Describes the implementation of a concept practical in a physics class. Uses the example of students predicting and testing what will happen to the speed and acceleration of a ball rolling down variously-sloped railings. Some evidence of conceptual development was indicated by pre- and post-test scores. Suggests that a well-conducted class…

Offers a relatively simple analysis of the asymmetrical "sticking" and rolling behavior of two balls, one steel and one rubber, on an incline. Describes an Interactive Physics (TM) simulation designed to study the problem and gives rough experimental results. (WRM)

Describes how to build your own drop tower. Notes that these demonstrations are part of a portable and compact demonstration kit that fits entirely into a trunk, television and all. (CCM)

Presents the epistemology of scientific concepts from a schematic modeling perspective. Discusses students' initial cognitive states based on the level of commensurability between students' own concepts and their scientific counterparts. Contains 87 references. (DDR)

Describes how to use the computer algebra system (CAS) Mathematica to analyze projectile motion with and without air resistance. These experiments result in several conjectures leading to theorems. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/ASK)

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is a multiple-choice test designed to monitor students' understanding of force and related kinematics. Outlines how the FCI was used to evaluate student learning following a newly developed approach to teaching mechanics in a Finnish upper secondary school. Offers an example of the benefits that can follow from…

Describes an activity that explores the relationship between the impulse and the distance traveled by a projectile. (WRM)

Explains the terms resonance and amplitude, the relationship between them, and the effects of resonance in our daily lives. Introduces pendulum activities that explain how resonance works. (YDS)

We present a simple laboratory activity for introductory-level physics students which involves rolling balls down pipes and analysing their subsequent flight trajectories. Using balls of equal size but different mass allows students to confront their misconceptions of a mass dependence of the exit speed of the balls from the pipes. The concepts of…

This activity discusses a unit exercise in which a physics practical was implemented during a laboratory session. The lab practical design was centered on Newton's Second Law. The practical was implemented in a high school setting. Further, through the administration of both a pre and post test we were able to assess the effectiveness of the lab…

The Mechanical Equivalent of Heat Apparatus from PASCO scientific provides the means for doing a simple experiment to determine the mechanical equivalent of heat, "J." A necessary step of this experiment is to determine the temperature of an aluminum cylinder. By measuring the resistance of a thermistor embedded in the cylinder, one is able to…

Within the historical context of the development of chemistry, Avogadro's hypothesis represents a fundamental concept: It allowed Avogadro to explain Gay-Lussac's law of combining volumes and it allowed Cannizzaro to establish a more accurate set of atomic mass values. If students are going to understand the concept of relative atomic masses and…

Proper mathematical skills are important for every science course and mathematics-intensive chemistry courses rely on a sound mathematical pre-knowledge. In the first-year quantum chemistry course at this university, it was noticed that many students lack basic mathematical knowledge. To tackle the mathematics problem, a remedial mathematics…

This paper reports on a third grade class's use of technology during a science unit on forces and motion. The investigation documents the unique ways in which children can construct knowledge and create multimedia representations of their learning when afforded ready access to a variety of digital devices. Further, the study explores the way…

Since their inception in 1993 at an Australian university, the workshop tutorials in physics have evolved and grown beyond the initiating department. In this paper, we adopt an interpretive perspective to: (i) reflect on why the tutorials continue to be successful; (ii) use models from literature to understand that success; and (iii) abstract key…