Discusses the Peltier, or thermoelectric effect, which provides a way of cooling a system by coupling it thermally to the junction of two materials suitably chosen, shaped, and connected to a d.c. current. Describes an apparatus which simply and inexpensively demonstrates this effect. (MLH)

Item analysis of a mathematics preknowledge test given to physics students revealed that significant differences existed on certain items between groups of students who had followed different mathematics syllabuses. (MLH)

Mathematically shows that in principle a spaceship could travel eight light years in ten earth years, with the passengers arriving 4.6 years older than when they left earth and having experienced an acceleration induced effective gravity of one g for the entire trip. (MLH)

These projects utilize musical instruments to teach the physics of sound by investigating standing waves in strings and plates, main resonance of stringed instruments, loudness curves, and analysis of tones. Can be adapted for secondary level or college level instruction. (MLH)

Urges that more applied science and technology be included in college science curricula. Reviews courses which are working toward this end, such as an engineering course which requires the student to spend a week in an industrial environment and to produce a report on his visit. (MLH)

Reviews the British Ordinary National Diploma (OND) course in technology, a two-year fulltime program leading to degree and subdegree courses in technology and science. The course was designed as an alternative to a two-year sixth form A-level course in mathematics and physics. (MLH)

Describes recently published Engineering Science Development Unit (ESDU) texts, intended to promote an applied science approach to sixth form teaching. Each text has two components: a main story in which an engineering problem or situation is considered, and a set of supporting material covering development of physical relationships. (MLH)

Presents a report of the annual conference of the Education Group of the Institute of Physics, held at the University of Oxford. The educators agreed that project work is a useful teaching technique and that there is a need for categorization of such activities. (MLH)

Discusses the following aspects of university project work: academic and social aims, recent trends, and availability of projects. Advises teachers how to determine the time allotment and assessment procedures for project work. (MLH)

Stefan's law is demonstrated by measuring the temperature of the tungsten filament of an electric light bulb and plotting a log-log graph of temperature against power dissipation. (MLH)

In addition to two misapprehensions, that the earth is uninvolved in many physical phenomena and that it is infinite and unmoving, physics students often believe that the earth, without expending energy, can push things along its surface, giving rise to accelerations. (MLH)

Achievement tests were administered to physics students who had been instructed in one of three teaching styles: open-ended, intermediate, and expository. The results of a statistical analysis lead to the general conclusion that the unrestricted advocacy of an open-ended style of teaching physics is not justified. (Author/MLH)