This paper deals with the comparison of sound speed measurements in air using two types of sensor that are widely employed in physics and engineering education, namely a pressure sensor and a sound sensor. A computer-based laboratory with pressure and sound sensors was used to carry out measurements of air through a 60 ml syringe. The fast Fourier…

A handheld emitter-receiver device suitable for the direct estimation of the velocity of radio waves in air is presented. The velocity of radio waves is measured using the direct time-of-flight method, without the need for any tedious and precise settings. The results for two measurement series are reported. Both sets of results give an estimate…

The aim of this study was to investigate performance of student teachers regarding skills translating verbal representation to graphical, table and physical representations. The study group was constructed with the participants of 45 student teachers. Data of the study was collected with open-ended questions. The results of the study indicated…

The purpose of this study is to understand the nature of pre-instructional knowledge transferred by students into problem situations and the change process on students' knowledge system during classroom discussions. This study was framed by two interrelated theoretical frameworks on knowledge structures, phenomenological primitives and…

We discuss the importance of the ordering of symbols in physics formulas and identify implicit conventions that govern the "standard" form for how formulas are written and interpreted. An important part of writing and reading this form is understanding distinctions among constants, parameters, and variables. We delineate these conventions and…

Over 2200 years ago, in order to determine the purity of a golden crown of the king of Syracuse, Archimedes submerged the crown in water and determined its volume by measuring the volume of the displaced water. This simple experiment became the foundation of what eventually became known as Archimedes' principle: An object fully or partially…

The classic film "Frames of Reference" effectively illustrates concepts involved with inertial and non-inertial reference frames. In it, Donald G. Ivey and Patterson Hume use the cameras perspective to allow the viewer to see motion in reference frames translating with a constant velocity, translating while accelerating, and rotating--all with…

The operation of the puzzling "forever spin" top is explained. This toy makes an intriguing basis for discussion of the physical principles involved. (Contains 8 figures and 1 footnote.)

To demonstrate the different vibration characteristics of a magnetic spring compared with those of a metal one, a magnetic spring apparatus was constructed from a pair of circular magnets of the same size with an inside diameter of 2.07 cm and an outside diameter of 4.50 cm. To keep the upper magnet in a suspension state, the two magnets were…

Anisotropy is a difficult concept, although it is often met in everyday life. This paper describes a simple model--knitted patterns--having anisotropic elastic properties. The elastic constant is measured for the force applied in different directions with respect to the knitting direction. It is also shown that the deformation of the knitted…

Energetic materials (EMs) are substances with a high amount of stored energy and the ability to release that energy at a rapid rate. Nanothermites and green organic energetics are two classes of EMs which have gained significant interest as they each have desirable properties over traditional explosives. These systems also possess downfalls, which…

Recently, developments in novel and high-purity materials allow for the presence of a single, solitary crystalline defect to define the electronic, magnetic, and optical functionality of a device. The discrete nature of the active dopant, whose properties are defined by a quantum mechanical description of its structure, enables radically new…

The focus of a parabola rolling without sliding along a straight line traces a catenary. We give some historical notes on this classical kinematical construction, observe that it was rediscovered in a recent article, and give a simpler and more geometric alternative derivation.

Using a data-acquisition system, the charge and energy stored in a capacitor are measured and displayed during the charging/discharging process. The experiment is usable as a laboratory work and/or a lecture demonstration. (Contains 3 figures.)

Presented here is an adaptation of George Gamow's derivation of the centripetal acceleration formula as it applies to Earth's orbiting Moon. The derivation appears in Gamows short but engaging book "Gravity", first published in 1962, and is essentially a distillation of Newton's work. While "TPT" contributors have offered several insightful…