A single-slit diffraction experiment in an introductory physics laboratory is generally comprised of a rectangular slit and a laser source. The laser beam is sent to the slit producing the well-known diffraction pattern on the screen. This paper proposes a simple modification of the single-slit diffraction experiment to increase student attention…

A simple method is described for measuring liquid density based on stretching of the spring and equilibrium of weight and elastic force. The method involves placing a container with liquid under test on the spring causing a stretch of the spring that is directly proportional to the weight of the liquid. With this technique, the liquid density can…

Since the vibration of a single pendulum is very periodic, measuring its period is a very interesting topic. When students are asked to measure the period of a single vibration, they start and stop the stopwatch when the pendulum reaches the top point as a reference point. In this paper, we try to show that the error can be reduced more by using…

Single slit diffraction and the thermal expansion of materials are common components of an undergraduate physics course, though these topics are often taught independently in both lectures and laboratory based courses. Higher levels of cognitive domains can be achieved by building on these established topics and combining them into a single…

This study focuses on the experimental demonstration of the definition of kelvin using a triple point of water (TPW) cell and estimates the measurement uncertainty. The first part of this article is to construct the measurement setup and perform the measurements. The second stage is related with the calculation of uncertainty according to guides…

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…

The United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), and similar geolocation systems such as Galileo, GLONASS, and Beidou are used by people all over the globe. Modern receivers of these global navigation satellite systems can track multiple satellites from different constellations. Casual, non-technical users are probably aware that the positional…

Several properties of Earth's magnetic field (field vectors, time dependence) are measured in various locations using a smartphone/tablet magnetic sensor. To enable a proper use of the magnetic sensor as a classroom tool, the exact location of the sensor in the device and its resolution must be identified in a first step. Then, students may…

In this article we present a simple technique for determination of the Young modulus of the material of a metallic ruler using it as a cantilever. This method employs with a slide potentiometer and a digital multimeter. The linear region of potentiometer resistance which is calibrated in terms of length has been used to record the load vs.…

This work presents the design of an inexpensive electronic system to measure water temperature and generate an experimental data set used to verify the fitting between experimental and theoretical curves of a water-cooling process. The cooling constant is computed with three different theoretical methods to check their efficiency and this approach…

Measurement instruments of physics, especially those dedicated as teaching aids in physics classroom are improving. These measuring instruments are not only used for measurement purposes, but also to apply theoretical concept into the real world, thus making it easier for students to comprehend. Therefore, this study aims to design, construct, and…

A simple measurement of the refractive index of a liquid has been performed using a spherical lens. This lens is a spherical shape flask containing the liquid under study. Parallel pointer laser beams are directed to the lens to obtain the back focal length of the lens. The focal point is determined visually or using the Tracker software to…

In this paper, we propose a simple yet generic and versatile method to measure the position of a moving body as a function of time. Apart from very basic equipment such as carts and wheels, only a laser pointer or a similar device and a smartphone are necessary. By attaching a source of light to a cart and video filming its movement on a…

A simple and economical system that allows one to obtain the characteristic "I-V" curve in solar cells is presented. It is a computer-controlled system suitable as an instrumentation project for students who are learning about photovoltaic systems. This system is based on the use of an "R-3R" ladder circuit as a variable…

In this work, we report the development of a low-cost Arduino-controlled device for didactic activities in light polarization. The main body of the prototype was designed and produced using laser-cut medium density fibreboard parts, including gears and pulleys. As a light source and detector, a 532 nm laser pointer and a light dependent resistor…