Experimental results are presented on the collision of a superball with two different wood blocks. The results are in reasonable agreement with a simple collision model where kinetic energy is conserved, but better agreement is obtained if a small loss of kinetic energy is assumed, as observed. The physics is slightly more complicated than the…

Many high schools, two-year colleges, and universities offer a conceptual physics course for non-science students who have to take a basic science course. The students often enter the course unmotivated and may eventually withdraw. So, how do we make the course interesting enough for these students to gain the knowledge we desire and, more…

This study examines the effects of the pedagogical use of context-rich problems on motivation and learning, as compared to traditional problems, in mechanical physics courses at the college level. The results indicate that the treatment has appreciable outcomes on conceptual learning gain, on the perception of task value and on a perceived sense…

Electrostatic force is the preliminary and fundamental topic that forms the bedrock on which the conceptual framework of "electromagnetism" is built. Being a 'vector' quantity, electromagnetic force naturally inherits direction as well as magnitude. The conceptualization of such physical quantities may pose a challenge. The present work…

We conducted a study with introductory and upper-division physics students in a Mexican university to learn how students independently recognize the electric field's main characteristics in the electric field lines diagram and as a source or target representation in conversion processes. We used the theory of registers of semiotic representations…

Investigating student learning and understanding of conceptual physics is a primary research area within physics education research. Multiple quantitative methods have been employed to analyze commonly used mechanics conceptual inventories: the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE). Recently,…

Contribution: An innovative approach utilizing interactive software paired with stereoscopic projection hardware is introduced to enhance the teaching and learning of solid-state physics. This method is distinctive for its integration of complex 3-D visualizations directly into classroom instruction, facilitating a deeper understanding of abstract…

The study of the motion of a projectile, thrown at an angle to the horizon, is a wonderful classical problem. This issue has been the subject of great interest to investigators for centuries. Currently, the study of parabolic motion, in the absence of any drag force, is a common example in introductory physics courses. The theory of parabolic…

Physics experts and students commonly use a variety of representations when working with partial derivatives, including symbols, graphs, and words. One especially powerful representation is the contour graph. In open-ended problem-solving interviews with nine upper-division physics students, we asked students to determine derivatives from contour…

Electrification by rubbing different materials is a well-known phenomenon with a history that began more than five centuries B.C. ago. However, simple experiments can lead to contradictory or inconsistent results, and the history of this phenomena is plagued with non-intuitive results. For example, triboelectric charging by rubbing identical…

The author, Greg DeLisi, a professor at John Carroll University, is always looking for ways to bring current events into his introductory physics classroom or laboratory. He is especially interested in finding examples where basic principles of physics can be used to cast skepticism on assertions made by celebrities, politicians, or professional…

When learning science, students must often make sense of complex and counterintuitive ideas. However, this process of sensemaking is difficult, and consequently students risk emerging from science courses with highly fragmented understandings. In this study, I examine the ways in which students create conceptual connections to resolve such…

There are plenty of contributions in the physics literature on the subject of standing waves. What seems to be missing is an accessible, quantitative account of standing waves on a circular path at a level appropriate for undergraduate physics courses. In order to rectify this absence, a straightforward, concise, mathematical description of…

Newton's laws are a ubiquitous topic in introductory physics instruction. One common problem involves asking what will happen if you stick your finger into a cup of water sitting on a scale. A way to solve the problem would be to first recognize that the water exerts a buoyant force upward on the finger, which students can recognize as being the…

When thinking about measurement uncertainty in a laboratory experiment that features quantum mechanical effects, it is important to consider both the physical principles of underlying quantum theory (e.g., the uncertainty due to quantum mechanical superposition states) as well as the limitations of the measurement (e.g., the spread in outcomes due…