Describes a simple manual apparatus designed to serve as an effective demonstration of the differences between isothermal and adiabatic processes for the general or elementary physics student. Enables students to verify Boyle's law for slow processes and identify the departure from this law for rapid processes and can also be used to give a clear…

Explains the physics principles behind the VT (variable time) fuze, also called the proximity fuze, that was used in World War II in a radio device built into the nose of an aircraft shell or bullet that made it explode at the instant of passing an airplane in a near miss. Discusses other uses of the proximity fuze. (JRH)

Presents a simple experiment to compare the performance of the PASCO Introductory Dynamics System with that of an Ealing student air track. Discusses the relative advantages of both. Concludes that for a wide assortment of motion activities in a low friction environment, or studies of frictional forces, the PASCO Introductory Dynamics System is a…

Describes the experimental and theoretical details for constructing and calibrating an inexpensive, homemade liquid-lens refractometer. Measures refractive indices that are within the experimental errors discussed and close to the literature values. (JRH)

Describes a method to teach acoustics to students with minimal mathematical backgrounds. Discusses the uses of charts in teaching topics of sound intensity level and the decibel scale. Avoids the difficulties of working with logarithm functions. (JRH)

Presents the theory behind a two-dimensional curved path along which the magnitude of the acceleration vector remains constant for an object moving frictionlessly under the influence of gravity. (JRH)

Discusses descriptions of the way in which an optical system controls the quantity of light that reaches a point on the image plane, a basic feature of optical imaging systems such as cameras, telescopes, and microscopes. (JRH)

Describes a method to trace the reflection of a light ray incident on a pair of mirrors hinged together along one edge. Can be extended to ray tracing through tubes, cones, and prisms. (JRH)

Presents activities and investigations that provide a trail of physics-related topics for students to investigate at a bowling alley. (JRH)

Describes high school physics laboratory experiments that use lasers to show that a diffraction pattern is a Fourier analysis of the slit function. (MLH)

Presents a brief biographical inventory of the founder of the American Association of Physics Teachers. (MLH)

Surveys applications of physics in medicine, including the use of physical principles and techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, and the use of these concepts in preventive medicine and safe clinical environments. (MLH)

Demonstrates that the number of kilometers of highway in the U.S. tends to grow exponentially and discusses what can be done to modify this growth. (MLH)

Discusses the contributions made by the field of quantum electrodynamics to the understanding of positroniums. (MLH)

Discusses the laboratory portion of a beginning noncalculus physics course that uses concrete examples of abstract concepts. Describes the use of coffee cans to explain oscillations and plastic darts to illustrate collisions. (MLH)