Investigates and explains the phenomenon associated with Rubens flame-tube demonstration, specifically the persistance of flames at regular intervals along the tube for few minutes after the gas is turned off. (GA)

States and discusses some confusing and misleading statements found in an introductory physics textbook for high school students on electric currents and their magnetic fields. (GA)

Traces the early history of an experiment, the launching of a copper or aluminum ring above the pole of an alternating current magnet at switch-on, that was conducted by Elihu Thomson in the last century and presents a simple qualitative explanation of the effect involved. (GA)

Describes the following: a device which converts the displacement of a pendulum into an electric signal and is used as a voltage generator of low frequencies; a turn-by-turn transformer demonstration; how to remove the buoyant force on a piece of cork immersed in water; and how to demonstrate Coulomb's Law on the overhead projector. (GA)

Describes demonstrations used by the nineteenth century physicists to determine if two bodies oscillating at the same acoustic frequency were in phase. (GA)

Describes and outlines medical-physics courses that are taken in parallel with physics courses and designed for the medical physicist. (GA)

Describes a course in applied physics with solid state electronics, aimed at providing a continuing broad background in general physics while allowing for the gradual development of an emphasis on applications, engineering expertise, and relevant industrial experience. (Author/GA)

Presents a description of the power station game as a simulation exercise topic in physics and society, namely the making of a decision which involves many aspects of technical knowledge. Discusses the results of evaluation of students' attitudes toward the game, and attributes that make simulation an attractive teaching option. (GA)

Describes the following: use and construction of a lens-pinhole spatial filter assembly to produce expanded beams; how to modify a unilab V. L. F. oscillator to give variable frequencies between .1 Hz and 10 Hz; to use Crookes radiometer quantitatively; and an externally located, movable probe for plasma physics experiments, using conventional…

Describes a simple method to measure the size of the Earth to an accuracy of order of magnitude 10 percent. The procedure involves finding the time interval between two sunsets, a sunset observed at sea level while lying down, and a sunset viewed at eye height after standing up. (GA)

Discusses several aspects of Fraunhofer diffraction patterns from apertures illuminated by diverging light. Develops a generalization to apertures of arbitrary shape which shows that the sizes of the pattern are related by a simple scale factor. Uses the Abbe theory of image formation by diffraction to discuss the intensity of illumination of the…

Discusses the meaning of readability, and describes several popular methods of assessing it. Gives the results of the application of one particular method to a selection of elementary astronomy and physics texts. (Author/GA)

Describes an experiment for the intermediate undergraduate optics laboratory designed to illustrate simultaneously some aspects of the phenomena of diffraction; interference, coherence, apodization, the Fresnel-Arago law; as well as of the interrelations between these concepts. (HM)

Describes how to construct a device that will show interference fringes formed by multiple reflections in an air gap between two partially silvered glass surfaces. (MLH)

Discusses an instructional method for analyzing energy shortage problems in relation to the environment. (MLH)