Old physics textbooks give us a great opportunity to learn about the history of science and rediscover different methods to teach physics to our students. There are many disused and forgotten experiments in them, but these can still be very useful to affirm and understand physics. This is the case of an instrument used in the 19th century to…

The question from the title is raised because in almost all introductory physics courses/textbooks the atmospheric pressure has been attributed to the weight of the column of air from a given level in the atmosphere up to its top. "Air is pressing on air." However the same textbooks, in the chapter on the kinetic theory of gases, tell…

This paper is intended to foster conversations about stereotypes, prejudice, and our day-to-day work in the classroom. The focus is on sexism and how it can affect our teaching, particularly looking at physics textbooks. Maybe you are already familiar with debates around feminist movements, gender studies, patriarchy, performance, and all of those…

For many students, introductory physics is an enormous hurdle to cross in their educational careers. Studies show that many students struggle with basic vector concepts and hold misconceptions of fundamental principles like Newton's laws, ideas essential to the understanding of higher-order physics concepts and for achieving success in engineering…

I am a volunteer reader at the Princeton unit of "Learning Ally" (formerly "Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic") and I recently discovered that high school students are introduced to the concept of quantization well before they take chemistry and physics. For the past few months I have been reading onto computer files a…

The usual science course is not meant to be a history course and the usual science book is not meant to be a history book. However, most science books do include some historical information. Unfortunately, the history part is usually so brief that it is far from interesting and often so oversimplified that it is totally wrong. Introductory physics…

During the session on "Introductory College Physics Textbooks" at the 2007 Summer Meeting of the AAPT, there was a brief discussion about whether introductory physics should begin with one-dimensional motion or two-dimensional motion. Here we present the case that by starting with two-dimensional motion, we are able to introduce a considerable…

In an after-dinner talk at the fall 2005 meeting of the New England chapter of the AAPT, Professor Robert Arns drew an analogy between classical physics and Classic Coke. To generations of physics teachers and textbook writers, classical physics was the real thing. Modern physics, which in introductory textbooks "appears in one or more extra…

The principles of magnetism are a common topic in most introductory physics courses, yet curricular materials exploring the behavior of permanent magnets and magnetic materials are surprisingly rare in the literature. We reviewed the literature to see how magnetism is typically covered in introductory textbooks and curricula. We found that while…

Discusses errors/misleading statements concerning the principle of action/reaction as found in two published sources. The first, focusing on the application of Newton's third law to airplane lift, is found in a college-level text. The second, related to electromagnetic forces, is found in a book providing solutions to physics problems. (JN)

Demonstrates misconceptions of the meaning of temperature based on classical kinetic energy. Discusses some misconceptions about negative temperatures and the effect of compression. (YP)

Points out textbook errors or discrepancies which are confusing or unclear in describing the photon. Cites specific texts and the particular point of confusion in each one. (JM)

Discusses some errors found in certain elementary physics textbooks, specifically the propagation of waves in a rope tied to another rope of different linear density. (GA)

Fourteen high school physics textbooks are evaluated. Criteria include content, distribution/organization of content, level (appropriateness of presentation for high school students), readability, appearance, presentation of physics as a growing body of knowledge, awareness of social problems, and adequacy of materials for additional work by…