As smartphones have become a part of our everyday life, their sensors have successfully been used to allow data acquisition with these readily available devices in a variety of different smartphone-based school experiments. Such experiments most commonly take advantage of the accelerometer and gyroscope. A less frequently used sensor in…

Presents a problem involving the double-slit interference pattern that relates to the real-world situation of guiding an aircraft to a safe landing. (JRH)

Scientists often use the "slingshot effect" (also called the "gravity assist") of the gravitational field of a planet to increase or decrease the velocity of a spacecraft. Examples of this effect, puzzling aspects, a qualitative explanation, details of necessary calculations, a thermodynamic analogy, and other topics are discussed. (JN)

Examines the design and construction of a mini-sextant and its use in demonstrating Fresnel reflection, geometric optics, and several common optical techniques. A sidebar explains the basic use of the mini-sextant as a navigational tool. (WRM)