Transparent prism foil is part of a backlight system in LCD monitors that are widely used today. This paper describes the optical properties of the prism foil and several pedagogical applications suitable for undergraduate introductory physics level. Examples include experiments that employ refraction, total internal reflection, diffraction and…

Under some conditions, the method of images (well known in electrostatics) may be implemented in magnetostatic problems too, giving an excellent example of the usefulness of formal analogies in the description of physical systems. In this paper, we develop a quantitative model for the magnetic interactions underlying the so-called Geomag[TM]…

An experimental apparatus was designed and built to allow students to carry out heat conduction experiments in hollow cylinders made of different materials, as well as to determine the thermal conductivity of these materials. The evolution of the temperature difference between the inner and outer walls of the cylinder as a function of time is…

Determining the acceleration of a free-falling object due to gravity is a standard experiment in physics. Different methods to do this have been developed over the years. This article discusses the use of video-analysis tools as another method. If there is a video available and a known scale it is possible to analyse the motion. The use of video…

These spectroscopic experiments investigate polarity and concentration effects on self-association behavior in N-methylacetamide. Inquiry can be limited to the concentration dependence of hydrogen bonding and estimation of dimerization constant (NMR studies) or to the effect of solvent polarity on extent of hydrogen bonding (IR studies). The…

The field of extrasolar planets is still, in comparison with other astrophysical topics, in its infancy. There have been about 300 or so extrasolar planets detected and their detection has been accomplished by various different techniques. Here we present a simple laboratory experiment to show how planets are detected using the transit technique.…

This paper describes a set of simple experiments with a very low cost using a notebook as a measuring instrument without external hardware. The major purpose is to provide demonstration experiments for schools with very low budgets. (Contains 6 figures.)

An earlier paper introduces quantum physics by means of four experiments: Youngs double-slit interference experiment using (1) a light beam, (2) a low-intensity light beam with time-lapse photography, (3) an electron beam, and (4) a low-intensity electron beam with time-lapse photography. It's ironic that, although these experiments demonstrate…

The importance of distillation in the separation field prompts the inclusion of distillation experiments in the chemical engineering curricula. This work describes the performance of an Oldershaw column in the rectification of a cyclohexane/n-heptane mixture. Total reflux distillation, continuous rectification under partial reflux, and batch…

This article provides an example of a teacher's learning, since the author only became aware of the microscale technique described very late in his professional career. The technique provides a convenient method of preparing and manipulating gases on a very small scale and a relatively safe means of demonstrating reactions that would be very…

Reduced costs and greater time efficiency are often quoted among the main benefits of microscale chemistry. Do these benefits outweigh some of the limitations and difficulties faced in terms of students needing to develop new manipulation skills, and teachers requiring training in terms of implementation and management? This article describes a…

One of the basic truths regarding energy conversion is that no thermodynamic cycle can be devised that is more efficient than a Carnot cycle operating between the same temperature limits. The efficiency of the Stirling cycle (patented by Rev. Robert Stirling in 1816) can approach that of the Carnot cycle and yet has not had the commercial success…

How do siphons work? Some see atmospheric pressure, explicitly or implicitly, as a crucial factor in siphon action. Others explain that a siphon works due to a difference of water weights in unequal arms. According to the latter view, siphon action is analogous to the action of a pulley or to the behaviour of a chain that is moving over a tube. In…

Let us now praise famous physicists, and the apparatus named after them, with apologies to the writer of Ecclesiastes. I once compiled a list of about 300 pieces of apparatus known to us as X's Apparatus. Some of the values of X are familiar, like Wheatstone and Kelvin and Faraday, but have you heard of Pickering or Rhumkorff or Barlow? In an…

In sports such as baseball, softball, golf, and tennis, a common objective is to hit the ball as fast or as far as possible. Another common objective is to hit the ball so that it spins as fast as possible, since the trajectory of the ball through the air is strongly affected by ball spin. In an attempt to enhance both the coefficient of…