We present a quantum analysis of two-mode single-photon states based on the probability distributions of the optical field strength (or position quadrature) in order to describe their quantum polarization characteristics, where polarization is understood as a significative confinement of the optical field-strength values on determined regions of…

A core topic in graduate courses in electrodynamics is the description of radiation from an accelerated charge and the associated radiation reaction. However, contemporary papers still express a diversity of views on the question of whether or not a uniformly accelerating charge radiates suggesting that a complete "physical" understanding of the…

The Jarzynski theorem is perhaps the most recently discovered simple general formula in elementary statistical physics. In this paper, written with a pedagogical aim, we illustrate the physical concepts under the Jarzynski and related results by a detailed calculation with a representative example. The physics of the model is sufficiently…

Gravitomagnetism is a low velocity and weak gravitational field approximation of general relativity. It provides a simple approach to post-Newtonian gravitational phenomena via electromagnetic analogy. Intended for advanced undergraduate students, the present paper applies gravitomagnetism to the quantitative study of the geodetic precession and…

A differential magnetic circuit (magnetic bridge) is described. The circuit separates the magnetic field sensor and the sample under study. A Hall probe serves as the sensor. The signal from the sensor can be enhanced by concentrating the magnetic flux. The magnetic bridge works even with dc magnetic fields. The device is used for displaying…

An experiment analogous to the classical diffraction of light from a circular aperture has been realized with electrons. The results are used to introduce undergraduate students to the wave behaviour of electrons. The diffraction fringes produced by the circular aperture are compared to those predicted by quantum mechanics and are exploited to…

We describe the main features of a program written to perform electronic marking of quantitative or simple text questions. One of the main benefits is that it can check answers for being consistent with earlier errors, so can cope with a range of numerical questions. We summarise our experience of using it in a statistics course taught to 200…

Vortex flow, from millimeter to kilometer in scale, is important in many scientific and technological areas. Examples are seen in water strider locomotion, from industrial pipe flow (wastewater treatment) to air traffic control (safe distance between aircrafts on a runway ready for takeoff) to atmospheric studies. In this paper, we focus on a…

This study investigates how students enrolled in entry-level geology, most of whom would graduate from college without university-level physics courses, thought about and applied the concept of gravity while solving problems concerning gravity. The repercussions of students' gravity concepts are then considered in the context of non-physics…

A prior study showed that students best make predictions about the outcome of opening a valve between two flasks containing a fluid or vacuum when they view both a demonstration video and a particulate animation, but the study showed no influence from the order in which these visualizations were used. The purpose of this current research was to…

The goal of this study was to determine whether students would be more successful in a traditional 15-week introductory college chemistry course or an intensive three-week version of the same course. In addition to course format, we also analyzed whether the students' academic experience (measured as the number of college credit hours taken by…

A simple, conceptual method is described for using the spreadsheet scroll bar to find the composition of a system at chemical equilibrium. Simulation of any kind of chemical equilibrium can be carried out using this method, and the effects of different disturbances can be predicted. This simulation, which can be used in general chemistry…

Research examining animation use for student learning has been conducted in the last two decades across a multitude of instructional environments and content areas. The extensive construction and implementation of animations in learning resulted from the availability of powerful computing systems and the perceived advantages the novel medium…

On a national level, data indicate that about 40 percent of students in calculus courses finish with a grade of D or F, drop the course, or withdraw (Reinholz, 2009). This high failure rate has led to research studies investigating the teaching of calculus at the national level (House, 1995). Calculus courses have a history of high failure rates,…

This paper presents our pedagogy for chemical process safety (CPS) education across the curriculum. Building on a unifying theme of "Conservation of Life" (COL), we have four goals: 1) Make students aware of CPS/COL principles, 2) Promote a culture of safety, 3) Assess student learning, 4) Require minimal resources. We discuss our experience and…