The magnetic gun was chosen as a hands-on activity for our high school students. When conducting this activity in the classroom, we found some interesting points were raised following difficulties encountered by the students. Some students proposed that during the collision, the magnet changed its pole then it pushed the last ball out of the…

The law of conservation of momentum is one that students often have difficulties understanding. This experiment allows students to use childhood toys to examine and calculate the muzzle velocity of their favourite water gun by using an air track, a spark timer or data logger and the law of conservation of momentum in a one-dimensional case, a…

Outlines a strategy for incorporating the nuclear weapons debate into physics curricula. Includes rationale for including the topic, issues to be discussed, and possible resource materials. (SK)

Discusses the origins and development of rockets mainly from the perspective of warfare. Includes some early enthusiasts, such as Congreve, Tsiolkovosky, Goddard, and Oberth. Describes developments from World War II, and during satellite development. (YP)

Describes the development and implementation of curriculum materials that discuss nuclear weapons and the evaluation of those materials by administrators, teachers, and students. Also discusses the place of the study of nuclear weapons in the curriculum and aims of the materials. Suggested student activities are included. (JM)