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Nov 2001

Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1125-1213

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Page filler policy—yet again

Robert H. Romer, Editor, (until July 1, 2001)

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1125

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01.40.-d Education

Gloria on the subway

Jay Pasachoff and Eloise Pasachoff

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1125

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01.40.-d Education
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American Association of Physics Teachers 2001 Oersted Medalist: Lillian C. McDermott

Larry D. Kirkpatrick

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1126

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01.10.Cr Announcements, news, and awards
01.40.-d Education

Oersted Medal Lecture 2001: “Physics Education Research—The Key to Student Learning”

Lillian Christie McDermott

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1127 | Cited 35 times

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Research on the learning and teaching of physics is essential for cumulative improvement in physics instruction. Pursuing this goal through systematic research is efficient and greatly increases the likelihood that innovations will be effective beyond a particular instructor or institutional setting. The perspective taken is that teaching is a science as well as an art. Research conducted by physicists who are actively engaged in teaching can be the key to setting high (yet realistic) standards, to helping students meet expectations, and to assessing the extent to which real learning takes place. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.40.-d Education
01.10.Cr Announcements, news, and awards

Alan Van Heuvelen: Recipient of the 1999 Robert A. Millikan Medal

Thomas L. O’Kuma

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1138

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01.10.Cr Announcements, news, and awards
01.60.+q Biographies, tributes, personal notes, and obituaries

Millikan Lecture 1999: The Workplace, Student Minds, and Physics Learning Systems

Alan Van Heuvelen

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1139 | Cited 7 times

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We review three important ideas concerning physics education. First, what do surveys from the workplace indicate about the relative importance in student education of scientific process knowledge, personal skills, and conceptual physics knowledge? Second, what are the characteristics of student minds that need to acquire this knowledge and these skills? Finally, what can we do with physics learning systems to help these minds better acquire this knowledge and these skills? © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.10.Fv Conferences, lectures, and institutes
01.50.-i Educational aids
01.55.+b General physics
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Computer simulation of fluid phase transitions

Nigel B. Wilding

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1147 | Cited 38 times

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The goal of accurately locating fluid phase boundaries by means of computer simulation is hampered by difficulties associated with sampling both coexisting phases in a single simulation. We explain the background to these difficulties and describe how they can be tackled using a synthesis of biased Monte Carlo sampling and histogram extrapolation methods, in conjunction with a standard fluid simulation algorithm. The combined approach provides a powerful method for tracing fluid phase boundaries. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
64.60.-i General studies of phase transitions
61.20.Ja Computer simulation of liquid structure
71.15.Pd Molecular dynamics calculations (Car-Parrinello) and other numerical simulations

Density of states on a staircase

Fredy R. Zypman

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1156

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The concept of density of states (DOS) is introduced via a gravitational problem, which is solved exactly and, for comparison, under various approximations. It consists of a collection of hard spheres in a two-dimensional container. One of the container’s walls is vertical, and the other is inclined with a height that varies in steps. This problem is well suited in physics courses as a preamble to topics in which the idea of DOS is required, but not fully appreciated by students. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
05.30.Fk Fermion systems and electron gas
73.20.At Surface states, band structure, electron density of states
44.40.+a Thermal radiation

Application of thermodynamic extremum principles

C. Fernández-Pineda and S. Velasco

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1160 | Cited 2 times

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A simple system is used to illustrate the application of different extremum principles in thermodynamics. The system consists of an ideal gas contained in an adiabatically isolated cylinder interacting with a constant-pressure work device through an adiabatic movable piston. A kinetic model is also used to analyze the time evolution of the system toward the final equilibrium state. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
05.70.-a Thermodynamics

Polarization of light by reflection and the Brewster angle

P. J. Ouseph, Kevin Driver, and John Conklin

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1166 | Cited 5 times

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An experiment to determine the Brewster angle and to study polarization of reflected light is discussed in this paper. The equipment used is commercially available from PASCO Scientific. A light sensor, which detects the intensity of the reflected light, is connected to a computer through a Pasco Science Workshop 750 interface and the intensity is read directly from a digital meter in the Science Workshop program. Intensities of the reflected light polarized in the plane of incidence and perpendicular to the plane were obtained as a function of the angle of incidence. The results are consistent with Fresnel’s laws of reflection. In addition, the refractive index calculated from the Brewster angle agrees with the accepted value for the dielectric reflector used in the experiment. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
42.25.Gy Edge and boundary effects; reflection and refraction
42.25.Ja Polarization
07.60.Dq Photometers, radiometers, and colorimeters
07.07.Df Sensors (chemical, optical, electrical, movement, gas, etc.); remote sensing

Visual introduction to Gaussian beams using a single lens as an interferometer

J. Peatross and M. V. Pack

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1169 | Cited 1 time

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Weak surface reflections from a simple lens can be used to observe interferences between collimated and focusing laser beams. The superimposed beams (one resulting from a double reflection within the lens) can be made to have similar intensities near the focus of the weaker beam by choosing the lens prescription and the divergence of the incident laser. An advantage to this inexpensive setup is its stability against vibrations. The relative phase between the two beams can be easily controlled through small adjustments to the lens alignment. Students using this setup with a CCD camera can explore the amplitude and phase properties of a Gaussian laser beam in the vicinity of the focus. This article also includes a brief review of Gaussian beams in the context of the Fresnel diffraction. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
42.60.Jf Beam characteristics: profile, intensity, and power; spatial pattern formation
07.60.Ly Interferometers
42.25.Gy Edge and boundary effects; reflection and refraction

Classical Casimir effect for beads on a string

David J. Griffiths and Elan Ho

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1173 | Cited 2 times

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Two small beads are situated at distance a apart on an otherwise uniform taut string. A transverse wave of angular frequency ω is incident from one side, exerting longitudinal forces F1 and F2, respectively, on the beads. The effective “force of attraction” between the beads, FC=(F1−F2)/2, is the simplest classical analog to the Casimir effect. We find that FC can be positive or negative, depending on the values of a and ω. For a broad spectrum of incident “noise,” however, the net “Casimir” force is zero. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
45.05.+x General theory of classical mechanics of discrete systems
45.40.-f Dynamics and kinematics of rigid bodies

A new approach to bound states in potential wells

J.-F. Bloch and V. Ignatovich

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1177 | Cited 2 times

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A method for calculating the energies of the bound states of a particle in a potential well is presented. A generalization of the Bohr–Sommerfeld quantization rule is obtained. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
03.65.Ge Solutions of wave equations: bound states

Relativistic precession of quantum elliptical states in the Coulomb potential

Michael G. A. Crawford

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1182 | Cited 1 time

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A special relativistic perturbation to nonrelativistic quantum mechanics is shown to lead to the classical special relativistic prediction for the rate of precession for quantum states in the Coulomb potential. This behavior is illustrated using SO(4) coherent states as examples. These states are localized on Kepler ellipses and precess in the presence of a relativistic perturbation. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
03.65.Pm Relativistic wave equations
03.30.+p Special relativity
02.20.Uw Quantum groups

Development of an apparatus for two-dimensional collision experiment using a cycloidal slide

Myung-hyun Ha, Yang-kie Kim, and Sang Bub Lee

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1187

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An apparatus has been developed that enables one to investigate the conservation of a linear momentum in a two-dimensional collision experiment. It was found that a cycloidal slide yields a constant rolling time of the ball, independent of the release position on the slide. The two balls, released on two slides of the same size at any desired angle, produce a two-dimensional collision. The initial velocity of the ball before the collision is determined by the height of the release position, and the final velocity after collision is determined from the height of the collision point from the ground and the horizontal distance that the ball travels before it reaches the ground. With this apparatus, the performance of a high precision experiment for momentum conservation during the collision process was achieved. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
45.40.Cc Rigid body and gyroscope motion

Mode detuning in systems of weakly coupled oscillators

Ross L. Spencer and Richard D. Robertson

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1191 | Cited 1 time

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A system of weakly magnetically coupled oscillating blades is studied experimentally, computationally, and theoretically. It is found that when the uncoupled natural frequencies of the blades are nearly equal, the normal modes produced by the coupling are almost impossible to find experimentally if the random variation level in the system parameters is on the order of (or larger than) the relative differences between mode frequencies. But if the uncoupled natural frequencies are made to vary (detuned) in a smooth way such that the total relative spread in natural frequency exceeds the random variations, normal modes are rather easy to find. And if the detuned uncoupled frequencies of the system are parabolically distributed, the modes are found to be shaped like Hermite functions. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
46.40.-f Vibrations and mechanical waves
46.70.Lk Other structures

Analysis of standing vertical jumps using a force platform

Nicholas P. Linthorne

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1198 | Cited 31 times

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A force platform analysis of vertical jumping provides an engaging demonstration of the kinematics and dynamics of one-dimensional motion. The height of the jump may be calculated (1) from the flight time of the jump, (2) by applying the impulse–momentum theorem to the force–time curve, and (3) by applying the work–energy theorem to the force-displacement curve. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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45.40.-f Dynamics and kinematics of rigid bodies
45.30.+s General linear dynamical systems
01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus

A new microcomputer-based laboratory version of the Rüchardt experiment for measuring the ratio γ=Cp/Cv in air

Giacomo Torzo, Giorgio Delfitto, Barbara Pecori, and Pietro Scatturin

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1205 | Cited 1 time

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We describe a new version of the Rüchardt experiment in which we record the time evolution of temperature, pressure, and volume oscillating around an equilibrium value. We use a portable microcomputer-based laboratory made of a graphic calculator, an interface, two commercial sensors (sonar and barometric sensor), and a homemade temperature sensor. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
51.30.+i Thermodynamic properties, equations of state
01.50.Lc Laboratory computer use
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Smart Structures, Analysis and Design

A. V. Srinivasan, Author, D. Michael McFarland, Author, and William B. Spillman, Jr., Reviewer

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1212

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01.30.Vv Book reviews

Post-Use Review: Exploring Black Holes—Introduction to General Relativity

Edwin F. Taylor, Author, John Archibald Wheeler, Author, and William H. Ingham, Reviewer

American Journal of Physics -- November 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 11, pp. 1212

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01.30.Vv Book reviews
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