Undergraduate Engineering Majors Research Articles

Student understanding of the ideal gas law, Part II: A microscopic perspective

Evidence from research indicates that many undergraduate science and engineering majors have seriously flawed microscopic models for the pressure and temperature in an ideal gas. In the investigation described in this paper, some common mistaken ideas about microscopic processes were identified. Examples illustrate the use of this information in the design of instruction that helped improve student understanding of the ideal gas law, especially its substance independence. Some broader implications of this study for the teaching of thermal physics are noted.

Self-Assembled Colloidal Crystals: Visualizing Atomic Crystal Chemistry Using Microscopic Analogues of Inorganic Solids

Monodisperse spherical colloids spontaneously crystallize into close-packed crystals, in analogy to the simple crystal structures of many of the elements. Since colloids are orders of magnitude larger than atoms, students can directly observe crystal structure and behavior in a microscope using colloidal crystals. This laboratory exercise provides a modular series of materials science experiments appropriate for undergraduate chemistry and engineering majors. The individual modules include aspects of chemical synthesis (monodisperse SiO2 and polymer spheres), self-assembly (colloidal crystallization), and structural characterization through microscopy (optical and scanning electron microscopies) and optical spectroscopy (optical diffraction and UV–visible spectroscopy). Using these experiments, students learn new inorganic and organic synthetic techniques, study crystal behavior (e.g., coordination, defects, close-packing) in model systems, and apply optical characterization techniques to the analysis of their materials. The experiments can easily be tailored to the desired level of complexity and instrumental availability.

Acoustics and vibration animations: A surprisingly successful website

For the past 8 years the author has been creating mathematically and physically correct computer animations for use in teaching acoustics to advanced undergraduate engineering and science majors [D. Russell, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 106, 2197 (1999)]. Compiling these animations, along with supporting text, on a web site (http://www.kettering.edu/∼drussell/demos.html) has resulted in a surprising response from students, teachers, and professionals who have found the animations useful for their own presentations, study, or courses. Unsolicited recognition in the form of web awards and coverage in magazines adds weight to the usefulness of well-made animations for conveying difficult concepts to a wide audience. This presentation will showcase as many of the animations as possible, especially newer ones, including: oscillation, wave superposition, reflection and refraction, particle motion for various wave types, radiation from simple and complex sources, room modes, waves on strings and membranes, bending waves and boundary conditions, and the vibration of guitars and baseball bats. If time permits, some of the methods used to create the animations will be shared.

Education in Science, Engineering and Public Policy: A Stocktaking

Over the past twenty years, many US universities have established graduate programmes in science, engineering and public policy. A study, conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) examined 21 such programmes, and surveyed more than 550 graduates and students. Thirteen programmes derive from public policy/social science traditions; the other eight are based in engineering. In general, those that are engineering- based (EB) maintain a greater emphasis on quantitative analysis than do those that are social-science based (SSB). A majority of the students are men, especially in EB programmes, which attract more undergraduate engineering and science majors; SSB programmes draw more students from undergraduate majors in social sciences and the humanities. Although many students enter without clear vocational goals, about half find careers in the field (in industry, government and universities), and most report satisfaction with their work. The study raises a number of issues worth further attention: curricula, and the need for cross-fertilization between EB and SSB traditions; financial stability, and the legitimacy of the field; problems of professional identity for graduates; and dilemmas posed by changes in the relations between science, technology and public policy in the USA.