Smartphones are increasingly used in higher education and at university in mechanics, acoustics, and even thermodynamics as they offer a unique way to do simple science experiments. In this article, we show how smartphones can be used in fluid mechanics to measure surface tension of various liquids, which could help students understand the concept…

Socratic dialogue-inducing (SDI) labs are based on Arnold Arons' half-century of ethnographic research, listening carefully to students' responses to probing Socratic questions on physics, science, and ways of thinking, and culminating in his landmark "Teaching Introductory Physics." They utilize "interactive engagement" methods and are designed,…

The speed of sound is a physical property that can be measured easily in the lab. However, finding an inexpensive and intuitive way for students to determine this speed has been more involved. The introduction of affordable consumer-grade high-speed cameras (such as the Exilim EX-FC100) makes conceptually simple experiments feasible. Since the…

Describes four science experiments relating to energy developed for interdisciplinary general science courses. (SL)

Described is the construction and utilization of a Dewar assembly for measuring the heat of vaporization of liquid nitrogen. The device is fabricated from a thermos bottle replacement filler. (SL)

Described is a physics experiment in which carbon dioxide cartridges mounted on a wheel with a spark timer can be utilized to measure the energy release of the cartridges. (SL)

Describes an experiment that involves measuring the intensity of laser light passed by a linear polarizer. Discusses polarization effects, orthogonal polarizations, instrumentation, and further experiments. (JRH)

Describes an experiment to determine the density of air within a 10 percent error range using a basketball and a triple beam balance. Provides the typical data and a graph. (YP)

Presents experiments that use Helmholtz resonators and have been designed for a sophomore-level course in oscillations and waves. Discusses the theory of the Helmholtz resonator and resonance curves. (JRH)

Discusses the behavior of the current near the end of the paper in the electric-field mapping experiment and approaches to solving problems associated with this behavior. Presents programs that can be used to model the boundary condition computationally. (JRH)

Describes a diffraction experiment that uses circular holes salvaged from nonaerosol hair spray bottles to produce spectacular circular interference fringes. (JRH)

Explains gyroscopic motions to college freshman or high school seniors who have learned about centripetal acceleration and the transformations of a couple. Contains several figures showing the direction of forces and motion. (YP)

Presents ideas on how common household light bulbs can be used to develop interest in learning physics. Focuses on supermarket data taking and analyses, filament temperatures, detective work with three-way bulbs, and lifetime statistics. (YP)

Provides a method for correcting the photoemission from a collector when using the photoelectric effect experiment to determine Planck's constant. The problem results from a negative current through the cell and makes the measurement of the cutoff potential difficult. (DH)

Einstein's equivalence principle relates effects seen by an accelerating observer to those experienced by an observer in a gravitational field, providing an explanation of bending of a light beam by gravity. Because the calculations lead to results one-half the value found experimentally, obtaining the correct light deflection is discussed.…