One of Paul Hewitt's "Figuring Physics" that appeared in this journal dealt with the heating of a motor. This phenomenon can be demonstrated with a miniature motor and a bulb as part of a series of activities with "batteries and bulbs." Students examine the effect on the brightness of a single bulb when a second, identical bulb is placed in series…

We describe the use of acrylic tanks (400 x 450 x 27 mm) for visualization of chemical demonstrations in aqueous solutions. Examples of well-suited demonstrations are oscillating reactions, pH indicators, photochemical reduction of Lauth's violet, and chemoluminiscent reactions. (Contains 1 figure.)

The impact of eliminating extraneous sound and light on students' achievement was investigated under four conditions: Light and Sound controlled, Sound Only controlled, Light Only controlled and neither Light nor Sound controlled. Group, age and gender were the control variables. Four randomly selected groups of high school freshmen students with…

It's a fact that most students, faculty and visitors who enter a school or college building eventually will use that facility's restrooms. Whether the destination is a lecture hall or classroom, the gym or other sports facility, the cafeteria or the student union, the human flow of restroom traffic is steady--year-round for some facilities and 24…

Commonly referred to as CFLs, compact fluorescent light bulbs are rapidly replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs for residential use. However, controversy and even comic parody have arisen surrounding CFL use. CFLs contain small amounts of mercury, and several public forums and news agencies have been announcing that the breakage of a CFL…

This study investigates the effectiveness of a teaching conflict procedure whose purpose was the transformation of the representations of 12-16-year-old pupils in Greece concerning light emission and shadow formation by extended light sources. The changes observed during the children's effort to destabilize and reorganise their representations…

Building a quality auditorium has never come at a cheap price. In today's economy, a $750,000 minimum price tag just for sound, lighting, stage rigging and seats can be exorbitant. However, schools that have built new auditoriums or upgraded existing ones in the past decade say the investment is worth every penny. This article discusses the…

In 2008, American School & University showcased some of the hottest products in the industry. This article presents the 10 most requested, as determined by readers. Products include fluorescent lighting, concrete floor maintenance and exterior sheathing.

Warns that in any crisis, those who over-react to find a solution threaten to cause a second crisis. Takes a look at lighting criteria, energy sources, and methods of conserving them. (Author)

A well planned outdoor lighting system is a powerful deterrent to vandalism of school property. (Author)

LED (light-emitting diode) technology is moving fast, and with justification, some facility managers have viewed it with a wary eye. Some LEDs on the market do not perform as promised, and the technology is changing rapidly. But new developments from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) now make it easier for facility managers to find LEDs that…

Purpose: Faced with an aging driving population, interest is increasing in the use of restricted licenses or "graduated delicensing" for older drivers to allow them to safely retain a driver's license. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether restricted licenses are successful at mitigating number of crashes per year…

This past semester I brought a Lava Lite[R] Lamp into my classroom. Why bring such a thing into class? Many of today's students are part of the "retro" movement. They buy clothes from the '60s, they wear their hair like people did in the '60s, and they look for the ideals and themes related to living in the 1960s. Physics education reform is also…