In a spiral galaxy, the stars move in a circular motion around the galactic center, and the relation between velocity and the orbital radius is referred to as the rotation curve. Previous astronomical observation data indicate that the rotation curve is flat at the periphery of the galaxy, which completely dissatisfies Keplerian decline. Assuming…

The first phase of this multiphase study involves modeling of college students' thinking of friction at the microscopic level. Diagnostic interviews were conducted with 11 students with different levels of physics backgrounds. A phenomenographic approach of data analysis was used to generate categories of responses which subsequently were used to…

A simple model is presented to explain Higgs boson physics to the grand public. The model consists of a children's ball pool representing a Universe filled with a certain amount of the Higgs field. The model is suitable for usage as a hands-on tool in scientific exhibits and provides a clear explanation of almost all the aspects of the physics of…

This research aimed to explore the effects of a virtual lab (VL) and a Microcomputer-based Lab (MBL) on students' performance in scientific modeling. A web-based virtual lab and a low-cost MBL were proposed to help first-year engineering students build scientific models. Empirical research was done in a slope motion experiment. The participants…

A rich science learning experience not only captures students' attention but also motivates them to investigate and solve problems and investigate how scientists carry out their work. This article describes how secondary science coordinator Patrick Brown's found success teaching students the nature of science by engaging them in…

Nuclei are "small": if an atom was the size of a football field, the nucleus would be an apple sitting on the 50-yd line. At the same time, nuclei are "dense": the Earth, compressed to nuclear density, could fit inside four Sears Towers. The subatomic level is strange and exotic. For that reason, it's not hard to get young minds excited about…

Many high school and introductory college physics courses make use of mousetrap car projects and competitions as a way of providing an engaging hands-on learning experience incorporating Newton's laws, conversion of potential to kinetic energy, dissipative forces, and rotational mechanics. Presented here is a simple analytical and finite element…

Too often teachers describe physics solely as a technical discipline, which contributes concretely to changing our material world. In a society where prejudices and superstitions still play an important, sometimes tragic, role, there is much more to emphasise about physics. A physics teacher should introduce high school students to physics by…

In this article we describe and build a model of a historical weighing device proposed by the Spanish engineer Dario Bacas in the second half of the 19th century. The balance was named "goniobarimeter" by its inventor, and the weighing principle is based on a curious, and not very well known, property of the cycloid. The simplicity of the design…

Bird flight and lift in general is a complex subject which is also difficult to teach in a classroom. In order to support the teaching of this curriculum-based subject, an interactive exhibit to demonstrate aerodynamic aspects of objects has been developed, implemented and evaluated with 262 middle school students. The empirical evaluation…

We have used the expansion process of hot milk, which has similarities with the cosmic expansion, to facilitate easier and better visualization and teaching of cosmological concepts. Observations of milk are used to illustrate phenomena related to the Planck era, the standard hot big bang model, cosmic inflation, problems with the formation of…

As research shows that the knowledge and use of models and modelling by teachers is limited, particularly for predicting phenomena, we developed and applied a sequence of three representations of a simulated model focusing on polarization and specifically showing the behaviour of an atom, and forces exerted on a dipole and an insulator, when a…

Violins, earthquakes, and the "singing rod" demonstration all have something in common--stick-slip frictional motion. The application of stick-slip friction can be extended to a ringing wineglass, exotic percussion instruments, car racing, and the latest research on the interplay between surfaces at the atomic level. These examples all involve two…

Presents a study that took place in an inner-city neighborhood school populated mainly by African American students characterized by poverty. Explores the discourse and practices of students and three co-teachers as a curriculum was enacted to provide opportunities for students to learn about the physics of motion through designing, building, and…

This booklet contains information and activities on the life cycle of stars. Materials can be adapted for grade 9 through grade 12 classrooms. Background information about star birth and life, black dwarfs, supernovae, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, and the electromagnetic spectrum is included. The seven activities focus on star mass,…