topic deserves to be better known by physicists and physics students, as it underpins such an important part of our technological infrastructure

In this paper we present a pedagogical strategy to introduce the Heisenberg uncertainty principle to high school students. The basis on which this proposal relies is the Fourier transform, connecting the quantum function in the x domain, ?(x), with the function in the wave number domain, A(k). This mathematical relationship directly leads to the…

Einstein's two theories of relativity were introduced over 100 years ago. High school science students are seldom exposed to these revolutionary ideas as they are often perceived to be too difficult conceptually and mathematically. This paper brings together the two theories of relativity in a way that is logical and consistent and enables the…

Using everyday life examples is proven didactically useful for teaching physics, as it presents effective applications of physical laws. Cooking and food, in particular, serve two useful purposes: on one side, they are able to engage students in the study of physics with familiar examples; on the other side, thanks to the wide range of physical…

Here we present an inexpensive proposal to experimentally study Faraday's law of induction. The experiment uses low-cost materials, a computer with a sound card and a smartphone, both running free software. A value proportional to the induced electromotive force is measured with the computer's sound card and the data related to the magnetic field…

Newton's law of universal gravitation underpins our understanding of the dynamics of the Solar System and of a good portion of the observable universe. Generally, in the classroom or in textbooks, the law is presented initially in a qualitative way and at some point during the exposition its mathematical formulation is written on the blackboard…