Here we demonstrate an inexpensive and straightforward electronic circuit that can be used to generate data in the form of counts, with the same statistical properties as those found in gamma-ray counting experiments. The circuit holds an avalanche Zener diode just below its Zener voltage, which allows for thermal electrons to traverse the in the…

An easy circuit for measuring the power of a solar panel in physics classroom by using the microcontroller Arduino will be introduced in this article. The measured data is transferred via Bluetooth to the smartphone app 'phyphox' where it is displayed graphically. The circuitry enables measuring the power of a solar panel in different situations…

Simple energy balance models of planetary systems are of fundamental importance to understanding equilibrium temperatures. Most textbooks that discuss energy balance take a further step and include the effects of an atmosphere on the surface temperature. It is noticeable, however, that in such discussions of planetary surface energy balance some…

Simulation of physics phenomena is an indispensable part of experimental studies. Undergraduate and postgraduate physics students are often introduced to the simulation of various phenomena as one of the most important pedagogical tools. In this document, we demonstrate the simulations of the two-body decay of a particle and equilibrium states in…

This paper presents the case for how students can be helped to increase their scientific vocation by experimental work and the introduction of particle physics into pre-university studies. These two ideas are the two main lines of work of the ADMIRA initiative, which has been created by individuals belonging to different and complementary…

The concept of black body is of primary importance in studying the energy transfer of thermal electromagnetic radiation at all wavelengths. Several physical bodies like incandescent lamps, electric heaters, stoves, the sun and the other stars, microwave background radiation, etc., are considered to be black bodies as their radiation spectra fits…

The various radiation types that make up the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum are ubiquitous and highly significant in modern society. Detection of visible light by the eye facilitates sight, radio waves and microwaves are used in communication technologies, x-rays are used in medical imaging, and gamma rays are frequently employed in medical…

The Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) is the project to search and study ultra high-energy cosmic ray particles from deep space producing simultaneous extensive air showers over the entire exposed surface of the Earth. The concept of the CREDO infrastructure assumes absorbing all kinds of cosmic ray data from any apparatus all…

This article presents the Polish project entitled 'Detektory dla Szkol' ('Detectors for Schools', throughout the paper referred to as 'the programme'). It was developed at the Education and Training Division of the National Centre for Nuclear Research (Narodowe Centrum Badan Jadrowych, NCBJ) in Poland. The programme allows the schools to borrow…

Infrared (IR), or radiation, thermometers are widely used in temperature measurements in many different sectors from health, food, automotive, agriculture, iron and steel to chemistry due to their fast measurement capabilities, reasonable prices, wide measurement ranges and ease of use. IR thermometers work based on black body radiation. In this…

Electromagnetic radiation can be classified into two major types depending on its ability to detach electrons from atoms: ionising and non-ionising. The aforementioned categorization is significant due to the effects of ionising radiation on human tissue (e.g. carcinogenesis). However, many students around the globe cannot distinguish these two…

This paper presents the design and reports on the use of a simple and inexpensive cloud chamber kit that is compatible with active learning, experiential learning, and project-based learning strategies. The kit was developed for use in a first-year undergraduate nuclear science seminar class at a university in the US. Diffusion cloud chambers are…

A video of darkening scenery during the 15 min prior to totality of the 21 August 2017 total solar eclipse is presented and discussed. The luminances of the scenes at 1 min intervals are obtained by averaging pixel data of stills from the video. The experimental results are compared to the theoretical model of uniform radiance from the exposed…

Water can exhibit many different colors due to a variety of physical properties. Here, we focus on some observable colors within very pure freshwater. We only treat the absorption of light due to electronic and ro-vibrational excitations and scattering due to refractive index fluctuations of the water and the respective consequences for the…

In 1974, Stephen Hawking theoretically discovered that black holes emit thermal radiation and have a characteristic temperature, known as the "Hawking temperature." The aim of this paper is to present a simple heuristic derivation of the Hawking temperature, based on the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. The result obtained coincides…