When students are first introduced to the idea of radioactive decay, a large conceptual hurdle must be overcome. The thought that an object's age has no bearing on the chance it will "die" (decay in this case) on a particular day is completely at odds with biological notions of life and death. Through the use of a simple…

In our science for non-science majors course "21st Century Physics," we investigate modern "Hubble plots" (plots of velocity versus distance for deep space objects) in order to discuss the Big Bang, dark matter, and dark energy. There are two potential challenges that our students face when encountering these topics for the…

Written by Jim and Jane Nelson, Teaching About Kinematics is the latest AAPT/PTRA resource book. Based on physics education research, the book provides teachers with the resources needed to introduce students to some of the fundamental building blocks of physics. It is a carefully thought-out, step-by-step laboratory-based introduction to the…

Describes the use of concept-centered minilabs in physics instruction. Finds this method successful in several courses taught by different instructors at Rutgers University. (CCM)

Finds that first-year college students can understand in detail the origin of the equivalent mass. Provides both a simple calculation derivation of this result as well as a noncalculus derivation. Argues that for every soft spring, the equivalent mass should be somewhere between m0/3 and m0/2. (CCM)

Describes Herschel's demonstration of interference arising from many coherent rays. Presents a method for students to reproduce this demonstration and obtain beautiful multiple-beam interference patterns. (CCM)

Describes how to build your own drop tower. Notes that these demonstrations are part of a portable and compact demonstration kit that fits entirely into a trunk, television and all. (CCM)

Studies the optimum launch angle for maximizing the long jump from a kinematical point of view. (CCM)

Finds from textbook review that the value of 'g' should be described as the strength of the gravitational field rather than as acceleration. (CCM)

Describes a quantitative approach to the demonstration that the energy of a photon is proportional to its frequency. (CCM)

Dynamic field maps and contour curves provide a new way of depicting and analyzing the electric field of uniformly moving point charges. Presents an alternative way of graphically representing the electricity field of a uniformly moving point charge. (CCM)

Explains a change in sign convention for thermodynamic work. (CCM)

Analyzes the motion of a charged point particle started from rest near the center of a charged circular ring. (CCM)

Argues that using in-class worksheets are versatile and can be tailored to meet specific goals. Finds that worksheets are effective for confronting preconceptions, ensuring class participation, and increasing student/teacher interactions. (CCM)

Presents a simple extension of the standard demonstration of the Meissner Effect which shows the superconductor to be a perfect conductor. (CCM)