Learning quantum mechanics is challenging, even for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. Research-validated interactive tutorials that build on students' prior knowledge can be useful tools to enhance student learning. We have been investigating student difficulties with quantum mechanics pertaining to the double-slit experiment in…

A pipet filler port has been constructed from a 1/4 in. NPT-1/4 in. or -3/8 in. barbed end Kynar plastic male connector fitting and a washer (cut from a latex rubber hose) inserted into the NPT end. The barbed end can secure reliably different sized rubber bulbs such as 1 oz (30 mL pipet capacity) and 2 oz (60 mL pipet capacity) types, and the 1/4…

NASA's "Kepler Mission" has been wildly successful in discovering exoplanets. This paper summarizes the mission goals, briefly explains the transit method of finding exoplanets and design of the mission, provides some key findings, and describes useful education materials available at the "Kepler" website.

Tuning forks are wonderful tools for teaching physics. Every physics classroom should have several and every physics student should be taught how to use them. In this article, I highlight 10 enriching demonstrations that most teachers might not know, as well as provide tips to enhance the demonstrations teachers might already be doing. Some of…

The High School Project on Astrophysics Research with Cosmics (HiSPARC) is an international project in which secondary schools and academic institutions join forces to form a network of detectors to measure cosmic rays with extremely high energy. We present results of research done by students at the King Edward VI High School For Girls,…

Understanding how scientific conclusions are drawn from data is central to learning about the nature of science. Many students struggle with aspects of reasoning from data, including identifying relationships among variables, interpreting graphs, coordinating theory and evidence, and not allowing personal beliefs to outweigh the data when forming…

Experimental investigations are an integral part of biology education because they demonstrate essential methods of obtaining knowledge in the natural sciences and generate high levels of learning activity. However, gender differences can arise during experimentation just as in other teaching situations. This article shows examples of social…

The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which the making and use of improvised experiment materials contribute to students' achievement in Physics. The study used experimental research design and involved students from two Teacher Training Colleges in Rwanda. To conduct this study, a pre-test was given to students. Then, two groups…

Vortex cannons have been used by physics teachers for years, mostly to teach the continuity principle. In its simplest form, a vortex cannon is an empty coffee can with a hole cut in the bottom and the lid replaced. More elaborate models can be purchased through various scientific suppliers under names such as "Air Cannon" and…

The experiment described here is fairly easy to reproduce and dramatically shows the magnitude of ambient air pressure. Two circular plates of aluminum are applied one against the other. How do you make their separation very difficult? With only the help of an elastic band! You don't have to use a vacuum pump for this experiment.

One of the basic ideas when studying science is that matter is composed of particles (atoms or molecules) and these are in a constant state of agitation. In the solid or liquid state the molecules are attracted to each other, while in the gaseous state they have sufficient energy to overcome the forces of cohesion and can move away from one…

In the present paper we suggest an original physical explanatory model that explains the mechanism of the sound amplification process in a stethoscope. We discuss the amplification of a single pulse, a continuous wave of certain frequency, and finally we address the resonant frequencies. It is our belief that this model may provide students with…

During the past 50 years the amount of chemistry applied to the preservation of all sorts of materials, from wood, to ceramics, glass and metallic objects has increased dramatically as materials conservation laboratories became established around the world. In Australia, the finding of a series of historic shipwrecks of ships from the Dutch…

In Finnish Lapland, like in other Northern European regions by the Arctic Sea, aboriginal Sami people still base much of their daily income on reindeer. Earlier the Sami people followed their reindeer herds more or less all the year round, in nomadic fashion. Moving to fixed dwellings has created a problem in herding and guarding the property of…

Modern force platforms are handy tools for investigating forces during human motion. Earlier they were very expensive and were mostly used in research laboratories. But now even platforms that can measure in two directions are quite affordable. In this work we used the PASCO 2-Axis Force Platform. The analysis of the data can serve as a nice…