As part of the discussion about Newton's work in a history of mathematics course, one of the presentations calculated the amount of energy necessary to send a projectile into deep space. Afterwards, the students asked for a recalculation with two changes: First the launch under study consisted of a single stage, but the students desired to…

Fusion is the process that powers the sun and the stars. Since the 1950s, scientists and engineers in the United States and around the world have been conducting fusion research in pursuit of the creation of a new energy source for our planet and to further our understanding and control of plasma, the fourth state of matter that dominates the…

The study of the basic concepts in physics naturally lends itself to real-world analogies and hands-on activities in the classroom. In 2006, science teachers at the United Nations International School searched for a way to go beyond the classroom in order to combine an adolescent's real-world interests with a whole-body, kinesthetic activity. They…

We have developed an "in vitro assay" for following the interaction between the [alpha][subscript i2] subunit and [beta][subscript 1[gamma]2] dimer from sf9 cells. This method is suitable for education purposes because it is easy, reliable, nonexpensive, can be applied for a big class of 20 students, and avoid the commonly used kinetic approach,…

The purpose of this study is to determine how energy-conservation principle is exposed in hydrodynamics chapters of university physics textbooks. Ten physics textbooks analyzed show considerable deficiencies in the use of energy concepts related to uncompressible fluid dynamics. The following problems have been extensively found: The pressure…

A theoretical analysis of single-slit diffraction based on the Fourier transform between coordinate and momentum space is presented. The transform between position and momentum is used to illuminate the intimate relationship between single-slit diffraction and uncertainty principle.

A simple framework for evaluating experimental kinetic data to provide support for Specific Acid Catalysis (SAC) and General Acid Catalysis (GAC) is described based on the factors affecting their relative efficiency. Observations reveal that increasing the SAC-to-GAC rate constant ratio reduces the effective pH range for GAC.

The utilization of the simple and traditional vector model-based product operator formalism is highlighted. It is seen as a critical device in the area of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry for a comprehensive analysis of spin coupling and quantum coherences.

The thermodynamics of capillary rise is explained as the gravitational elevation of the whole column of liquid caused by the positive connection between the liquid, and the solid wall of the capillary tube. The curvature of the meniscus is ascribed to the maintenance of a physiochemical balance throughout the gravitational column of liquid.

Some comments on the relationship of ionic strength to macroscopic concepts such as thermodynamic quantities and microscopic ones such as molecule size are presented. The meaning of ionic strength is also reviewed.

Controlling a hand-held tool requires that the tool user bring the tool into contact with an environmental surface in a task-appropriate manner. This, in turn, requires applying muscular forces so as to overcome how the object resists being moved about its various axes. Perceived properties of hand-held objects tend to be constrained by inertial…

It has been suggested that the inertia tensor governs many instances of haptic perception. However, the evidence is inconclusive because other candidate mechanical parameters (i.e., invariants) were not or were insufficiently controlled for in pertinent experiments. By independently varying all candidate mechanical parameters, the authors were…

In theory, there are many methods for the representation of signals. In practice, however, Fourier analysis involving the resolution of signals into sinusoidal components is used widely. There are several methods for Fourier analysis available for representation of signals. If the signal is periodic, then the Fourier series is used to represent…

We argue that learning about the nature and utility of scientific models and engaging in the process of creating and testing models should be a central focus of science education. To realize this vision, we created and evaluated the Model-Enhanced ThinkerTools (METT) Curriculum, which is an inquiry-oriented physics curriculum for middle school…

The narrative in this article begins with a simple remark about a heavenly body to a class, and then winds its way through a lot of mathematical topics.