Session C4 - Physics Education.
ORAL session, Saturday morning, May 06
Room 218, Linder Hall

[C4.01] Interesting Wrinkles in Two Familiar Problems: Projectile Motion and Reflection

Two familiar problems revealed interesting wrinkles when examined carefully after insightful student questioning. First, finding the launch angle that results in maximum horizontal range in idealized projectile motion. The familiar result that the maximum range occurs for a launch angle of 45^o is only true if the projectile begins and ends at the same height. If the projectile is launched from an initial height, h_0, however, the horizontal range is maximized for a launch angle less than 45^o. This result can be shown analytically, and can also be demonstrated convincingly using qualitative arguments. Second, when studying reflection from plane mirrors, a startling "non-inverting" mirror consisting of two mirrors at 90^o to each other is often shown. In fact, this mirror is "doubly inverting," and by placing the mirrors at other integer fractions of 180^o (90^o, 60^o, 45^o, etc.) mirrors which invert any number of times can be created. These angles will be rationalized by simple symmetry arguments and a commercially available hinged-mirror device will be demonstrated.

[C4.02] What education students think about radioactivity

In surveys and interviews, we have probed student ideas about radiation and radioactivity. Past research has shown that students confuse contamination and irradiation, and that their model of half-life includes halving the mass and volume of the decaying substance. We have encountered these, as well as some other ideas. Many students believe that nothing is radioactive unless it is exposed to radioactivity, in particular, themselves and the interviewers. Students believe that lifetime and activity are unrelated, aand students misuse mean life, half-life, and atomic mass indiscriminately. These ideas and others will be discussed here

[C4.03] Student concepts of microwave ovens

Previous surveys and student interviews have revealed that students believe microwave ovens can be a source of microwave radiation, x radiation, and gamma radiation. We have probed student ideas in recent detailed interviews and find that students believe that at least some form of what physicists call electromagnetic radiation is emitted and that x and gamma radiation can make a person radioactive. We will discuss details of these interviews, comparing the results to what we learned in previous surveys.

[C4.04] State Learning Competencies and physics misconceptions, any connections

There is a significant amount of research on misconceptions in physics. This presentation will relate these misconceptions to the new State Learning Competencies in Science. Understanding and being aware of physics misconceptions will help educators address some of the “traps” in the new 10th grade test.

[C4.05] College Physics for the 21st Century

The quantum electronics/optics revolution is revolutionizing the physics learning environment. The essential direct faculty and student teaching/learning interaction process has been enhanced with windows-based computer systems and software. Preparation for more advanced courses, modern science, business, and industry demands complete computer ability/literacy. To be described in the talk will be the use of the internet to access national levels of physics standards, experiments, etc.; learning kinematics (algebraic, graphical, and in prose) via student interaction and participation; learning about more abstract concepts via simulations; and learning how to use modeling to reveal and examine second order effects and non-algebraic situations.

[C4.06] Web-based Pre-Lab Quizzes for the Introductory E&M Laboratory

A sequence of new experiments in electromagnetism (1) forms, at Miami University, part of an introductory laboratory course with one weekly two-hour meeting. This serves about 400 students annually, from both a 4-credit calculus-based lecture course for majors in physical sciences and engineering, and a 3-credit lecture course for majors in biological sciences. A guided-discovery Lab Manual and course Website (2) provide introduction to the physics. Pre-Lab Quizzes are intended to motivate students to prepare before coming to the lab. The entire test bank is posted in advance on the Web, and consists of multiple-choice questions which deal with fundamental concepts needed to appreciate lab observations. We have had students take the quizzes on-line with automatic scoring, but prefer having students justify in writing their answers to selected questions. Student reactions and evaluation by external referees are described. (1) Glenn M. Julian, Joseph Priest, and Peter Heller, Announcer 26 (2), 50 (1996). (2) http://www.muohio.edu/~lab184

[C4.07] How Mentor, an interactive web-based software, is used in physics teaching?

We will report our experience with using the Mentor program in our introductory physics courses. Mentor is freeware that provides twenty-four hour access for student self-evaluation. It provides a rather convenient authoring system for faculty, as well as a log of student activity. Details on the system and its free access will be provided. Results of student activity and student opinion will be discussed.

[C4.08] The Green Bank Observatory

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is located in the small town of Green Bank in eastern West Virginia. The site is the home to many historical artifacts and is itself a part of the culture of radio astronomy as well as a significant player in current radio astronomy research. Photographs of the site will supplement a verbal description of the on-site activities and tools.

Part C of program listing