Physics Teaching by Subject  

Physics for Non-Scientists > s.a. practical aspects.
@ Articles: Baierlein PT(95)mar; Dudley & Bold AJP(96) [top-down]; Hoffman & Jouny AJP(96) [music]; Duncan AJP(97).
@ Texts: Hobson 95 [conceptual]; Rossing & Chiaverina 99 [for visual arts]; Holton & Brush 01; Cassidy et al 02; Tavel 02; Swartz 03; > s.a. teaching [in everyday life].

General Physics > s.a. computational physics.
* Topics: Should include elements of chaos, chance, error analysis.
@ General references: Kriss AJP(93) [structure of physics]; Rigden et al PT(93)apr; Di Stefano AJP(96), AJP(96) [IUPP]; Gautreau & Novemsky AJP(97) [OCS approach]; Allie & Buffler AJP(98) [tools and procedures]; Folan et al 03 [technology applications].
@ Calculus-based: Laws PT(91)dec, AJP(97) [without lectures]; Amato PT(96)dec [re textbooks].
@ Problems: Thompson 87.
@ Special emphasis texts: Garcia et al 98 [computer science]; Holbrow et al 99 [modern, r PT(01)may Roelofs]; Benedek & Villars 00 [medical-biological, r PT(01)jul]; Folan et al 03 [applications].
@ Texts, calculus-based: Halliday et al 94; Fishbane et al 96; Chabay & Sherwood 02 [conceptual, r AJP(06)]; Wolfson 07 [concise, conceptual].
@ Related topics: Chabay & Sherwood AJP(99) [integrating matter & thermo]; Leff AJP(02) [a = v2/r]; Singh & Rosengrant AJP(03) [momentum & energy, test]; Shaffer & McDermott AJP(05) [v and a as vectors]; > s.a. symmetry.

Classical Mechanics > s.a. classical mechanics [textbooks]; Friction; inertia, rotation.
* Free-body diagrams: Show forces where they really act! [@ Lane TPT(93)].
@ New approaches: Fraundorf phy/97; Chabay & Sherwood AJP(04); Ambrose AJP(04) [tutorial].
@ Kinematics: Newton & Henry AJP(00) [uniform circular motion].
@ Labs: Dupré & Janssen AJP(00) [determining g].
@ Special relativity: Scherr AJP(07) [as example of misconceptions and "pieces"]; Savage et al AJP(07) [visualization program]; Silagadze a0712 [logical rather than historical approach].
@ Related topics: Nunes & Silva AJP(00) [tilted boxes on inclined planes]; Sungar et al AJP(01) [non-linear dynamics]; Galili & Lehavi AJP(03) [weightlessness and tides]; Laws AJP(04) [oscillations and chaos].

Fluid Dynamics, Waves and Sound
* Demos on fluids: Transfer liquid between containers including uphill piece.
* Demos on waves: Beaded chain on overhead, vertical chain, metal bar hit at one end (transverse); Stroked metal bars that "sing" (longitudinal).
@ References: Daw & Liefeld AJP(98) [singing rods]; Denardo et al AJP(01) [bubbles and sinking bodies]; Loverude et al AJP(03), Heron et al AJP(03) [Archimedes' principle]; Kezerashvili & Sapozhnikov phy/03 [Hero's fountain]; Jenkins AJP(04)phy/03 [Feynman's reverse sprinkler]; Chen AJP(05) [singing wineglass].

Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
* Remark: Can be taught following a classical, thermodynamical approach, or with a statistical, microscopic one.
@ General references: issue AJP(99)dec.
@ Entropy: Basano AJP(80) [geometrical analogy]; Schoepf AJP(02).
@ Second law: Baierlein AJP(94); Moore & Schroeder AJP(97).
@ Related topics: Savarino & Fisch AJP(91) [rubber band thermodynamics]; Velasco et al AJP(98) [adiabatic coefficient of air]; Scott AJP(98) [comparative review]; Prentis AJP(00) [statistical mechanics experiments]; Lee AJP(01) [undergraduate, simulations]; Kautz et al AJP(05), AJP(05) [ideal gas law]; Jackson & Laws AJP(06) [glass syringes].

Electromagnetism and Optics > s.a. Ampère's Law; diffraction; Faraday's Law; polarization.
@ Calculus-based: Marr et al AJP(99); Chabay & Sherwood AJP(06); Mukhopadhyay EJP(06) [senior level]; Saarelainen et al EJP(07) [models and misconceptions].
@ Light and color: Rossing & Chiaverina AJP(00)RL.
@ Electromagnetism topics: Kraftmakher AJP(00), Salzman et al AJP(01) [eddy currents]; Maloney et al AJP(01) [survey]; Rosenthal & Henderson AJP(06) [potential difference and circuits]; Vidaurre et al EJP(08) [magnetic damping demo].
@ Waves and optics topics: Heller AJP(97) [waves]; Ambrose et al AJP(99) [diffraction and interference], AJP(99) [light as wave].
@ III: Hertzberg et al AJP(01) [rotating dielectric cylinder].

Modern Physics and Quantum Mechanics > deformation quantization.
* Possibility: Try teaching using density matrices from the beginning.
@ Quantum mechanics: Henry AJP(90); Styer AJP(96); Scarani & Suarez AJP(98) [short introduction]; Vokops et al AJP(04) [wave nature of matter]; Singh AJP(01) [difficulties]; Hirshfeld & Henselder AJP(02)qp [and deformation quantization]; issue AJP(02)mar; Mermin AJP(03) [for computer scientists]; Passon EJP(04)qp; Singh et al PT(06)aug [improving understanding]; Goff AJP(06) [quantum tic-tac-toe game]; Pluch phy/07 [Bell's inequalities]; García & Arévalo EJP(07) [time evolution operator method]; Kaiser pw(07)may [practical vs philosophical aspects].
@ Quantum mechanics, special topics: Hobson AJP(05) [e's as field quanta]; Easton EJP(07) [tipping pencil problem].
@ IIa: Chen IJMPA(05) [Klein-Gordon equation and particle physics].
@ IIb: Ohanian 95; Cox 96; Krane 96; Sachs 98 [conceptual]; Harris 99 [r PT(00)nov]; Bernstein et al 00; Pfeffer & Nir 00; Thacker AJP(03) [students' models of microscopic physics]; Gilmore 04 [activities, projects, computational]; Walecka 08.
@ Graduate: Singh AJP(08) [understanding]; > s.a. classical mechanics; atomic, nuclear, particle physics [problems].

Astronomy / Cosmology
* Idea: Can one buy one or more sets of IR glasses, and look at objects with them before discussing astronomy?
@ General references: Gurr PT(92)aug; Zeilik et al AJP(97), AJP(99) [conceptual]; Price & Grover AJP(01) [expansion].
@ Cosmology: Akridge AJP(01); Pimbblet PhysEd(02)ap; Pimbblet & Newman PhysEd(03); Jordan AJP(05)ap/03 [cosmology].
@ Ug labs: Huebner et al 96; Cadmus AJP(99) [age of the universe]; Sigismondi AJP(02) [angular size of Sun]; Rubbo et al AJP(07) [simulated gravitational wave signals].

Other Topics > s.a. chaotic systems; computational physics; physics; symmetry.
@ Labs: James et al AJP(99) [speed of light].

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Send feedback and suggestions to bombelli at olemiss.edu – Modified 21 jun 2008