Describes an apparatus and procedure for conducting an undergraduate laboratory experiment to quantitatively study the Hall effect in a plasma. Includes background information on the Hall effect and rationale for conducting the experiment. (JN)

Illustrates common mistakes teachers usually make when discussing physical phenomena. Presents correct and incorrect explanations for five common science demonstrations. (SK)

Describes an undergraduate experiment which measures the energy gap in silicon and germanium. Theory, procedure, and results of this experiment are included. (HM)

Presents a dice-playing game which mathematically unsophisticated students and school children can play to learn empirically the principles of radioactive dating and population growth. (HM)

Covers recent developments in ultraviolet and light absorption spectrometry. Subject matter is divided into sections on chemistry, physics, and applications. Cites 655 references. (CS)

Discusses the use of pocket calculators for the computation of a line by the least-square-fitting method. The method is exemplified with a classical student experiment. (HM)

Provides information regarding the extra bands of color, termed supernumerary arcs, that sometimes accompany a natural rainbow. Several experiments are described that elucidate the phenomenon of supernumerary arcs, involving the illumination of a hanging water droplet with white light from a projector or monochromatic light from a helium-neon…

Updates the results of a six-year experimental course in physics whose goal was to translate the physicist's approach to science into an approach to the teaching of physics. Provides a course description and rationale and outlines the instructional procedures used. (GS)

Describes how teachers can use wheels of tricycles, bicycles, and trains to stimulate children with mathematics, relative position, and engineering concepts. Techniques are offered for measuring circumference of a bicycle wheel, gear ratios, and pedal wheel circumferences. Comparative data are given for various sized wheels. (Author/SA)

Describes a project on the application of the laser which aims to stimulate the interest of undergraduate students in applied physics and to demonstrate the interaction between light and ultrasonic waves by building a simple laser communication system. (SK)

Describes a straightforward vertical fall experiment using a badminton shuttlecock, a tape measure, and a millisecond timer. The effects of air resistance are important and directly measurable. The experimental data best fit a predictive model which assumes a resistive force quadratic in the instantaneous speed of the falling object. (GS)

Describes the history, activities, and accomplishments of the American Association of Physics Teachers, including assuming many responsibilities of the former Commission on College Physics. (JN)

Describes a method for students to evaluate and experience a repetition of important physics concepts during regular lecture sessions. The major goal was to train students to focus attention on course materials. (SK)

Reviews the history, nomenclature, theoretical background, and construction of batteries. Compares the performance of different battery types. (JN)

The study investigated specific student behavior in introductory and advanced college laboratories in botany, chemistry, geology, physics, and zoology. Behaviors were observed, described, and classified with no effort made to induce change, detail underlying conditions, or identify correlates. (Author/RE)