In this work, we study several closely related problems involving chains, conveyor belts, and rockets, which are described and solved without the application of infinitesimal calculus, or even the concept of mathematical limit. On one hand, the novelty lies not in the problems themselves, but in the method used for their solution, which brings…

The Edison Institute predicts that there will be at least 19 × 10[superscript 6] all-electric vehicles (EVs) in use by 2030. This will produce significant effects on our transportation system and its energy requirements. Investigating these effects is an ideal activity to show the relevance of physics. How efficient are EVs in using energy? What…

Historically, classical thermodynamics was developed during attempts to improve the efficiency of steam engines. Those investigations led to the well-known zeroth, first, and second laws of thermodynamics. Although these laws are presented independently, linkages between the zeroth and second laws have been pointed out in the physics teaching…

The Arduino microcontroller is finding its way into labs throughout undergraduate physics curricula, from introductory courses to a variety of beyond-the-first-year laboratory classes. At Davidson College, they use Arduinos in a gateway STEM course for students who are interested in energy and the environment. This article describes how students…

Young students show great interest in solar energy and a genuine curiosity towards the operating mechanisms of a solar cell. This study reports on a methodology that reveals an effective approach in explaining the operation of solar cells to young students with very limited knowledge in solid-state physics. The methodology can be presented in the…

Exciting examples of physics principles illuminate the power and scope of our discipline. In this paper, we discuss a conservation of energy example for an introductory course. Energy conservation is applied to bird and dinosaur eggs to derive a method to predict the incubation period and the embryonic metabolism solely from the egg geometry. The…

The classic brachistrochrone problem is standard material in intermediate mechanics. Many variations exist including some accessible to introductory students. While a quantitative solution isn't feasible in introductory classes, qualitative discussions can be very beneficial since kinematics, Newton's laws, energy conservation, and motion along…

While the three laws of conservation of energy, momentum, and angular momentum are all mentioned in introductory textbooks, there are few experiments through which students can investigate the conservation of angular momentum. Most experiments consist of collisions between rotating disks, in which one disk is dropped on another, or in which the…

Although teaching of environmental physics and energy-related topics has increased in the last several years, only a small portion of that has been for non-science majors. Environmental physical science can be used to teach physics to non-science majors by applying learned physics concepts to current issues of interest such as climate change,…

Energy is an important crosscutting concept in all science disciplines, and energy conservation is widely regarded as one of the most important principles in physics. Over the years, numerous graphical representations have been proposed that allow learners of physics to visualize energy states and dynamics in a particular situation. Each diagram…

The purpose of this paper is to describe a three-year limited-run offer of an energy science certificate in the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus, along with lessons learned that can be of use to other institutions considering comparable programs. Energy science is a loosely defined discipline that traditionally straddles physics and mechanical,…

Energy consumption in the world is increasing more and more due to the huge energy request coming from emerging countries such as China, India, etc. To face the challenge of sustainability, a solution may be the use of solar energy, since it is the most abundant renewable energy source on Earth. The electromagnetic energy coming from the Sun can…

In the physics teaching community, Tracker is well known as a user-friendly open source video analysis software, authored by Douglas Brown. With this tool, the user can trace markers indicated on a video or on stroboscopic photos and perform kinematic analyses. Tracker also includes a data modeling tool that allows one to fit some theoretical…

Energy is a crosscutting concept in science and features prominently in national science education documents. In the "Next Generation Science Standards," the primary conceptual learning goal is for learners to conserve energy as they "track" the transfers and transformations of energy within, into, or out of the system of…

Introductory physics textbooks consider interference to be a process of redistribution of energy from the wave sources in the surrounding space resulting in constructive and destructive interferences. As one can expect, the total energy flux is conserved. However, one case of apparent non-conservation energy attracts great attention. Imagine that…