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Apr 2002

Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 196-256

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Comments on the Buoyant Force

Dean S. Edmonds, Jr.

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 196 | Cited 4 times

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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47.85.Dh Hydrodynamics, hydraulics, hydrostatics
06.20.F- Units and standards

Pasachoff’s Points

Jay M. Pasachoff

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 196 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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01.40.Di Course design and evaluation
95.10.-a Fundamental astronomy
96.30.-t Solar system objects
97.10.-q Stellar characteristics and properties

Further Discussion

Phil Sadler

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 198 | Cited 4 times

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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01.40.Di Course design and evaluation
95.85.-e Astronomical observations (additional primary heading(s) must be chosen with these entries to represent the astronomical objects and/or properties studied)
95.75.-z Observation and data reduction techniques; computer modeling and simulation

Further Discussion

Paul J. Camp

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 198

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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01.40.Di Course design and evaluation
01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
95.85.-e Astronomical observations (additional primary heading(s) must be chosen with these entries to represent the astronomical objects and/or properties studied)
95.75.-z Observation and data reduction techniques; computer modeling and simulation

Black’s Experiments and Newton’s Law of Cooling

Peter E. Liley

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 198

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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44.27.+g Forced convection
65.40.G- Other thermodynamical quantities

Figuring Forces

Chris Waltham

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 199

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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47.15.Cb Laminar boundary layers
45.20.D- Newtonian mechanics
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Remembering a former editor

Karl Mamola

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 199

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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01.60.+q Biographies, tributes, personal notes, and obituaries
01.55.+b General physics
01.40.-d Education
01.10.Hx Physics organizational activities
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Improving Science Education for All Children

Vernon Ehlers, Rep.

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 200 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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Last fall, in the midst of trying circumstances no one could have foreseen, Congress continued its intense work on improving K–12 education and eventually passed the President’s education reform bill. While these reforms will do much to improve our nation’s schools, they alone will not ensure that all of our students are adequately educated in science.
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01.75.+m Science and society
01.78.+p Science and government (funding, politics, etc.)
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AAPT Distinguised Service Citations

Ruth Howes, Chair

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 202

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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01.10.Cr Announcements, news, and awards
01.60.+q Biographies, tributes, personal notes, and obituaries
01.40.-d Education
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Peer Instruction: Results from a Range of Classrooms

Adam P. Fagen, Catherine H. Crouch, and Eric Mazur

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 206 | Cited 14 times

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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We surveyed Peer Instruction users worldwide to collect data on their experiences with the pedagogy. Force Concept Inventory pre- and post-test scores at a range of institutions show learning gains above the level for traditional pedagogies and consistent with interactive engagement.
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01.40.-d Education

Cannon’s Recoil Against a Tree: How the Range Increases

Robert Weinstock

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 210

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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A rigorous proof is presented to show that a cannonball’s post-explosion velocity, and therefore its range, is increased by propping the rear of the cannon against a massive tree.
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45.40.Gj Ballistics (projectiles; rockets)

Inward “Centrifugal” Force on a Helium‐Filled Balloon: An Illustrative Experiment

Vicente M. Aguilella, Antonio Alcaraz, and Patricio Ramírez

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 214 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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A demonstration of a paradoxical “inward centrifugal force” in a circular motion is presented. It can be visualized by placing a helium balloon inside a car that is taking a bend. The analysis of the problem in an inertial frame allows for the right explanation of the phenomenon observed, and avoids the use of a centrifugal force directed—in this case—to the center of curvature of the trajectory.
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
45.40.Cc Rigid body and gyroscope motion
47.32.Ff Separated flows

Automating Microwave Optics Experiments

Michael R. Gallis

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 217 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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An existing stand-alone microwave diffraction apparatus is adapted to student computer interface equipment using nonspecialized sensors. The new configuration allows students to take data with greater resolution in significantly less time than the traditional approach to the microwave diffraction experiment. Students’ tedium is reduced and the possibility of examining diffraction phenomena in greater detail within the limitations of a lab period is enhanced.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
41.20.Jb Electromagnetic wave propagation; radiowave propagation
42.25.Hz Interference
42.25.Fx Diffraction and scattering

Unconventional Dynamo

Wojciech Dindorf

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 220 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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About 10 years ago I encountered one of the most remarkable dynamos I have ever seen. It was produced by Philip Harris. The major component is a magnet in the form of a cylinder having one pole on the outside and the other on the inside.
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
41.20.Gz Magnetostatics; magnetic shielding, magnetic induction, boundary-value problems

Downhill Races

Cruse Melvin

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 222

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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Discussions of downhill races have been evolving in introductory texts. This article presents a logical sequence to guide students through the essential factors in this multifaceted topic. Comparative examples and a technical supplement are provided to reinforce the logic. Slipping, surface compressions, bounces, wobble, and internal material shifts are considered adverse effects.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
45.40.Gj Ballistics (projectiles; rockets)
45.20.D- Newtonian mechanics

Using Undergraduate Students as Physics Lab Teaching Assistants

Kathleen Andre Harper, David B. May, and Keith W. Oliver

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 226

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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We carefully selected several undergraduates to teach mechanics laboratories of a special course for honors engineering students. We share our experiences, including efforts to assess whether students taught by undergraduates were put at any disadvantage and whether the undergraduates we employed benefited from the experience.
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01.55.+b General physics
01.40.Di Course design and evaluation
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A Playing‐Card Soliton

Martin Gardner

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 229

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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A soliton is a wave that maintain itself by means of external restraints that prevent its collapse. You can model a soliton with a deck of playing cards.
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
05.45.Yv Solitons
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MBL Experiment in Angular Momentum

Paul Gluck

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 230

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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Among the series of beautiful take-home experiments designed by A.P. French and J.G. King for MIT students, the one on angular momentum studies the loss and conservation of angular momentum using a small dc motor as generator. Here we describe a version of the experiment that increases its accuracy, enables students to perform detailed rotational dynamics calculations, and sharpens the ability to isolate the region where the collision occurs.
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.55.+b General physics

Using the Work‐Energy Theorem with Car and Driver Website Data

Angel Luis Velázquez‐Avilés

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 235 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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The physics class usually presents concepts that can be taught by means of laboratories, but may still leave students with no idea of how these concepts can be related to real-life situations. This note discusses how to use the velocity-versus-time data from the Car and Driver website to show the relationship between velocity and other kinematic and dynamic quantities.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
45.40.Cc Rigid body and gyroscope motion
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Which of these continually emits electromagnetic radiation?

Paul Hewitt

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 238

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.55.+b General physics
44.40.+a Thermal radiation
41.20.-q Applied classical electromagnetism
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Acoustic Waves in Planetary Atmospheres

A. Sanchez‐Lavega

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 239

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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We present a study of the speed, Mach number, and intensity of sound waves in the atmospheres of the planets. These represent real examples of applied simple concepts of acoustics.
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43.20.Hq Velocity and attenuation of acoustic waves
96.30.-t Solar system objects
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Nineteenth‐Century Measurements of the Mechanical Equivalent of Heat

Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr.

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 243 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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Today the measurement of the mechanical equivalent of heat is a laboratory exercise in which the student tries to come close to the accepted value. How different was the attitude of the 19th-century physicists and engineers, for which the value was a key link between mechanics and thermodynamics, two seemingly separate domains of physics. This article discusses some of the pioneering experiments, translating them into modern nomenclature and units.
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07.10.-h Mechanical instruments and equipment
07.20.-n Thermal instruments and apparatus
07.68.+m Photography, photographic instruments; xerography
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Another Way to Demonstrate Lenz’s Law

Chang Geng Zhang and Shi Feng Hu

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 249 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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Many ways of demonstrating Lenz’s law to introductory-level physics students have been described in the literature. We have found another such demonstration that is both simple and highly effective.
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
41.20.Gz Magnetostatics; magnetic shielding, magnetic induction, boundary-value problems
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Destructive Interference with a Circular Saw Blade

Burt Brody

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 250

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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In a demonstration that I present to my students, I play a 5-kHz tone through a pair of 5-in speakers that are about 3 ft apart on the lecture bench. A student crouching sideways near the middle and in front of the speakers, slowly rocking back and forth, will hear the interference pattern in space.
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43.20.Gp Reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, and scattering of elastic and poroelastic waves
43.38.Ja Loudspeakers and horns, practical sound sources
43.38.Kb Microphones and their calibration
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Graphing Henry Aaron’s home‐run output

Herbert Ringel

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 251

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.55.+b General physics
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Incapacitated!

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 253

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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Abstract Unavailable
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07.68.+m Photography, photographic instruments; xerography
47.85.Dh Hydrodynamics, hydraulics, hydrostatics
44.40.+a Thermal radiation

OHM, I!

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 253

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Abstract Unavailable
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07.68.+m Photography, photographic instruments; xerography
47.85.Dh Hydrodynamics, hydraulics, hydrostatics
44.40.+a Thermal radiation

V-A-R-iables

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 253

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07.68.+m Photography, photographic instruments; xerography
47.85.Dh Hydrodynamics, hydraulics, hydrostatics
44.40.+a Thermal radiation

Answers to the January 2002 challenges

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 253

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07.68.+m Photography, photographic instruments; xerography
47.85.Dh Hydrodynamics, hydraulics, hydrostatics
44.40.+a Thermal radiation
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Prevent Burnout — Add Fuel to Your Fire

Patricia Blanton

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 254

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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The first few years of teaching can be both difficult and rewarding. Perhaps as you approach the end of your first year, you are looking for encouragement and methods to improve some aspect of your teaching.
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01.40.-d Education
01.50.-i Educational aids
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Journal of Physics Teacher Education Online

Andrew Graham

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 255

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.-d Education

TeacherFocus.com

Lucy Vaysman

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 255

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.-d Education

Fear of Physics

Tom Bensky

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 255

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.-d Education

The Science of Science Fiction

Andrew Graham

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 255

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.-d Education

Flinn Scientific, Inc.

Andrew Graham

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 255

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.-d Education

NSF Guide to Programs FY2002

Andrew Graham

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 255

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.-d Education
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Planetary Scientist and Jesuit Brother: Brother Astronomer, by Guy Consolmagno

William Lonc, S.J., Reviewer

The Physics Teacher -- April 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 4, pp. 256

Online Publication Date: Jul 2002

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.30.Vv Book reviews
01.60.+q Biographies, tributes, personal notes, and obituaries
96.30.Za Meteors, meteorites and tektites
96.30.Ys Asteroids, meteoroids
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