We present a study of active learning pedagogies in an upper-division physics course. This work was guided by the principle of deliberate practice for the development of expertise, and this principle was used in the design of the materials and the orchestration of the classroom activities of the students. We present our process for efficiently…

Geometric optics is one of the difficult topics for students within physics discipline. Students learn better via student-centered active learning environments than the teacher-centered learning environments. So this study aimed to present a guide for middle school teachers to teach lenses in geometric optics via active learning environment…

The experiments presented show the response of a liquid crystal shutter to applied electric voltages and the delay of the operations. Both properties are important for liquid crystal displays of computers and television sets. Two characteristics of the shutter are determined: (i) the optical transmittance versus applied voltage of various…

We present a laboratory experiment for advanced undergraduate or graduate laser-related classes to study the performance of a neodymium laser. In the experiment, the student has to build the neodymium laser using an open cavity. After that, the cavity losses are modulated with an optical chopper located inside, so the Q-switching regime is…

The spatial variation in phase and the propagating wave-front of plane wave electromagnetic radiation are widely familiar text-book territory. In contrast, the developing amplitude and phase of radiation emitted by a dipole or multipole source generally receive less attention, despite the prevalence of these systems. There is additional complexity…

The analysis of paraxial Gaussian beams features in most undergraduate courses in laser physics, advanced optics and photonics. These beams provide a simple model of the field generated in the resonant cavities of lasers, thus constituting a basic element for understanding laser theory. Usually, uniformly polarized beams are considered in the…

"Magic mirrors" were so named because, when they were positioned to throw a reflected patch of sunlight on a nearby wall, this area contained an outline of a design cast on the back of the (bronze) mirror. Investigations begun in the 19th century showed that this was a response to heavy localized pressures exerted on the face of the thin mirror…

There are two indisputable findings in science education research. First, students go to school with some intuitive beliefs about the natural world and physical phenomena that pose an obstacle to the learning of formal science. Second, these beliefs result from the confluence of two factors, namely, their everyday experience as they interact with…

A low-cost and portable colorimeter kit has been designed and developed as an educational tool at Penn State University by Dr. Daniel Sykes for K-12 schools' integrated STEM learning. This scientific instrument allows students to learn how scientists utilize light as a means to study the chemical and physical properties of materials with an…

This article describes a method for making a spectroscope from scrap materials, i.e. a fragment of compact disc, a cardboard box, a tube and a digital camera to record the spectrum. An image processing program such as ImageJ can be used to calculate the wavelength of emission and absorption lines from the digital photograph. Multiple images of a…

The present paper presents a historical study on the acceptance of Newton's corpuscular theory of light in the early eighteenth century. Isaac Newton first published his famous book "Opticks" in 1704. After its publication, it became quite popular and was an almost mandatory presence in cultural life of Enlightenment societies. However, Newton's…

This article describes the design, delivery, evaluation and impact of a CPD course for physics and chemistry teachers. A key aim of the course was to use the context of the James Webb Space Telescope project to inspire teachers and lead to enriched teaching of STEM subjects. (Contains 1 box and 3 figures.)

In this paper, we analyse a simple experiment to study the effects of polarized light. A simple optical system composed of a polarizer, a retarder (cellotape) and an analyser is used to study the effect on the polarization state of the light which impinges on the setup. The optical system is characterized by means of a Jones matrix, and a simple…

A study on the effect of the use of computer simulations (CS) on the acquisition of knowledge and cognitive load was undertaken with 104 Grade 11 learners in four schools in rural South Africa on the physics topic geometrical optics. Owing to the lack of resources a teacher-centred approach was followed in the use of computer simulations. The…

Gravitational light deflection, predicted by general relativity, is a fascinating phenomenon with numerous important applications in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. At first sight, there is no analogous effect in electrodynamics because Maxwell's equations are linear and, therefore, a photon does not interact with the electromagnetic field…