This article describes a simple way to introduce nanomaterials using the presence of carbon nanodots (CNDs) in widely available food. Budweiser® beer and Coca-Cola®, commercial foods that are commonly accessible, were utilized to demonstrate the optical property of nanoparticles. Specifically, green and violet laser pointers were employed for the…

Friction is one of the common forces that affect our everyday life and one of the oldest problems studied in physics. An interpretation of its nature is included in all general physics courses, in both high school and college. The desire and need to better understand it guided a long list of scientists who devoted themselves to the study of…

Light and spectroscopy are among the most important and frequently taught topics in introductory college-level general education astronomy courses (hereafter Astro 101). This is due to the fact that the vast majority of observational data studied by astronomers arrives at Earth in the form of light. While there are many processes by which matter…

Finding ways to demonstrate--in a high school classroom--that subatomic particles from space produce other particles capable of reaching the Earth's surface is not a trivial task. In this paper, we describe a Geiger-Muller tube-based cosmic ray coincidence detector we produced at a total cost of less than $200, using two tubes purchased used…

The unusual thermal behavior of rubbers, though discovered a long time ago, can still be mind-boggling for students and teachers who encounter this class of polymeric systems. Unlike other solids, stretched elastic polymers shrink upon heating. This is a manifestation of the Gough-Joule (G-J) effect. Joule in the 1850s studied the thermal behavior…

Suggests using poetry such as James Maxwell's "To the Chief Musician upon Nabla: A Tyndallic Ode" as a vehicle for learning physics. Discusses the physics concepts alluded to in the verses of the poem. (MDH)

Calculates an approximation to Avagadro's number for one mole of water by assuming the mole to be in cubical form and then halving the cube three times, thereby doubling the surface area of the original cube. The calculations are derived from the work necessary to perform these divisions. Presents calculated values for several liquids. (MDH)