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American Journal of Physics

The Physics Teacher»
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SECTION LISTING

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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FIGURING PHYSICS
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APPARATUS FOR TEACHING PHYSICS
TRICK OF THE TRADE
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Mar 2003

Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 132-192

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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Old Pilot Values

L. Edward Millet

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 132

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Abstract Unavailable

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89.40.Dd	Air transporation
47.85.Gj	Aerodynamics
01.40.E-	Science in school

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Hewitt's Oscillating Block

Ronald Newburgh

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 132

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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01.40.E-	Science in school
01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.55.+b	General physics

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Experimental Projectile Optimization Analysis

Inge H. A. Pettersen

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 132 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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01.50.Lc	Laboratory computer use
01.55.+b	General physics

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FCI Predictions

Philip M. Sadler

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 133

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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01.40.G-	Curricula and evaluation
01.55.+b	General physics

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Another Diver∕Riser

D. Rae Carpenter, Jr.

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 133

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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01.50.My

Demonstration experiments and apparatus

EDITORIAL

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Chauvinism

Karl C. Mamola

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 134

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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01.40.-d	Education
01.55.+b	General physics

FIGURING PHYSICS

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Modeling Clay Resistors

Paul Hewitt

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 136

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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01.50.My

Demonstration experiments and apparatus

PAPERS

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How Is Your Gas Mileage?

Richard Summers

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 138

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Most students do not get an appreciation of what their gasoline dollar buys them even after they have taken lessons on heat and thermodynamics. The common conception is that most of the fuel put in the fuel tank is used for running the engine and that the only reason for energy waste is poor engine maintenance. I decided to help students gain a better idea of how thermodynamics really relates to their lives by having them do a rough experimental analysis of the efficiency of their engines.

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01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.40.E-	Science in school

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It's, Like, Relative Motion at the Mall

R. W. Robinett

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 140 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Almost all introductory textbooks, both algebra- and calculus-based, include sections on relative motion and relative velocity, in both one and two dimensions. The most popular examples in discussions of 2-D relative velocity in such texts seem to be the motion of airplanes∕blimps flying in the presence of wind or the conceptually identical cases of boats∕rafts piloted across rivers∕streams, including the effects of currents. These and similar cases are rather removed from the everyday experience of some students, and the use of simple lecture demonstrations to illustrate these concepts can be quite useful. For example, the motion of a simple toy “wind-up” car moving at constant speed across a horizontal tabletop, with a plastic sheet underneath providing the “moving frame of reference,” can illustrate many aspects of such problems, including the need to “point” the plane∕boat in an appropriate direction, just as illustrated in many textbook figures. On the other hand, it is also useful if students can directly experience concepts for themselves, especially in a kinesthetic manner, but there are seemingly far fewer human-sized lecture demonstrations on this topic. In this paper, we will point out one such example which might well be just a short drive away.

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01.40.E-	Science in school
01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus

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Compact Disk Spectroscopes Revisited!

Aidan Byrne

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 144 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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The recent article by Tim Knauer¹ indicates again that the CD provides a wonderful learning resource for physics teachers and students. There is much to be learned by examining the nature of the way information is stored and retrieved on the disk as well as the physical medium itself. Books such as Muller's Upgrading and Repairing PC's² provide a useful compendium of the properties of the medium as well as the methods of encoding.

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01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus
07.60.Rd	Visible and ultraviolet spectrometers

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The History and Fate of the Universe:

Lawrence M. Krauss

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 146

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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See Also: Erratum

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Cosmology, the field that focuses on the origin and evolution of the universe on its largest scales, is undergoing what many have called a “golden era.” New observations, on the ground, in the air, and in space, combined with exciting new theoretical insights, have, over the past decade or two, literally revolutionized our picture of the universe in which we live. Ideas that were essentially pure speculation 20 years ago now rest firmly on the bedrock of experiment. At the same time, many new questions have arisen, and some once firmly held notions about the future of the universe have been displaced. In this article I present a guide to our current understanding of the history and fate of the universe to parallel and supplement the overview presented in the Contemporary Physics Education Project Cosmology Chart.

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01.40.E-	Science in school
98.80.Bp	Origin and formation of the Universe

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Acceleration Without Force?

Robert Johns

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 156 | Cited 5 times

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Nonsense! No mass can change its state of motion unless a force acts on it. But acceleration without any force is just what introductory textbook authors are implying when their only explanation of changes in rotational motion is the conservation of angular momentum with no mention of any force. Conservation laws connect the initial and final states of a system, correctly predicting the final state, but they do not reveal how the change is made or what forces are acting to produce that change. This paper discusses two applications found in introductory texts and includes some dynamics that clarify the motions.

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45.40.-f

Dynamics and kinematics of rigid bodies

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The Gauss Rifle and Magnetic Energy

James A. Rabchuk

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 158 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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With the advent of cheap and easy-to-come-by NdFeB magnets, it has become possible to design a number of simple but effective demonstrations of magnetic force. One such demonstration, dubbed the “gauss rifle,” is a type of linear magnetic accelerator. It is relatively easy to assemble and involves a rapid and dramatic increase in kinetic energy of the steel ball bearings used in the demonstration. This makes the demonstration a good attention getter, setting the stage for a discussion of a number of physics topics, including conservation of energy, magnetic energy, and magnetic force. It also has the potential for becoming a laboratory experiment since the materials are relatively cheap, there is some challenge in the arrangement of the magnets, and the performance of the accelerator can be characterized by measuring the initial and final velocities of the bearings. Finally, by using freely available finite element magnetics software, it is even possible to make predictions of the final velocity for different configurations of the magnets.

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01.40.Di	Course design and evaluation
01.40.E-	Science in school
01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus

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The Large-Angle Pendulum Period

L. Edward Millet

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 162 | Cited 11 times

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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The recent article by Kidd and Fogg¹ should result in the general inclusion of the formula

into new editions of physics textbooks, replacing the standard formula

T is the period of oscillations for a simple pendulum of length ℓ, g is the acceleration caused by gravity, and θ_m is the maximum angle of oscillation. In addition, the standard approximation

should be improved to

in textbooks as well. Substitution of Eq. (4) for Eq. (3) in the usual small-angle derivation leads directly to Eq. (1).

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01.55.+b	General physics
45.40.Cc	Rigid body and gyroscope motion

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On Morphing Neutrinos and Why They Must Have Mass

Eugene Hecht

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 164

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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This paper explores the recently confirmed hypothesis that neutrinos have mass and that they spontaneously transform from one type to another. That immensely important discovery culminates 40 years of experimental research. After briefly discussing that work, we'll study the quantum mechanical explanation of these phenomena elaborating the concepts of particle mixing, and the oscillation of flavor types. These rather esoteric ideas lead to the prediction that morphing neutrinos must have mass, but there's a much more elegant relativistic argument that brings us to this same conclusion.

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26.65.+t	Solar neutrinos
14.60.Pq	Neutrino mass and mixing

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Duff's Acceleration Apparatus

Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr.

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 170

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Some years ago I wrote a note about Packard's apparatus¹ to honor an early physics teacher who designed apparatus. In this note I honor Dr. A. Wilmer Duff of Worchester Polytechnic Institute in Worchester, Mass., for his development of a simple and inexpensive method of studying uniformly accelerated motion.

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01.50.Pa	Laboratory experiments and apparatus
06.30.Gv	Velocity, acceleration, and rotation

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Experimental Determination of Absolute Zero Temperature

Dragia Trifonov Ivanov

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 172 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Absolute zero temperature is one of the fundamental constants in physics. Its experimental determination is of great value to the teaching and understanding of physics. In this paper, we offer two ways of experimental determination of absolute zero. In the first case, the absolute zero is defined by means of an isochoric process (constant volume), conducted with a set amount of air closed in a regular jar. In the other case, the absolute zero is determined by means of an isobaric process (constant pressure) with air closed in a flask. The experiments are characterized by their accessibility and considerable precision of results.

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01.50.Pa	Laboratory experiments and apparatus
07.20.Dt	Thermometers

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The Image Between the Lenses: Activities with a Telescope and a Microscope

A. J. Cox and Alan J. DeWeerd

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 176 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Perhaps the simplest optical instruments are the Keplerian (or astronomical) telescope and the compound microscope since they consist of only two converging lenses. Physics textbooks at a variety of levels describe the operation of both instruments in remarkably similar ways: The objective lens forms a real image which is then magnified by the eyepiece.¹ We describe a set of activities designed to demonstrate to students that there actually is a real image between the lenses. These activities are primarily intended for liberal-arts physics courses, but they also may be useful for other physics, astronomy, and perhaps even biology courses. The telescope and the microscope discussed are intended to illustrate principles, not to be practical instruments.²

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01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus
42.79.Bh	Lenses, prisms and mirrors

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Air Resistance on Falling Balls and Balloons

Paul Gluck

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 178 | Cited 6 times

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Studying the effect of air resistance on falling objects in an introductory mechanics course has the merit of relevance to a considerable part of our everyday experience: Leaves, parachutes, raindrops, or soot particles do not keep accelerating as they fall. This topic has been discussed in this and other journals many times,^1–7 ranging from theoretical treatments to various experimental investigations, mostly for coffee filters, depending on the apparatus at the disposal of the writers (video clips, graphic calculators, and so on). We report here a sequence of activities for our 11th-grade high school students dealing with this topic. The analysis of data emphasizes points that do not seem to have been done in previous articles.

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01.50.Pa	Laboratory experiments and apparatus
47.85.Gj	Aerodynamics

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How Fast Is Your Finger? An Introduction to Photogate Use

John Gardner

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 181

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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The arrival of a full set of photogate timers¹ to our high school classroom has enabled a rewarding variety of mechanics experiments. The initial use of photogates, however, presents a vocabulary challenge to students. What do “gate mode” and “pulse mode” mean? I've devised a simple motivating experiment appropriate to early mechanics study to demonstrate these terms. The purpose of the experiment is to find the speed of a flicking finger. Just how fast can a finger be flicked (wrist snap allowed)? Can a fingertip momentarily move as fast as a walker at 1 or 2 m∕s? How about a sprinter at 8 m∕s? Or perhaps a fastball at 40 m∕s? Or greater? By the end of the experiment, students know, and they've used both gate mode and pulse mode to find the answer.

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01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus
06.30.Gv	Velocity, acceleration, and rotation

APPARATUS FOR TEACHING PHYSICS

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An Algebarometer

Robert M. Dieffenbach

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 184 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Air pressure being in the neighborhood of 1033 gm∕cm² supports a column of mercury having height 76 cm, more or less, because mercury “weighs” 13.5951 gm∕cm³ [(76 cm) (13.5951 gm∕cm³) = 1033 gm∕cm²]. By contrast, since water weighs only 1gm∕cm³, air pressure would support a column of water 13.6 times as high, or over 10 m. Making a barometer using a standing column of water would be a tall order, so to speak, although at least one enterprising physics teacher did make one.¹ Using algebra, however, you can make a desktop water barometer.

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01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus
47.85.Dh	Hydrodynamics, hydraulics, hydrostatics

TRICK OF THE TRADE

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Remagnetizer∕Degausser

Frank Butcher

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 185 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus
07.55.Db	Generation of magnetic fields; magnets

FROM OUR FILES

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Ceramic Magnets [Phys. Teach. 14(3), 181 (1976)]

Herbert H. Gottlieb

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 186

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus
07.55.Db	Generation of magnetic fields; magnets
42.79.Bh	Lenses, prisms and mirrors

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Brilliant Newton's Rings [Phys. Teach. 9(3), 153 (1971)]

Vincent Mallette

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 186

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus
42.25.Gy	Edge and boundary effects; reflection and refraction

PHYSICS CHALLENGES FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

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Ups and Downs Under Pressure

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 187

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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05.70.-a	Thermodynamics
01.50.My	Demonstration experiments and apparatus

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The Ray of Hope

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 187

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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42.25.Gy	Edge and boundary effects; reflection and refraction
01.50.-i	Educational aids

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Beam Me Up!

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 187

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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Abstract Unavailable

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42.25.Gy	Edge and boundary effects; reflection and refraction
42.79.Bh	Lenses, prisms and mirrors
01.50.-i	Educational aids

FOR THE NEW TEACHER

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Applying Physics to the Student's World

Patricia Blanton

The Physics Teacher -- March 2003 -- Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 188

Online Publication Date: Feb 2003

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It has been a challenging day. The electricity is off because snow and extreme winds have toppled trees into power lines all across my county. As I've been trying to devise a way to cook dinner, I've been thinking about how equipped we are to handle such emergencies. My husband, who has worked most of the day getting the portable generator going and figuring out how to hook up things to keep us warm and safe, made the comment, “You have to be a MacGyver if you are going to be a homeowner.“ I began wondering how well we are equipping our students with the ability to figure out how to make things work. We teach the physics principles so they can solve the “book problems,“ but are we helping them to understand the principles well enough to become real problem solvers? Are they prepared to handle situations when the “usual things“ aren't working?

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