Examples are given of proofs to standard geometric theorems using physics and mechanics. (PK)

Describes the laws of physics that allow a motorcycle rider to control the flight of a motorcycle over obstacles in a motocross track. (JRH)

Describes the construction of a bed of nails that can be used to illustrate the relationship between force and pressure. (JRH)

Describes the construction of the Reduced-Gravity Demonstrator, which can be used to illustrate the effects of gravity on a variety of phenomena, including the way fluids flow, flames burn, and mechanical systems behave. Presents experiments, appropriate for classroom use, to demonstrate how the behavior of common physical systems change when…

Presents a simple and inexpensive procedure for determining the moment of inertia of a physical pendulum both experimentally and analytically. The simplicity of the apparatus enables students to easily change parameters and obtain a wide variety of measurements. (JRH)

Describes a demonstration in which a ball is placed in an unstable position on a saddle shape. The ball becomes stable when it is rotated above some threshold angular velocity. The demonstration is a mechanical analog of confining a particle in a "Paul Trap". (DDR)

Many general physics laboratories involve the use of springs to demonstrate Hooke's law, and much ado is made about how this can be used as a model for describing the elastic characteristics of materials at the molecular or atomic level. In recent years, the proliferation of computers, and appropriate sensors, have made it possible to demonstrate…

This paper presents results of an empirical research study on Newton's laws classical mechanics and its perceptions on freshman students at the Physics Department, University of Ioannina, Greece. Results and outcome measures reveal misconceptions on students' perceptions in consideration of the fundamental concepts in freshman Physics education.…

A 100 years-old formula that was given by J. J. Thomson recently found numerous applications in computational electrostatics and electromagnetics. Thomson himself never gave a proof for the formula; but a proof based on Differential Geometry was suggested by Jackson and later published by Pappas. Unfortunately, Differential Geometry, being a…

Sometimes it is difficult to decide whether a student has a true understanding of a physics concept or whether they are very good at rote learning key words and phrases. Sometimes, when you are marking exams, you feel you have to give the student full marks because everything is there, even though it is not quite "right". This is where a diagram…

In this paper, I discuss different types of models in science education and applications of them in learning and teaching science, in particular physics. Based on the literature, I categorize models as conceptual and mental models according to their characteristics. In addition to these models, there is another model called "physics model" by the…

I have found that students easily understand that a measurement cannot be exact, but they often seem to lack an understanding of why it is important to know "something" about the magnitude of the uncertainty. This tends to promote an attitude that almost any uncertainty value will do. Such indifference may exist because once an uncertainty is…

A number of interesting demonstrations of circular and satellite motion have been described in this journal. This paper presents a variation of a centripetal force apparatus found in G.D. Freier and F.J. Anderson's "A Demonstration Handbook for Physics," which has been modified in order to demonstrate both centripetal force and satellite motion.…

Energy is a critical concept in physics problem-solving, but is often a major source of confusion for students if the presentation is not carefully crafted by the instructor or the textbook. A common approach to problems involving deformable or rotating systems that has been discussed in the literature is to employ the work-kinetic energy theorem…

When introducing heat transfer and insulation to my students, I have found that an insulation contest can be a good start. The experiment is fun, and it gets students thinking and wondering about heat transfer. When they have experienced how difficult it is to construct their own insulated container, they are very interested to know how a real…