Since 2015, Germany has officially registered over 1.3 million refugees, many fleeing the Syrian civil war during the most recent European migrant crisis. The majority reaction of 82 million German citizens and their government to the crisis led to the welcoming culture ("Willkommenskultur")--the development of multiple government,…

In this study, we evaluate the validity of question 29 (Q.29) in the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), which requires an understanding of atmospheric pressure. At least in some Japanese physics classes, the rate of the correct answer to Q.29 is reduced between the pretest and post-test. To examine this deterioration of a student's response, we…

We present a thermodynamics experiment suitable for first year undergraduate students employing Stirling Engines to create a demonstration of energy transformation and to measure the mechanical efficiency of such engines. Using an inexpensive transparent chambered Stirling Engine, students can connect concepts such as the theoretical…

Distance learning in physics is still facing challenges, mainly due to the difficult access to a laboratory for practical work. Practical work is an essential part of the physics classroom because it allows students to interact with authentic physics phenomena and develop their scientific abilities. In this paper, we propose alternative…

Building a technology-driven world appears to be the main motivational force behind students choosing to undertake engineering studies. The first year of engineering education plays a significant role in demonstrating sufficient mathematical and scientific rigor to satisfy these motivational factors. The common applied mechanics courses play a…

This study aims to showcase an experiment for introductory physics students that quantitatively describes the relationship between gas pressure, volume, and temperature. For this purpose, an Arduino Uno Microcontroller and BMP180 pressure sensor are used. The BMP180 can also measure temperature, so another temperature sensor is not needed.…

Science labs should promote reasoning that resembles the work that scientists do. However, this is often not the case. We present a lab in which students strive to find out which of two models best describes a physics experiment. The quantification of measurement uncertainties--another topic that is often neglected in high school…

Teachers' beliefs about knowledge in their subject deeply impact their classroom practice. This study analyzed the epistemic beliefs about physics knowledge held by Saskatchewan high school physics teachers using a newly designed framework of epistemic beliefs about physics knowledge. Results suggest that teachers' epistemic beliefs about physics…

In secondary school, where students begin to be more interested in physics, chemistry and biology, it is an important issue how their interests are in terms of all three subject areas according to grade levels. The aim of this study was to examine and evaluate the interest of secondary school students in the concepts of physics, chemistry and…

Various experiments on vibrating gas columns and on frequency measurements with glasses and pipes have been presented in recent years in the "iPhysicsLabs" column. The determination of the sound velocity in different gases by measuring the sound running time has also already been proposed in an earlier paper. This article now adds…

The physical problem of a body of water in a tank that drains through a hole in the base is a classical problem that has been studied since at least the time of Torricelli. To fixate this in a student's mind, one could ask them to visualize a bathtub that is being drained through the plughole or a bottle being drained through a tap. This problem…

This study investigates whether graduate courses for in-service physics teacher professional development that combine the conceptual history of physics, physics content, and physics education research readings will result in the teachers using the history of science for their own classroom instruction. In a study conducted in the USA, teachers who…

The traditional lecture-based scheme of teaching physics has shown to be ineffective in several aspects. It results in a lack of motivation, with low impact on students, to address more complex physical systems than the ones presented in textbooks. The electromagnetics course is a clear example at junior and senior university-level education, in…

Implementing smartphones with their internal sensors into physics experiments represents a modern, attractive, and authentic approach to improve students' conceptual understanding of physics. In such experiments, smartphones often serve as objects with physical properties and as digital measurement devices to record, display, and analyze…

A simple measurement of the refractive index of a liquid has been performed using a spherical lens. This lens is a spherical shape flask containing the liquid under study. Parallel pointer laser beams are directed to the lens to obtain the back focal length of the lens. The focal point is determined visually or using the Tracker software to…