This document presents the summary results of the 1976 employment survey of physics and astronomy graduates of the class of 1975-76 as conducted by the American Institute of Physics (AIP). Data presented include employment status 6-18 months after graduation; background characteristics of doctoral, master's and bachelor's level physicists; time…

In this simple experiment for an undergraduate laboratory a laser beam is passed through the mixing zone of two liquids with different refractive indices. The spatial variation of the refractive index, at different times during the mixing, can be determined from the observed deflection of the beam. (Author)

Presents two calculations of the probability of detection of an interstellar comet, under the hypothesis that such comets would escape from comet clouds similar to that believed to surround the sun. Proposes three problems, each of which would be a reasonable term project for a motivated undergraduate. (Author/MLH)

Presents a report of the annual conference of the Education Group of the Institute of Physics, held at the University of Oxford. The educators agreed that project work is a useful teaching technique and that there is a need for categorization of such activities. (MLH)

Achievement tests were administered to physics students who had been instructed in one of three teaching styles: open-ended, intermediate, and expository. The results of a statistical analysis lead to the general conclusion that the unrestricted advocacy of an open-ended style of teaching physics is not justified. (Author/MLH)

Recommends that teachers make use of the motivation that many young people devote to hobbies. Gives examples of this approach including the study of force, speed, work, power and various electrical concepts with model trains; acceleration and velocity with rocketry; focal length, magnification, field of view with astronomy and photography. (GS)

Describes the construction of a calorimeter to be used in an experiment which consists of measuring the rate at which ground level solar radiation raises the temperature of the metal in the calorimeter. (GS)

Describes an experiment for recording holograms using a minimum of costly apparatus. Includes a description of apparatus and materials, the procedure for recording the hologram, the processing of the hologram, and the reconstruction of the image. (GS)

Describes modules designed to enable a student to learn a measurement technique and familiarize himself with measurement instrumentation independently of a laboratory course. Presents an example of a module involving the measurement of electrical resistance and lists other modules that have been developed. (GS)

Describes a combined demonstration and student experiment course to illustrate fundamental techniques, instrumentation, and concise report writing. Describes experiments including tensile tests, heat treatment, equilibrium diagram, microexamination, strain measurement, and recrystallization. (GH)

Reports the results of a survey administered to over 1,500 students in advanced mathematics, chemistry and physics classes to determine their intended college major and attitudes toward science. (GS)

Describes a number of courses, articles, and books which deal with environmental physics. Provides an outline of a course which relates environmental physics to the content of other physics courses. This course uses relatively recent examples from the environmental literature. (MLH)

A survey made of 24 years of this journal revealed that there were 85 physics course or laboratory reports; the majority (59) were produced in the last four years. Few contained extensive evaluation reports; only two achieved national status. (Author/MLH)

New physics programs in Great Britain include a program with emphasis on mathematics and other sciences, and a joint honors program combining physics with another discipline, such as philosophy, economics, or English. Future programs may include even broader programs, in areas such as energy science or resources utilization. (MLH)