The article presents simple outdoor experiments for measuring illuminance on inclined surfaces with a luxmeter. A hill model is used to investigate the difference in illuminance between a sunny side and a shady side of a hill, with up to a fivefold difference found between the two sides on a sunny day. The illuminance of the sunny side of the hill…

Here we demonstrate an inexpensive and straightforward electronic circuit that can be used to generate data in the form of counts, with the same statistical properties as those found in gamma-ray counting experiments. The circuit holds an avalanche Zener diode just below its Zener voltage, which allows for thermal electrons to traverse the in the…

The experimental investigation of Newton's law of universal gravitation requires expensive and sensitive equipment. Therefore, it is often not possible to conduct such an experiment within a typical physics class. An alternative is to investigate the universal gravitation law by using simulations. In this paper, we are presenting such an augmented…

Nowadays, students have digital skills that are much larger than any other student in the past. Traditional experiments in a real laboratory are still fundamental, however an increasing number of computers can be used to simulate experiments close to the experimental environment. This can be seen as a great advantage for science learning, as…

The present paper examines whether there exists a change in the concentration of carbon dioxide that is trapped in the surgical facemask during the procedure of respiration and whether the results of the sequestered CO[subscript 2] can have harmful effects on the human organism. In order to answer the research questions, an experiment has been…

During their first physics courses, most students struggle with mathematical concepts that are used but not fully understood, for example, the appearance of infinity in introductory physics exercises. In many cases, these concepts are critical to understanding the underlying physical phenomenon. Typically, most books do not place much emphasis on…

This paper presents the case for how students can be helped to increase their scientific vocation by experimental work and the introduction of particle physics into pre-university studies. These two ideas are the two main lines of work of the ADMIRA initiative, which has been created by individuals belonging to different and complementary…

In this paper we present a simple dimensional analysis exercise that allows us to derive the equation for the Hawking temperature of a black hole. The exercise is intended for high school students, and it is developed from a chapter of Stephen Hawking's bestseller "A Brief History of Time."

The magnetic switch is part of common low-cost devices such as window alarms. Its operation is based on magnetic properties of ferromagnetic material. The paper describes our experience with using window alarm device in a course called 'How things work', which is elective course for first year physics majors. Specifically, we report on the…

Electromagnetic (EM) waves are indispensable in modern telecommunications. Despite their essential role in modern technology, EM waves are considered to be an abstract concept by many students. In this activity, an inexpensive two-coil system was constructed in a teaching laboratory and used to demonstrate information transfer by non-sinusoidal EM…

The Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) is the project to search and study ultra high-energy cosmic ray particles from deep space producing simultaneous extensive air showers over the entire exposed surface of the Earth. The concept of the CREDO infrastructure assumes absorbing all kinds of cosmic ray data from any apparatus all…

An elementary-level physics approach is used to calculate a number of interesting and useful quantities related to nuclear explosions. The set of eight exercises deals with nuclear fission fragments, the variation of fissile nucleus density in a fissioning nuclear device core with time, and the fireball.

Refraction is a foundational concept within introductory physics. Physics students need a deep understanding of refraction, including Snell's Law, in order to progress towards more complex optics topics such as lenses and images. Unfortunately, many physics students obtain only a superficial understanding of refraction. Although many students can…

In this article, a consecutive series of four hands-on experiments are recommended to teach the colors of paint/pigment and their mixtures. These activities, which are effective in learning about how to make a simple observation and help to build argument-based knowledge about colors, offer an integrated and innovative way of teaching colors of…

Problems involving rotating systems analysed from an inertial frame, without invoking fictitious forces, is something that freshman students find difficult to understand in an introductory mechanics course. In this article we try to see what could be the factors that lead to this difficulty and propose a set of arguments that could be used to…