In this paper we describe an activity for engaging students in crafting definitions. We explore the strengths of this particular activity as well as the broader implications of engaging students in crafting definitions more generally.

If a body is in equilibrium under the action of three non-parallel coplanar forces, the forces must be concurrent, that is, must meet at a single point. Specific examples are provided here to illustrate the validity of this statement by the use of free-body diagrams as well as during the discussion of equilibrium and moments. These cases are…

Two bodies initially at different temperatures gathered into an isolated container exchange heat and reach an equilibrium state with a common final temperature. During the process, the system is out of equilibrium and its intermediate temperature is not well defined. By conceiving a quasi-static process with infinitesimal steps from the initial to…

In our everyday life, it seems that magnetic phenomena are restricted to ferromagnetic materials or electromagnetism caused by electric currents. From a physics point of view, we know that this everyday experience is contrary to the nature of magnetic phenomena. If one regards the magnetic properties of the elements of the periodic table in their…

We have designed a simple Arduino-based experiment to study free fall. The experimental data associated to the free and vertical fall movement of a brass saucer are gathered with the help of an ultrasonic distance sensor and an Arduino board. The position-time curves obtained from different initial heights are then plotted and the acceleration of…

One of the most popular demonstration experiments pertaining to Bernoulli's principle is the production of a water spray by using a vertical plastic straw immersed in a glass of water and a horizontal straw to blow air towards the top edge of the vertical one. A more general version of this phenomenon, appearing also in school physics problems, is…

This article examines the tension between chance and determinism in Jorge Volpi's novel "En busca de Klingsor" and how this relationship is treated both in the narrative as well as in debates regarding physics, history, and politics in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Beginning from the understanding that the novel is a…

DBL is a novel pedagogical approach intended to improve students' conditional knowledge and problem-solving skills by exposing them to a sequence of branching learning decisions. The DBL software provided students with ample opportunities to engage in the expert decision-making processes involved in complex problem-solving and to receive…

Improving scientific literacy is crucial for early childhood development, yet limited studies necessitate a thorough analysis to identify effective solutions. This study aims to analyze the implementation of project-based learning in early childhood education to improve scientific literacy. The study followed the identification, screening,…

Background: Science skills play a crucial role in fostering economic development and technological innovation, making the enhancement of science education a global priority. Despite the recognized importance of teacher practices in enhancing equitable and effective learning, much of the research on their impact on student outcomes has been…

Several countries have implemented educational changes in recent years, most of which generally happen suddenly and abruptly to appease sectors of society that benefit economically. Most educational change watchword is innovation, fulfilling more a propaganda space than a fundamental educational transformation. One of the foremost educational…

The "Framework for K-12 Science Education" and the Next Generation Science Standards have called on teachers to shift from having students "learn about" science topics to having students engage in a process of "figuring out" how and why natural phenomena occur. These reform documents push teachers away from a…

A large-enrollment, introductory physics laboratory course at the University of Colorado Boulder has undergone a recent transformation to help students' develop lab skills and better align students' views and beliefs about experimental physics with those of expert experimental physicists through engagement with authentic scientific practices. We…

In this study, we focused on students' intrinsic motivation towards practical work, more specifically the strength of predictors for intrinsic motivation. As a research tool, we used a modified Intrinsic Motivation Inventory supplemented by additional questions on attitudes towards physics. The respondents were more than 2000 Czech upper secondary…

A widespread call has been made to develop and support more integrated approaches to STEM education. The first law of thermodynamics serves as a guiding principle for the crosscutting concept of energy and matter. A qualitative interview study was undertaken to support integrated approaches to STEM education by exploring how chemistry, physics,…