The prompt transfer of cutting-edge science into students' curricula is a challenging task. Often research experiments are too complex or expensive to be translated into a secondary or tertiary education setting. Herein, we introduce a laboratory experiment that translates the recently developed research technique of a wavelength dependent,…

Examination of my students' individual gains on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) over the course of several semesters led to the realization that student pretest knowledge on certain key questions appeared to be correlated to enhanced gain during the class. Acting under the hypothesis that early intervention aimed at helping the class perform…

The author introduces the Passive Dynamic Walker robot, which is constructed with LEGOs and operates without any electronics. Building this robot offers an excellent platform for investigating center of mass and other important physics and engineering concepts.

The acoustic resonance in four glass Helmholtz resonators with diameters of 70, 52, 40, and 32 mm was detected in the frequency range of 360 to 1700 Hz using the simple experimental setup presented in this paper. The measured amplitudes of acoustic pressure required correction since the sound pressure amplitude of the loudspeaker used was not…

When we teach thermodynamics, a vacuum container used to keep food isolated from air is a cheap and interesting teaching device. There are some experiments already described in the literature and we can also find videos of demonstrations on YouTube. At the same time, there is increasing interest in how to utilize smartphones in physics…

Archimedes' principle states the buoyant force is equal to the weight of fluid displaced by the object. In this work, we will develop this principle using energy considerations.

The discovery of nuclear fission was one of the most dramatic scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century. Within a few years, the fantastic energy latent in the nuclei of atoms would be powering reactors and bombs, a development that fundamentally changed the relationship between physics and human affairs. To drive home the magnitude of this…

A well-known conclusion from elementary ballistic trajectory analysis is that the horizontal range of a projectile is maximized for a launch angle of 45°. The derivation of this result assumes that the launch speed is the same for all possible launch angles, but this neglects the fact that the work done against gravity by the launching mechanism…

Lissajous figures, and other harmonic curves, straddle the line between physics and art. The sight of a harmonograph tracing out its curves in the Amherst College physics library in 1957 was certainly one of the things that drew young Tom Greenslade into physics and inspired a career-long appreciation of them.

Newton married her, Einstein eloped with her, and many a physicist fell head over heels for her beauty, charm, and heavenly elegance! This paper is a heartfelt personal attempt to make sense of the indescribable love many physicists have for their subject matter, physics. My muse's nickname is Feezya and this is how she shall be referred to for…

A curriculum is generally regarded as an instructional plan that describes what, why and how students should learn. In this comparative study, we analysed the Czech and Slovak intended curricula of science subjects (physics, chemistry, biology, geography, and geology) and mathematics by comparing their national curriculum documents in terms of…

The notion of scientific visual literacy has been advocated in recent science curriculum reform documents and related learning outcomes are expected from students. However, few studies have been conducted to determine how it is tested in high-stakes examinations. This study utilized the Visualization Blooming Tool to examine the level of visual…

In the field of physics education research, numerous studies have been dedicated to investigating the relationship between gender identity and physics learning. However, these studies have predominantly employed binary gender measurement methods, which may limit the range of research questions that can be explored and impede the discovery of…

Italian high school students carried out some activities within career guidance actions organized by the Department of Chemistry of Sapienza University (Rome) in order to promote enrollments in a chemistry Bachelor's course, thus remedying the shortage of professional chemists. Novel didactic sequences have been designed to facilitate the…

STEM education plays a key role in influencing and orienting students' interests towards STEM fields and careers. This influence is multifaceted, involving not only STEM content and experiences but also teachers, schools, and personal factors. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors impacting the academic performance of 951 tenth grade…