Provides instructional models for solids, liquids, and gases that incorporate a few adjustments for keeping the features and scale as valid as possible. States that 99 percent of the material in the universe is in a dominant form called plasma. (RT)

Explains mechanisms of 19th-century vacuum pumps. Describes demonstrations using the pump including guinea and feather tube, aurora tube, electric egg, Gassiots cascade, air mill, bell in vacuum, density and buoyancy of air, fountain in vacuum, mercury shower, palm and bladder glasses, Bacchus demonstration, pneumatic man-lifter, and Magdeburg…

Examined are tenth-grade Western Australian students' conceptual knowledge of gravity and the motion of the planets. Students were interviewed with seven cards, and a four-item diagnostic test based on the interview data on the first four cards was developed. A total of 113 students' responses to the test are summarized. (YP)

Explores the relationships between seventh-grade students' misconceptions of genetics and natural selection and four cognitive variables: reasoning ability; mental capacity; verbal intelligence; and cognitive style. Reports that only the reasoning ability was significantly related to the number of misconceptions. (Author/YP)

Investigates the paths of three different points in the rigid body after receiving a sudden blow by a horizontal force. Describes the setup, laboratory procedures, and results with mathematical expressions and ink tracings of the paths. (YP)

Discusses the etymology of physics words. Provides a list of English words and their original meaning. (YP)

This article presents an approach to teaching "motion and inertia." The teaching strategy consists of four phases: (1) orientation; (2) eliciting children's ideas; (3) restructuring of ideas; and (4) improving and applying. Samples of students' ideas on the concept of mechanics are provided. Lists 11 references. (YP)

Discusses the correctness of the directions of acceleration at various points in a pendulum problem shown in Reif (1987). Provides the author's responses to the comments on the problem. (YP)

Listed are the 19 artificial elements and the meanings of the terms "natural" and "artificial" when applied to elements are discussed. Describes some commercial uses of each. (YP)

The first demonstration shows rolling balls on two tracks: one is straight and the other dips down and then comes back up. Discusses the reason why the former is slower than the latter. The second demonstration shows a rising cork inside a water tube flowing downward. (YP)

Describes a run test of automobiles for applying Newton's second law of motion and the concept of power. Explains some automobile thought-experiments and provides the method and data of an actual coast-down test. (YP)

Discusses the average speed differences between hydrogen and oxygen molecules contained in a jar. (YP)

Compares experts', advanced students', and novice students' use of genetics knowledge to generate and test hypotheses while solving genetic pedigree problems. Reports that experts identified more critical cues, tested more hypotheses, were more rigorous in the falsification of alternative hypotheses, and were more flexible to their solving…

Discusses the need and the advantages of using conceptual change strategy in science classrooms. Describes three steps of the strategy: diagnosis; challenging conceptions; and applying the new concepts. Lists seven references. (YP)

Discusses the importance of the teaching and learning of science/technology in the context of human experience. Highlights the role of constructivism in Science Technology Society (STS) reform efforts. (JRH)