Distance learning in physics is still facing challenges, mainly due to the difficult access to a laboratory for practical work. Practical work is an essential part of the physics classroom because it allows students to interact with authentic physics phenomena and develop their scientific abilities. In this paper, we propose alternative…

In the sciences, energy is an important idea to get insight into phenomena, as energy can help to reveal hidden systems and processes. However, students commonly struggle to use energy ideas to interpret and explain phenomena. To support students in using energy ideas to interpret and explain phenomena, a range of different graphical…

Two well-regarded measurements for the expansion rate of the universe disagree, leaving cosmologists very puzzled. It may be that something large has been overlooked in our theory of the Big Bang. This discrepancy is called the Hubble tension and it has led to a very interesting conversation within the cosmology community.

The action of hammering a nail into wood is examined in terms of the force, momentum and energy required. Some unexpected experimental results are also presented.

A significant goal when teaching at the secondary education level is to present the generality of the procedures that are being used to describe a wide range of different physical phenomena. However, this approach is abandoned by physics instructors in many cases since the general mathematical background needed to present the above generality is…

Research has identified several students' misinterpretations of the principles of the photoelectric effect (PE). Students cannot interpret the formula using the graph's context despite the linear dependence inherited in it. Many studies pointed out that the graphical representation of kinetic energy of the ejected electrons versus frequency of…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection in Artificial Intelligence Tools in Physics Teaching and Physics Education Research.] Artificial intelligence-based chatbots are increasingly influencing physics education because of their ability to interpret and respond to textual and visual inputs. This study evaluates the performance of two large…

Spontaneity criteria for processes with useful (especially electrical) work have been discussed based on total differentials of thermodynamic functions. Reaction Gibbs energy ([Delta][subscript r]G) and electrochemical reaction Gibbs energy ([Delta][subscript r]G~) have been juxtaposed. Three-dimensional graphs showing the dependencies of…

The well-known historical development of Electromagnetism, strongly influenced by the work of Faraday and Maxwell, has led to the introduction of the magnetic field as an important component to explain the diverse phenomena of electromagnetic induction. This historical development is compared in the form of a thought experiment with a possible…

Analysing graphs, formulating covariational relationships, and hypothesizing systems' behaviour have emerged as frequent objectives of contemporary research in physics education. As such, these studies aim to help students achieve these objectives. While a consensus has been reached on the cognitive benefits of emphasizing the structural domain of…

This article reports on the implementation of a mathematical modeling activity about renewable energy. The activity was first implemented with twenty-four 10th grade students in a state high school in Turkey and lasted 2 lesson hours. Then, the revised version of the activity was implemented with four 10th grade students. Students built a…

Understanding the relationship between energy and temperature can be challenging, but it is crucial to developing an understanding of the underlying mechanism behind climate change. In this article, the authors review the development of a unit that focuses on the relationship between energy, greenhouse gases, aerosols (a suspension of fine solid…

Along-standing energy lab involves dropping bouncy balls and measuring their rebound heights on successive bounces. The lab demonstrates a situation in which the mechanical energy of a system is not conserved. Although students enjoyed the lab, the author wanted to deepen their thinking about energy, including the connections to motion, with a new…

Prior research suggests that introductory physics students have difficulty with graphing and interpreting graphs. Here, we discuss an investigation of student difficulties in translating between mathematical and graphical representations for a problem in electrostatics and the effect of increasing levels of scaffolding on students'…

A two-axis solar tracker and its interactive kiosk were designed by an interdisciplinary team of students and faculty. The objective was to develop a publicly accessible kiosk that would facilitate the study of energy usage and production on campus. Tracking is accomplished by an open-loop algorithm, microcontroller, and ham radio rotator. Solar…