Physical Concepts Research Articles

Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Conceptual Integration Understandings in Explaining the Subject of Metabolism with the Concepts of Physics and Chemistry

This study focuses on exploring pre-service science teachers’ conceptual integration understandings in explaining the subject of metabolism with the concepts of physics and chemistry. Action research was employed in this study. Nine pre-service science teachers taking the General Biology II course participated. Participants were taught metabolism considering conceptual integration. Data were collected via paper-and-pencil questionnaire administered before and after the intervention. The results showed that the pre-service science teachers could not understand physics and chemistry concepts at a sufficient level while explaining metabolism. Although the activities and practices were executed for conceptual integration in the action plan, only three participants achieved complete conceptual understanding for better conceptual integration at the end of the course in the first question. Thus, future studies could design interventions to be effective in conceptual integration. Further research could also design experimental investigations to examine how conceptual integration is necessary for establishing the relationship between science and other fields.

STEM-Project based Learning in Physics Concept of Measurement to Enhance High School Students' Scientific Literacy

Students' scientific literacy in understanding physics concepts still needs to improve. This study aims to determine scientific literacy using STEM Project-based Learning (PjBL) in learning physics, especially measurement concepts. The study used the Classroom Action Research (CAR) method with the Kemmis and McTaggart model, including planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The subjects were students in the tenth grade of SMA Negeri 8 Yogyakarta for the 2023/2024 academic year, consisting of 33 students. The data collection techniques and instruments used a written test with three questions describing scientific literacy, observation, and documentation. STEM-PjBL through project activities carried out in two learning cycles. In the first cycle, the teacher implemented a project for making posters regarding measuring instrument specifications, while in the second cycle, there was a project for making miniature measuring instruments. After the first cycle, students' scientific literacy increased to 0.48 with a moderate category. In the second cycle, it increased to 0.68. Using STEM-PjBL is thought to have just a modest improvement. These results underline the potential of STEM-PjBL as a fundamental teaching tool to improve students' scientific literacy as they show how well it fosters a strong awareness of physics ideas. Future studies could examine the effects of STEM-PjBL on more scientific ideas or within varied educational environments.

The Correlation Between Students’ Performance in Mathematics and Physics in Form Six National Examinations 2023 in Selected Schools in Tanzania

This study investigates the correlation between student performance in Mathematics and Physics in Form Six National Examinations in Tanzania. The research adopts a correlational design using a quantitative approach, focusing on ten advanced public secondary schools, with a sample of 100 students who took both subjects in 2023. Regression analysis assessed the relationship between the subjects, with examination results serving as the primary data source. Grades were coded using a standardized scale (A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D = 4, E = 5), and the analysis revealed a statistically significant moderate positive correlation (r = 0.717) between Mathematics and Physics performance, suggesting that proficiency in Mathematics contributes to success in Physics. The study’s findings align with previous research, highlighting the importance of mathematical skills in understanding Physics concepts. Given the statistically significant results, the study recommends integrating teaching strategies that reinforce the connection between Mathematics and Physics, continuous teacher professional development, and improved resource allocation to enhance student outcomes. While limitations such as the small sample size and reliance on exam results were noted, the research provides valuable insights for educators and policymakers, suggesting that strengthening mathematical competencies can positively impact Physics performance, with implications for improving academic outcomes in science education in Tanzania.

A Classroom Intervention of Enhancing Namibian Preservice Science Teachers’ Conceptual Understanding of Properties of Waves Through Mnemonics

This quantitative classroom intervention study investigated the effectiveness of using mnemonics to enhance preservice teachers’ conceptual understanding of the topic of wave properties in physics. The study involved a sample of 30 final-year undergraduate preservice teachers enrolled in the Bachelor of Education Honours, Senior Primary with specializations in Natural Science and Health Education at Dorado Campus of The International University of Management in Namibia. The primary objective was to assess the impact of a targeted mnemonic-based instructional intervention on their ability to comprehend and apply key physics concepts related to wave properties. Initially, participants’ baseline understanding of these concepts was evaluated through pre-intervention assessments, which provided a measure of their existing knowledge. A structured mnemonic-based teaching intervention was then implemented over a specified period, designed to facilitate improved understanding of wave properties. Following the intervention, post-assessment evaluations were conducted to compare and measure changes in the participants’ conceptual understanding of the subject matter. This comparative analysis aimed to identify any significant improvements resulting from the mnemonic-based instruction. The findings indicated that there were notable improvements in the participants’ conceptual grasp of wave properties after the mnemonic-based intervention. Additionally, the study collected and analyzed participants’ feedback regarding the use of mnemonics, offering insights into their perceptions of the technique’s effectiveness as a pedagogical tool for learning complex scientific concepts. This research contributes to the broader field of physics concepts by providing evidence-based strategies to enhance the preparation of preservice teachers, particularly in physics education. Ultimately, the results of this study have the potential to inform and improve teaching practices, fostering more effective and engaging educational experiences in future science classrooms.

Probing the effects of broken symmetries in machine learning

Abstract Symmetry is one of the most central concepts in physics, and it is no surprise that it has also been widely adopted as an inductive bias for machine-learning models applied to the physical sciences. 
This is especially true for models targeting the properties of matter at the atomic scale. Both established and state-of-the-art approaches, with almost no exceptions, are built to be exactly equivariant to translations, permutations, and rotations of the atoms.
Incorporating symmetries -- rotations in particular -- constrains the model design space and implies more complicated architectures that are often also computationally demanding. There are indications that unconstrained models can easily learn symmetries from data, and that doing so can even be beneficial for the accuracy of the model.
We demonstrate that an unconstrained architecture can be trained to achieve a high degree of rotational invariance, testing the impacts of the small symmetry breaking in realistic scenarios involving simulations of gas-phase, liquid, and solid water. 
We focus specifically on physical observables that are likely to be affected -- directly or indirectly -- by non-invariant behavior under rotations, finding negligible consequences when the model is used in an interpolative, bulk, regime. Even for extrapolative gas-phase predictions, the model remains very stable, even though symmetry artifacts are noticeable. 
We also discuss strategies that can be used to systematically reduce the magnitude of symmetry breaking when it occurs, and assess their impact on the convergence of observables.

Investigating Students’ Conceptual Knowledge of Quantum Physics to Improve the Teaching and Learning Process

Research in the field of quantum physics is important for progress in many areas of exploration and development. Quantum computers and other quantum devices are promising technologies with numerous potential applications. On the other hand, understanding, interpreting, teaching, and learning quantum physics as part of an educational process is a major challenge. In the Republic of Croatia, students usually come in contact with the concepts of quantum physics towards the end of their high school education. These concepts are often abstract and represent a remarkable leap from the theories of classical physics. The aim of this study is to test the measurement properties of the instrument used to assess the progress of understanding and knowledge of quantum physics in a sample of Croatian high school students. The quantum physics conceptual survey (QPCS), developed and first tested in 2006 by Wuttiprom et al. at the University of Sydney, was the instrument we used in this study. The test was administered to 76 high school students. The results show that the QPCS test is valid and generally reliable in the context of Croatian secondary education, but for the topics Waves and particles and Uncertainty principle, the reliability needs further investigation. The results of the pretest and posttest were analysed and compared with each other and with previously published results. Quantitative methods were used to analyse the results obtained. We present several possible solutions to improve the teaching process, that we expect will lead to better results, especially for topics that are challenging for students.

Physical Field Effects to Suppress Polysulfide Shuttling in Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSB) with high theoretical energy density are plagued by the infamous shuttle effect of lithium polysulfide (LPS) and the sluggish sulfur reduction/evolution reaction. Extensive research is conducted on how to suppress shuttle effects, including physical structure confinement engineering, chemical adsorption strategy, and the design of sulfur redox catalysts. Recently, the rational design to mitigate shuttle effects and enhance reaction kinetics based on physical field effects has been widely studied, providing a more fundamental understanding of interactions with sulfur species. Herein, the physical field effect is focused and their methods and mechanisms of interaction are summarized systematically with LPS. Overall, the working principle of LSB system, the origin of the shuttle effect, and kinetic trouble in LSB are briefly described. Then, the mechanism and application of rational design of materials based on physical field effect concepts and the external physical field-assisted LSB are elaborated, including electrostatic force, built-in electric field, spin state regulation, strain engineering, external magnetic field, photoassisted and other physical field-assisted strategies are pivotally elaborated and discussed. Finally, the potential directions of physical field effects in enhancing the performance and weakening the shuttle effect of high-energy LSB are summarized and anticipated.

The construction of a physical literacy assessment index system for junior high school students: a Chinese study

In recent years, the internalisation of education in China has led to an increase in the prevalence of a highly competitive, test-focused approach to learning. This has had a detrimental impact on the physical health and wellbeing of children and adolescents in China, resulting in a concerning lack of physical literacy among junior high school students. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to construct an evaluation index system for physical literacy in junior high school students with Chinese characteristics, quantify the relative importance of each domain, and provide a framework for students to assess and self-evaluate the sustainable development of their physical literacy. The indicator system was modelled on CAPL-2, and valid indicators were extracted from the literature. A pre-selected indicator system for physical literacy in junior high school students was constructed through three rounds of Delphi expert questionnaire surveys (48 questionnaires were distributed in total). A total of 16 experts participated in all three rounds of the surveys until a consensus was reached on the indicators, resulting in the establishment of a hierarchical analysis-based theoretical model. This was developed using the experts’ opinions and determined the items to be subdomains and weights. The AHP was employed to ascertain the relative importance of the subdomains and items within the assessment system. The index weight scores of the Chinese junior high school students’ physical literacy assessment index system are aligned with the core tenet of the physical literacy concept, comprising four primary indicators, eight secondary indicators, and 26 tertiary indicators. The weights of the physical literacy evaluation indexes for junior high school students in China were calculated using the AHP to establish a progressive hierarchical model and the consistency test. The primary indicators were found to be in the following order of importance: Physical Competence (29.82%) > Motivation and Confidence (29.64%) > Knowledge and Understanding (20.27%) = Daily Behavior (20.27%). The system is an effective means of evaluating the impact of physical activity and health promotion among junior high school students, and it effectively addresses the needs of this age group in these areas. It provides a comprehensive assessment of the effects of physical activity and health promotion among junior high school students, and it offers a scientific foundation for the development of precise and individualized physical activity and health promotion programs.

Structural entropy of glass-forming liquid

Drawing on Shannon entropy, we developed a parameter called “structural entropy,” which is derived uniquely from atomic configurations and serves to measure the evolution of disorder during the glass transition. We applied this parameter to the glass transition in the CuZrAl system. A comparison with configurational entropy suggests that both may fundamentally encapsulate the same physical concept: the system’s level of disorder. This new structural entropy parameter bridges the gap between the macroscopic properties and the microscopic structure of glass, offering insights into the mechanisms underlying the glass transition.

The role of action concepts in physical reasoning: insights from late childhood.

A fundamental component of human cognition is the ability to intuitively reason about behaviours of objects and systems in the physical world without resorting to explicit scientific knowledge. This skill was traditionally considered a symbolic process. However, in the last decades, there has been a shift towards ideas of embodiment, suggesting that accessing physical knowledge and predicting physical outcomes is grounded in bodily interactions with the environment. Infants and children, who learn mainly through their embodied experiences, serve as a model to probe the link between reasoning and physical concepts. Here, we tested school-aged children (5- to 15-year-olds) in online reasoning games that involve different physical action concepts such as supporting, launching and clearing. We assessed changes in children's performance and strategies over development and their relationships with the different action concepts. Children reasoned more accurately in problems that involved supporting actions compared to launching or clearing actions. Moreover, when children failed, they were more strategic in subsequent attempts when problems involved support rather than launching or clearing. Children improved with age, but improvements differed across action concepts. Our findings suggest that accessing physical knowledge and predicting physical events are affected by action concepts, and those effects change over development. This article is part of the theme issue 'Minds in movement: embodied cognition in the age of artificial intelligence'.

Development of Project Based Learning Based Practicum Modules to Improve High School Students Understanding of Concepts

Abstract The aim of physics learning in high school is for students to physics concepts and their relationships and a scientific attitude to solve the problems they. Based on issues in independent curriculum and condition of SHS Country 8 ST being a newly established school still in the process of building its school premises, hence the laboratory facilities are not adequate, there is a need for the development of practicum modules for physics learning. Model in this research uses Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model. Results of the trial on grade XII MIPA students obtained satisfactory results for use. By using a questionnaire several questions about understanding physics concepts for this research. The limited trial results obtained an average score of 3.9 or 78% the category good, and based on the expanded trial results, an average score of 4.04 or 80.08% the category good was obtained. In conclusion “the Project Based Learning physics laboratory module dynamic electricity materials” is suitable for learning use in conditions of new and inadequate school infrastructure for carrying out practicum activities with PHET Simulation.

Exploring Students’ Openness Traits for Achieving Meaningful Learning in Modern Physics Concepts

Abstract This study aims to explore the openness traits possessed by students in realizing meaningful learning in modern physics learning. This study analyses how the openness traits possessed by learners contribute to mastery of modern physics concepts and relate them to classical physics concepts. Through quasi-experimental research methods, this study will analyze the correlation of openness traits possessed by students to the achievement of meaningful learning in modern physics concepts. This study found several findings in the form of a significant correlation between the openness traits possessed by students and the achievement of meaningful learning in the concepts of modern physical physics. Learners with higher openness tend to demonstrate a deeper understanding of complex concepts, engage more actively in critical thinking and problem-solving, and express tremendous enthusiasm for exploring advanced topics in modern physics. These students also often show a high willingness to collaborate and explore further related modern physics concepts to the relationship between classical and quantum physics. Based on the results of this research, it can be concluded that fostering and cultivating openness traits among learners has a high impact on achieving learning, especially in modern physics concepts that demand a high level of conceptual understanding and analytical skills. Educators and institutions can leverage these findings to design more inclusive and engaging learning environments that encourage and support the development of openness traits among learners, ultimately improving their overall academic success and proficiency in modern physics concepts.

Floquet engineering of a dynamical Z2 lattice gauge field with ultracold atoms

Abstract Gauge field theory is a fundamental concept in modern physics, attracting many theoretical and experimental efforts towards its simulation. In this paper we propose that a simple model, in which fermions coupled to a dynamical lattice gauge field, can be engineered via the Floquet approach. The model possesses both an independent Maxwell term and local Z 2 gauge symmetry. Our proposal relies on a species-dependent optical lattice, and can be achieved in one, two or three dimensions. By a unitary transformation, this model can be mapped into a non-interacting composite fermion system with fluctuating background charge. With the help of this composite fermion picture, two characteristic observations are predicted. One is radio-frequency spectroscopy, which exhibits no dispersion in all parameter regimes. The second is dynamical localization, which depends on the structure of the initial states.

Generalized redshift formula through an energy-based framework

Redshift is a crucial concept in physics; it has significant implications for our understanding of the dynamics and evolution of the cosmos. In this article, we introduce a generalized formula to determine the redshift parameter. The unified framework, which relates the redshift to the energy of the system, eliminates the need to derive the redshift parameter on a case-by-case basis, uncovering the relationships between different mechanisms. Furthermore, the generalization allows us to extend the redshift to non-considered mechanisms.

Training to Develop Science Process Skills of Students of SMA 6 Padang Pelawi, Seluma Regency Through Physics Ethnoscience Learning

This community service project focuses on enhancing students' Science Process Skills (SPS) through the implementation of ethnoscience-based physics learning. The activity was conducted on August 1, 2024, at SMA Negeri 6 Padang Pelawi, Seluma Regency. The method of implementation included presentations, discussions, and hands-on practice with students. After applying the ethnoscience-based learning concept, there was a noticeable improvement in students' science process skills, both in observation and experimentation. Additionally, the effectiveness of the Discovery Learning and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) models was evident in improving students' science process skills through collaboration and problem-solving. Ethnoscience-based learning not only enhanced science process skills but also deepened students' appreciation of local culture. Through ethnoscience learning training at SMA Negeri 6 Padang Pelawi, Seluma Regency, it is hoped that the learning process can leverage local cultural diversity. This approach not only develops students' scientific skills but also strengthens the connection between physics concepts and local wisdom. This culturally-based learning provides relevant context, deepens students' understanding, and makes the learning process more meaningful.

Acehnese Ethnoscience as an Interdisciplinary Approach in Physics Education: Innovating in the Era of Merdeka Belajar

Various efforts have been made to improve students’ understanding of basic physics concepts, but their mindset in constructing knowledge remains problematic. The learning process has yet to engage long-term memory, preventing meaningful analysis-level understanding. This research aimed to activate students’ thinking patterns based on ethnoscience through learning tools such as modules, semester learning plans (RPS), and student worksheets (LKM) that are valid, practical, and efficient. The research used the R&D method with the ADDIE approach, involving 2 expert validators and all Physics Education students at FKIP USK enrolled in basic physics courses in 2022. The results indicated that the ethnoscience-based basic physics learning tools of the Acehnese community, which include modules, RPS, and LKM, effectively supported Merdeka Belajar and have been validated for their validity, practicality, and efficiency. Students were highly motivated and impressed by the concept of measurement in physics, which has long been practiced by the Acehnese community, such as in paying zakat fitrah during Ramadan. The scientifically understood volume-measuring tools used by students were not significantly different from the ethnoscience tools used by the Acehnese community. Ethnoscience facilitates meaningful learning by analyzing context, content, and literacy.

Study of quantum nonlocality by CHSH function and its extension in disordered fermions

Quantum nonlocality is an important concept in quantum physics. In this work, we study the quantum nonlocality in a fermion many-body system under quasi-periodic disorders. The Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality is systematically investigated, which quantifies quantum nonlocality between two sites. We find particular behaviors of the quantifiers of quantum nonlocality around the extended and critical phase transitions in the system and further that the CHSH inequality is not broken in the globally averaged picture of the maximum value of the quantum nonlocality, but the violation probability of the CHSH inequality for two site pairs in the system becomes sufficiently finite in the critical phase and on a critical phase boundary. Further, we investigate an extension of the CHSH inequality, Mermin-Klyshko-Svetlichny (MKS) polynomials, which can characterize multipartite quantum nonlocality. We also find a similar behavior to the case of CHSH inequality. In particular, in the critical regime and on a transition point, the adjacent three-qubit MKS polynomial in a portion of the system exhibits a quantum nonlocal violation regime with a finite probability in the critical phase.

In the World of Potentiality: Gombrowicz, Pinter, Beckett, and Różewicz

This article attempts to analyze Witold Gombrowicz`s, Harold Pinter`s, Samuel Beckett`s, and Tadeusz Różewicz’s works by using methods that are associated with performative literary studies. The author refers to concepts of quantum physics and introduces a new aesthetic category, “entangled arts”. Among these arts are, for example, drama and theater, which are seen from an anti-binary perspective. This approach eliminates the traditional division of arts into the art of literature and performing arts, thus leading us to look on literature as a performing art. Therefore, the idea of “entangled arts” is not about “the synthesis of arts”, but about their unresolvedness and an act of reading which requires one to simultaneously exist and be active in two (or more, potentiality) different realities, for example, in a digital and imagined world, or in film and on stage.

Hunting the Cell Cycle Snark.

In this very personal hunt for the meaning of the bacterial cell cycle, the snark, I briefly revisit and update some of the mechanisms we and many others have proposed to regulate the bacterial cell cycle. These mechanisms, which include the dynamics of calcium, membranes, hyperstructures, and networks, are based on physical and physico-chemical concepts such as ion condensation, phase transition, crowding, liquid crystal immiscibility, collective vibrational modes, reptation, and water availability. I draw on ideas from subjects such as the 'prebiotic ecology' and phenotypic diversity to help with the hunt. Given the fundamental nature of the snark, I would expect that its capture would make sense of other parts of biology. The route, therefore, followed by the hunt has involved trying to answer questions like "why do cells replicate their DNA?", "why is DNA replication semi-conservative?", "why is DNA a double helix?", "why do cells divide?", "is cell division a spandrel?", and "how are catabolism and anabolism balanced?". Here, I propose some relatively unexplored, experimental approaches to testing snark-related hypotheses and, finally, I propose some possibly original ideas about DNA packing, about phase separations, and about computing with populations of virtual bacteria.

Achieving Broadband Near‐Field Directionality with a 3D Active Janus Antenna

AbstractDirectional sources like the Huygens source enable electromagnetic wavefront forming/shaping with great flexibility and have made impacts in photonics, applied physics, metasurfaces, and antenna engineering. The related Janus source features a strongly directional near‐field and a quasi‐isotropic far‐field, which gives it promising application potentials distinct from, and complementary to, the Huygens source. Nevertheless, most existing Janus sources face strong limitations in efficiency and/or 3D operation, hindering their practical application. This paper introduces a 3D active Janus source that achieves near‐field directionality over a wide bandwidth and a power efficiency much improved over existing passive Janus sources. It is shown that a class of quasi‐isotropic antennas are actually active Janus sources (which is referred to as the Janus antenna). A well‐designed Janus antenna is demonstrated which (a) exhibits near‐field directionality over a broad bandwidth of 28.9%, and (b) in a practical usage environment, achieves a power efficiency ≈60 times higher than a passive Janus source. This work elucidates the connection between the “Janus dipole” concept in physics and the “quasi‐isotropic antenna” concept in antenna design, and paves the way for the design of future directional devices with much improved bandwidth and efficiency.