The purpose of this study is to explore third grade elementary students' Nature of Science (NOS) identities as a result of participating in a unit on electricity. The study took place in the context of a diverse third grade "at risk" (as identified by state regulations) classroom. Videotapes were made of all aspects of the electricity…

From the earliest days of their lives, children are exposed to all kinds of sound, from soft, comforting voices to the frightening rumble of thunder. Consequently, children develop their own naïve explanations largely based upon their experiences with phenomena encountered every day. When new information does not support existing conceptions,…

The Einstein-First project approaches the teaching of Einsteinian physics through the use of physical models and analogies. This paper presents an approach to the teaching of quantum physics which begins by emphasising the particle-nature of light through the use of toy projectiles to represent photons. This allows key concepts including the…

In this paper, we present a teaching module about stellar structure, functioning and evolution. Drawing from literature in astronomy education, we designed the activities around three key ideas: spectral analysis, mechanical and thermal equilibrium, energy and nuclear reactions. The module is divided into four phases, in which the key ideas for…

The atmospheric recycling of water is a very important phenomenon on the globe because it not only refreshes the water but it also redistributes it over land and oceans/rivers/lakes throughout the globe. This is made possible by the solar energy intercepted by the Earth. The half of the globe facing the Sun, on the average, intercepts 1.74 ×…

A hands-on activity based on general electrochemistry concepts with the aim at introducing design science elements is presented. The main goals of the activity are to reinforce electrochemical principles while fostering innovation in the students through the assembly and optimization of a voltaic device and subsequent evaluation by powering…

A design exercise in chemical engineering is described which is concerned with thermocouples. Physics is the relevant discipline, a point that was made to the students doing the exercise, and accordingly an account of the exercise for the guidance of teachers and lecturers is presented as a contribution to "Physics Education."

A novel procedure for the preparation of electrochromic WO[subscript 3] films from readily available materials is presented. It is based on the electrochemical preparation of potassium tungstate from tungsten filaments of incandescent light bulbs in a potassium hydroxide solution. Tungstic acid is then produced by proton exchange using a…

We analyse the force acting on a moving dipole due to an external electromagnetic field and show that the expression derived in Vekstein (1997 "Eur. J. Phys." 18 113) is erroneous and suggest the correct equation for the description of this force. We also discuss the physical meaning of the relativistic transformation of current for a closed…

Resonance effects are among the most intriguing phenomena in physics and engineering. The classical case of a mass-spring oscillator driven at its resonant frequency is one of the earliest examples that students encounter. Perhaps the most commonly depicted method of driving the vibrating system is mechanical. An alternative approach presented in…

Nearly two centuries ago, Fourier discovered that any periodic function of period T can be presented as a sum of sine waveforms of frequencies equal to an integer times the fundamental frequency [omega] = 2[pi]/T (Fourier's series). It is impossible to overestimate the importance of Fourier's discovery, and all physics or engineering students…

Articulated bodies with an internal energy source require to be coupled to an external mass in order to accelerate themselves but the typical text book assertion that the net force is provided by the external mass is not correct. Arguments are presented demonstrating that the assertion is incorrect and reasons are suggested for the persistence of…

The capacitance versus voltage relationship (the "C-V" characteristic) of a varicap is determined, and the device is used for tuning an "LC" circuit and for building a voltage-controlled oscillator. With a data-acquisition system, the "C-V" characteristic can be demonstrated in a short time. The necessary equipment includes a function generator,…

A coherer is a bistable device based on metal filings loosely confined between solid metal electrodes. This granular material normally exhibits a very high electrical resistance (tens of kilohms), but passage of the high-frequency current generated by reception of a radio signal causes it to "cohere" into a comparatively low resistance condition…

A short conducting pipe that hangs from a weak spring is forced to oscillate by the magnetic field of a surrounding coaxial coil that has been excited by a low-frequency current source in the presence of an additional static magnetic field. Induced oscillating currents appear in the pipe. The pipe motion becomes damped by the dragging forces…