Physical Concepts Research Articles

Improving engineering students' understanding of classical physics through visuo-haptic simulations.

Introduction: The teaching process plays a crucial role in the training of professionals. Traditional classroom-based teaching methods, while foundational, often struggle to effectively motivate students. The integration of interactive learning experiences, such as visuo-haptic simulators, presents an opportunity to enhance both student engagement and comprehension. Methods: In this study, three simulators were developed to explore the impact of visuo-haptic simulations on engineering students' engagement and their perceptions of learning basic physics concepts. The study used an adapted end-user computing satisfaction questionnaire to assess students' experiences and perceptions of the simulators' usability and its utility in learning. Results: Feedback from participants suggests a positive reception towards the use of visuo-haptic simulators, highlighting their usefulness in improving the understanding of complex physics principles. Discussion: Results suggest that incorporating visuo-haptic simulations into educational contexts may offer significant benefits, particularly in STEM courses, where traditional methods may be limited. The positive responses from participants underscore the potential of computer simulations to innovate pedagogical strategies. Future research will focus on assessing the effectiveness of these simulators in enhancing students' learning and understanding of these concepts in higher-education physics courses.

Lived Experiences of Students on Crafting Outputs in Group Performance-Based Task in Physical Education

This study aimed to investigate the experiences of students in group performance-based tasks in Physical Education. In addition, this study also wanted to know the strategies and coping mechanisms of the students employed and their insights regarding group performance-based tasksin Physical Education. This study involved fourteen (14) students, seven (7) of the 14 participants were subjected to an in-depth interview (IDI), while the remaining seven (7) took part in a focus group discussion (FGD). Purposive sampling was used to select participants; data were gathered through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The results revealed seven (7) major themes of the participants' experiences: observation of strengthened and happy relationships among groupmates; struggles in time management; observation to uncooperative members; over-reliance on leaders; difficulties in maintaining discipline among members; conflicts in group dynamics; and issues in mental health. Moreover, the participants showcased their strategies and coping mechanisms from the six (6) major themes that emerged including: exercising proper time management; distributing tasks and assignments; extending patience to groupmates; maintaining good communication; establishing support system; and motivating groupmates. Lastly, the participants shared their insights that revealed five (5) major themes: teachers’ instruction and management in group tasks; inculcate the value of teamwork; valuing inclusivity and good communication; cultivate good values in engaging group tasks; and provide learners with skill development activities. Regardless of the difficulties presented by group performance-based tasks in physical education, students worked together to overcome and explore different approaches to develop achievable and efficient ways that improve the implementation and more comprehensive understanding of physical education concepts

Rearranging equations to develop physics reasoning

Researchers generally agree that physics experts use mathematics in a way that blends mathematical knowledge with physics intuition. However, the use of mathematics in physics education has traditionally tended to focus more on the computational aspect (manipulating mathematical operations to get numerical solutions) to the detriment of building conceptual understanding and physics intuition. Several solutions to this problem have been suggested; some authors have suggested building conceptual understanding before mathematics is introduced, while others have argued for the inseparability of the two, claiming instead that mathematics and conceptual physics need to be taught simultaneously. Although there is a body of work looking into how students employ mathematical reasoning when working with equations, the specifics of how physics experts use mathematics blended with physics intuition remain relatively underexplored. In this paper, we describe some components of this blending, by analyzing how physicists perform the rearrangement of a specific equation in cosmology. Our data consist of five consecutive forms of rearrangement of the equation, as observed in three separate higher education cosmology courses. This rearrangement was analyzed from a conceptual reasoning perspective using Sherin’s framework of symbolic forms. Our analysis clearly demonstrates how the number of potential symbolic forms associated with each subsequent rearrangement of the equation decreases as we move from line to line. Drawing on this result, we suggest an underlying mechanism for how physicists reason with equations. This mechanism seems to consist of three components: narrowing down meaning potential, moving aspects between the background and the foreground and purposefully transforming the equation according to the discipline’s questions of interest. In the discussion section we highlight the potential that our work has for generalizability and how being aware of the components of this underlying mechanism can potentially affect physics teachers’ practice when using mathematics in the physics classroom.

Application of the Problem Based Learning Model Combined with Think Pair Share to Improve Conceptual Understanding and Applied Physics Learning Outcomes for Electrical Engineering Students

This research aims to improve understanding of physics concepts and learning outcomes of Electrical Engineering students at the Politeknik Muhammadiyah Tegal by using the Problem Based Learning model combined with Think Pair Share on dynamic electrical material. The research instruments used were lecturer and student observation sheets, worksheets and test question sheets. In the analysis of students' conceptual understanding, an increase of 8.58% was obtained from cycle I to cycle II. Meanwhile, in the analysis of student learning outcomes in cycle I, the number of students who passed was 61.76%, and in cycle II the number of students who passed was 82.35%. The results of this research show that the application of the Problem Based Learning model combined with Think Pair Share can improve students' understanding of concepts and learning outcomes.

Derivation of the Schrödinger equation from QED

The Schrödinger equation relates the emergent quantities of wavefunction and electric potential and is postulated as a principle of quantum physics or obtained heuristically. However, physical consistency requires that the Schrödinger equation is a low-energy dynamical condition we can derive from the foundations of quantum electrodynamics. Due to the small value of the electromagnetic coupling constant, we show that the electric potential accurately represents the contributions of intermediate low-energy photon exchanges. Then, from the total nonrelativistic energy relation, we see that the dominant term of the electron wavefunction is a superposition of plane waves that satisfies the Schrödinger equation. Our derivation shows that the Schrödinger equation is not an energy conservation relation because its middle term does not represent the electron kinetic energy as assumed. We analyze the physical content of the Schrödinger equation and verify our assessments by calculating and evaluating the physical quantities in the ground state of the hydrogen atom. Furthermore, we explain why nonrelativistic quantum dynamics differs from classical dynamics. Undergraduate students can follow the derivation because it involves fundamental physical concepts and mathematical expressions, and we explain every step.

Gasing Game: Ethnoscientific Exploration of Circular Motion in Physics Learning on the Coast of East Sumatra to Build the Character of Perseverance

Purpose of the study: The aim of this research is to explore the role of the traditional gasing game as a local wisdom in the coastal areas of East Sumatra in the context of Ethnoscience Physics learning about circular motion.
 Methodology: This research uses a naturalistic type of qualitative research method. The subjects in this research were secondary school physics teachers and local community leaders. Data collection techniques use interviews and observation instruments (direct observation). The data analysis technique uses the Miles and Huberman model.
 Main Findings: The findings of this research indicate that integrated ethnoscientific physics learning can make physics education more enjoyable, meaningful, and contribute to the development of students' perseverance. The integration of spinning top games into physics education not only enhances practical understanding of physics concepts but also has a positive impact on students' learning enthusiasm and character formation.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: This research introduces novelty through serving as a cultural preservation tool for the younger generation and as a means to develop physics learning strategies oriented towards ethnoscientific physics. The aim is to build an understanding of the taught circular motion material and foster perseverance in students' characters.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CREATES FAIRY TALES FOR PHYSICS TEACHING IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

This study explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in creating fairy tales to enhance physics teaching in primary education. Traditional methods of teaching physics often fail to captivate young learners and instil a deep understanding of scientific concepts. Integrating storytelling and AI technology can create a stimulating learning environment, fostering curiosity and engagement among students. This paper discusses the theoretical framework behind storytelling and its impact on learning, outlines the development and implementation of AI-generated fairy tales in physics education, and evaluates this approach's effectiveness. The results demonstrate that AI-created fairy tales can significantly enhance students' interest, comprehension, and retention of physics concepts, leading to improved learning outcomes.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/lit/0758/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Learning to read an acoustics equation as a descriptive sentence

Teaching theoretical acoustics at the graduate level requires the use of mathematics, and often the math can be difficult enough that students get lost in the math and can’t see the underlying physical concepts the equations are describing. What many students don’t realize is that a mathematical equation is just a shorthand notation that condenses a long and complicated sentence into a few symbols. Being able to read and interpret an equation as a sentence (which is more than just reading the names of the symbols or variables) is a valuable skill that can help students grasp the underlying physical concepts. This talk will provide several examples from fundamental acoustics of how helping students learn to read and interpret mathematical equations as sentences can help them reveal and grasp the physical concepts the equations are describing.

Elastic bit and Berry phase: Investigating topological phenomena in a classical granular network

This study investigates the Berry phase, a key concept in classical and quantum physics, and its manifestation in a classical system. We achieve controlled accumulation of the Berry phase by manipulating the elastic bit (a classical analogue to a quantum bit) in an externally driven, homogeneous, spherical, nonlinear granular network. This is achieved through the classical counterpart of quantum coherent superposition of states. The elastic bit's state vectors are navigated on the Bloch sphere using external drivers' amplitude, phase, and frequency, yielding specific Berry phases. These phases distinguish between trivial and nontrivial topologies of the elastic bit, with the zero Berry phase indicating pure states of the linearized granular system and the nontrivial π phase representing equal superposed states. Other superposed states acquire different Berry phases. Crucially, these phases correlate with the structure's eigenmode vibrations: trivial phases align with distinct, in-phase, or out-of-phase eigenmodes, while nontrivial phases correspond to coupled vibrations where energy is shared among granules, alternating between oscillation and rest. Additionally, we explore Berry's phase generalizations for non-cyclic evolutions. This research paves the way for advanced quantum-inspired sensing and computation applications by utilizing and controlling the Berry phase.

Using Virtual Reality for Teaching Kinematics

Simulations have been used for decades to teach physics concepts. Virtual Reality (VR) opens new avenues: the benefits of acting out physis (embodiment) can be combined with the affordances of a simulated environment. This paper aims to demonstrate how to create physics-education simulations in VR with comparatively small effort beyond 2D-simulations, using the Unity game development environment in connection with consumer-grade VR gear.

Analisis konsep fisika melalui pendekatan klasik pada animasi 'Animation vs. Physics' oleh Alan Becker: Studi kasus gerakan stickman dan aplikasi prinsip mekanika klasik dalam konteks animasi

This research explores the application of classical physics concepts to animation 'Animation vs. Physics' work by Alan Becker, especially in the representation of Stickman movement. Through the analysis of concepts such as displacement, velocity, force, momentum, and energy, this research aims to provide a deep visual understanding of the principles of classical physics. By limiting the focus to Stickman interactions with objects and the surrounding environment, this research provides an innovative foundation for physics teaching, presenting a more engaging visual approach and enriching students' understanding of abstract physics concepts. The implication of this research is the potential for using animation as an effective learning tool in teaching physics concepts that are difficult to understand. This research fills a gap in the physics education literature with a new approach that uses animation to explain physics concepts more visually and thoroughly, presenting an engaging and useful learning tool in physics education.

Analysis of Consistency in Students' Understanding of Multi-Representations in the Context of Determining One-Dimensional Kinematics Distance

A structured and comprehensive understanding of physics concepts is crucial to physics learning. Such proficiency is characterized by the consistency in students' thought processes across multiple representations. This research aims to ascertain the consistency in the thought processes of first-year students when determining distance in multiple representations. This study employed a descriptive research design with a quantitative-qualitative approach, involving 77 students as research subjects. The participants are divided into classes: Class H with 41 students and Class I with 36 students. Data analysis techniques included quantitative descriptive analysis and Huberman and Miles' analysis. The research instrument consisted of 28 reasoned multiple-choice items that have undergone validation. The findings indicate that only 8 (10.39%) students possess a precise and consistent understanding of the definition of distance, applying it across various representations. A small proportion (12.99%) experiences misconceptions. These research findings corroborate previous studies, emphasizing that, in general, first-year students are novices in physics.

Analysis of the dynamic characteristics of an eccentric cylinder in axial flow

The simple pendulum model is a fundamental and widely studied concept in physics, its movement follows a tendency to stabilize towards the side with lower gravitational potential energy. Consequently, the simple pendulum structures have been extensive applications in petroleum, aerospace machinery, and others, particularly in gravity induction and actuator systems. The utilization of this model offers versatile solutions for complex engineering challenges. The research object of this study is an eccentric cylindrical stabilized platform. A nonlinear dynamic model of the eccentric cylindrical stable platform in axial flow with variable damping is established. Due to the complexity of the analytical solution of the simple pendulum motion, we adopt the method of numerical analysis to building the simulation and analysis model. Combined with the fluid calculation and dynamics simulation methods, the motion characteristics of the eccentric cylindrical model under steady and unsteady flow fields are analyzed by adjusting the rotational speed, inclination angle, and initial pendulum angle. The experimental platform is built to analyze the motion law of the eccentric cylinder under the action of axial flow, and the experimental results of the motion law of the eccentric cylindrical platform are consistent with the numerical calculation results.

Sources of Error in Blood Pressure Measurement Using Digital and Aneroid Tensimeters

A tensimeter is an instrument works with concept of physics used to measure blood pressure. The measured blood pressure is the relative pressure between the pressure inside the blood vessels compared to the pressure of the atmosphere. Blood pressure measurements using a digital tensimeter are much more acurate than measurements using a aneroid tensimeter. Measurements with an aneroid sphygmomanometer at a hospital in the city of Mataram showed a measurement error up to 20 mmHg compared to a digital sphygmomanometer. Source of error consist of two main factors ie. Instrument error and human error. From this research it was found that measurements using a digital sphygmo-manometer are more accurate, so the use of this type of sphygmomanometer is highly recommended for clinical measurements in hospitals and health hospitals.

Analysis and Determination of Self-Inductance through Direct and Indirect Measurements Methods

Practicum is an activity that helps students to understand an abstract concept. One of the concepts in physics that requires practicum is the concept of electricity. Inductance is an electrical quantity studied in high and vocational high schools. This study aims to determine the inductor's inductance value using several methods and analyze the most suitable method for determining the inductor inductance value. The inductor used is a commercial inductor with a color band code with an inductance value of 2.7 mH and a tolerance of 10%. Inductor inductance measurements were carried out using a benchtop LCR meter, handheld LCR meter, series RLC method, and LC resonance method. Each measuring instrument requires a frequency setting: refer to the manual for benchtop and handheld LCR meters, the resonant frequency for the serial RLC method, and adjusting the AFG (arbitrary function generator) frequency. Hence, a clear oscillation pattern is visible on the oscilloscope. The results of this study indicate that measurements using benchtop LCR meters, handheld LCR meters, and LC resonance methods produce inductance values within the inductance tolerance limits.

A Conceptual Exploration of Hidden Spatial Layers: Reading Urban-Breccia

Sustainable urban spaces, from social and cultural perspectives, can be characterized not only by the preservation of the historical cultural structures within them but also by the subjective and collective meanings contributed by the individuals inhabiting these spaces in their daily lives across physical, social, cognitive, and cultural dimensions. Therefore, the planning and construction of socially and culturally sustainable cities is a challenging endeavor due to the intricate and dynamic nature of the urban phenomenon. The main goal of this study is to investigate the meanings of the different layers of the urban space phenomenon and how they can be conceptualized at the core of social and cultural sustainability strategies for cities. The study aims to reconceptualize urban space through the lens of ‘memory’, depicting it as ‘urban-breccia’ that emerges along the axes of remembering–construction and forgetting–destruction, mediated by visible and hidden layers. Within the entirety and variability of physical realities, concepts, phenomena, and occurrences, the urban-breccia generates dynamic, complex, multilayered, and ambiguous relational systems through the struggles of the visible and hidden layers vying for predominance. These relational systems within urban-breccia signify both semantic and syntactic approaches that encompass visible and hidden layers. It is believed that such a study would contribute to the endeavors that seek to find the fundamental domains that render urban spaces culturally and socially sustainable, within the synthesis of urban space’s physical, social, cognitive, and cultural perspectives, through a temporality inherent to memory.

Prediction of reservoir properties using inverse rock physics modelling in the Kanywataba Exploration Area, Albertine Graben

In this study we used the concept of inverse rock physics modelling to analyse reservoir properties of the Kanywataba Exploration Area, with a focus on their lateral distribution away from the Kanywataba well. The procedure employed rock physics models calibrated for the basin constrained by seismic inversion data, where non-uniqueness and data error propagation issues were also taken into account. Both seismic and well log datasets were used in the data calibration. The procedures enabled us to obtain the most likely estimate mean, weighted mean and posterior mean of the reservoir properties. We obtained a good match between measured and modelled porosity values. Any misfit between the observed and predicted lithology was mainly attributed to uncertainties in defining the correct mineral properties. The integrated approach revealed that high porosities correlate with low clay volumes and, furthermore, indicated two distinct reservoir units in the basin, which were interpreted as the Oluka and Kakara Formations. Fluid saturation data were less successfully predicted but this was most probably due to a result of lack of real saturation logs for use in the calibration of the rock physics model; instead, predicted saturation logs based on Archie's law were used in the calibration process. This analysis is first of its kind in this basin and therefore exhibits a high level of novelty in the determination of reservoir properties in this area.

Lake Water Temperature Modeling in an Era of Climate Change: Data Sources, Models, and Future Prospects

AbstractLake thermal dynamics have been considerably impacted by climate change, with potential adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems. To better understand the potential impacts of future climate change on lake thermal dynamics and related processes, the use of mathematical models is essential. In this study, we provide a comprehensive review of lake water temperature modeling. We begin by discussing the physical concepts that regulate thermal dynamics in lakes, which serve as a primer for the description of process‐based models. We then provide an overview of different sources of observational water temperature data, including in situ monitoring and satellite Earth observations, used in the field of lake water temperature modeling. We classify and review the various lake water temperature models available, and then discuss model performance, including commonly used performance metrics and optimization methods. Finally, we analyze emerging modeling approaches, including forecasting, digital twins, combining process‐based modeling with deep learning, evaluating structural model differences through ensemble modeling, adapted water management, and coupling of climate and lake models. This review is aimed at a diverse group of professionals working in the fields of limnology and hydrology, including ecologists, biologists, physicists, engineers, and remote sensing researchers from the private and public sectors who are interested in understanding lake water temperature modeling and its potential applications.

On (not) setting the atmosphere on fire with nuclear weapons

The question of possibly igniting a fusion chain reaction in the atmosphere by detonating nuclear weapons is analysed with some basic concepts of nuclear physics and order-of-magnitude estimates. This scenario is shown to be impossible in any realistic situation.

Low-cost experiments for teaching eletrostatics in Brazilian high school

Many public schools in Brazil do not have the financial resources to obtain certain equipment for teaching physics. Considering that the Brazilian National Common Curricular Base, a normative document that defines the organic and progressive set of essential learning that all students must develop, determines that the curriculum for teaching electromagnetism for high school encompass electrostatics. It is very important that schools offer laboratory conditions. For this reason, it was proposed to design simple and low-cost construction equipment, so that teachers from the basic education network can build them for their schools, thus improving the quality of teaching for their students. This study aims to gather equipment and experiments, such as electroscope, electrophorus, Leyden jar and Van de Graaf generator, which can be used in the classroom for didactic purposes in physics teaching. The main focus of this work is the construction of equipment for the implementation of a laboratory for the study of electrostatics, which addresses physical concepts seen by high school students of the basic network in Brazil.