Presented is a discussion of the confusion among students, scientists, and the general public over the meaning of the term "weight." (BB)

Describes a laboratory activity which can be done with equipment normally available for introductory college courses. It measures the ratio of the radioactivity per unit mass of a unicellular alga to the radioactivity per unit mass of the medium in which it grows. (HM)

Discusses the readability of some selected school physics textbooks and examination papers. It also presents three factors that affect readability: (1) Interest and motivation; (2) Legibility of print; and (3) Complexity of words and sentences. (HM)

Discusses how an individual's visual system processes cues to motion in depth. A theoretical model of the operations of the visual system that underlie the perception of motion in depth is included. (HM)

Describes a simple seismograph which can be built quite easily and is sufficiently sensitive to record earthquake waves at home. (HM)

Discusses the probable changes in public attitudes toward science and technology as a result of the engineering accidents of 1979. Results of national polls conducted to identify public confidence in technological progress are included. (HM)

Presents results of a study suggesting that prior mathematical ability is a primary influence on performance in an introductory, preprofessional physics course and that it has a secondary influence on the tendency of college students to drop out of the course. (CS)

Presents listings of selected reference materials relevant to symmetry and group theory in college physics and chemistry. Entries are classified according to a scheme involving 34 subject areas divided into four major groups. Comments on these materials and suggestions for future topics will be welcomed. (Author/SK)

Presents an experiment on the bending of light in a medium with a continuously varying index of refraction. Several theoretical approaches for the analysis of this experiment, designed for college physics students, are also presented. (HM)

Describes an advanced undergraduate physics experiment which permits the measurement of ultrasound velocity and absorption in liquid systems. A description of the tasks the student is expected to perform is also included. (HM)

Discusses a demonstration in which the near and far focusing distances of a student volunteer are measured and his or her glasses prescription is computed. (HM)

Describes a demonstration in which the local inertial frame of reference can be obtained in the laboratory by allowing a cage to fall freely without rotation under the influence of gravity. (HM)

Discusses the naive usage of models in science, particularly in physics. Historical perspectives are presented, as well as some educational aspects of models. (SA)

Describes an interdisciplinary microcomputer and microelectronics program offered jointly by the Physics and Computer Science Departments of East Texas State University. The program operates on both the graduate and undergraduate level. Content as well as structure of the program are discussed. (Author/DS)

Describes ways in which physics-learning activity packets can be used by high school students participating in trips organized by other departments. Provides an example of physics activities incorporated into an airplane trip to Disney World. (CS)