Physics Teaching by Subject

Physics for Non-Scientists > s.a. physics teaching [including physics in everyday life]; practical aspects.
@ Articles: Baierlein PT(95)mar; Dudley & Bold AJP(96)apr [top-down]; Hoffman & Jouny AJP(96)oct [music]; Duncan AJP(97)may.
@ Texts: Hobson 95 [conceptual]; Holton & Brush 01; Cassidy et al 02; Tavel 02; Swartz 03.
@ Texts, special approaches: Rossing & Chiaverina 99 [for visual arts]; Gilbert & Haeberli 08 [art].

General Physics > s.a. computational physics.
* Topics: Should include elements of chaos, chance, error analysis.
@ General references: Kriss AJP(93)jan [structure of physics]; Rigden et al PT(93)apr; Di Stefano AJP(96)jan, AJP(96)jan [IUPP]; Gautreau & Novemsky AJP(97)may [OCS approach]; Allie & Buffler AJP(98)jul [tools and procedures]; Folan et al 03 [technology applications].
@ Algebra-based: Redish & Hammer AJP(09)jul [reinventing the course].
@ Calculus-based: Laws PT(91)dec, AJP(97)jan [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)apr]; Wolfson 07 [concise, conceptual]; Agmon & Gluck 90.
@ Related topics: Chabay & Sherwood AJP(99)dec [integrating matter and thermodynamics]; Leff AJP(02)may [a = v²/r]; Singh & Rosengrant AJP(03)jun [momentum and energy, test]; Shaffer & McDermott AJP(05)oct [v and a as vectors]; Ponikvar & Planinsic EJP(09) [conservation of energy test]; Brookes & Etkina PRST(09) [force]; Kortemeyer & Westfall AJP(09) [history of physics]; > s.a. symmetry.
> Online resources: see Decio Cocolicchio's site.

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)apr; Ambrose AJP(04)apr [tutorial].
@ Kinematics: Newton & Henry AJP(00)jul [uniform circular motion].
@ Labs: Dupré & Janssen AJP(00)aug [determining g].
@ Special relativity: Scherr AJP(07)mar [as example of misconceptions and "pieces"]; Savage et al AJP(07)sep [visualization program]; Silagadze APPB(08)-a0712 [logical rather than historical approach]; de Abreu & Guerra EJP(09) [kinematics, geometrical]; Apostolatos a0905 [kinematics, energy and momentum].
@ Related topics: Nunes & Silva AJP(00)nov [tilted boxes on inclined planes]; Sungar et al AJP(01)may [non-linear dynamics]; Galili & Lehavi AJP(03)nov [weightlessness and tides]; Laws AJP(04)apr [oscillations and chaos]; Lehavi & Galili AJP(09)may [gravity and Galileo's law of free-fall]; Lindsey et al AJP(09)nov [work and energy for extended systems].

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)jul [singing rods]; Denardo et al AJP(01)oct [bubbles and sinking bodies]; Loverude et al AJP(03)nov, Heron et al AJP(03)nov [Archimedes' principle]; Kezerashvili & Sapozhnikov phy/03 [Hero's fountain]; Jenkins AJP(04)oct-phy/03 [Feynman's reverse sprinkler]; Chen AJP(05)nov [singing wineglass]; Jenkins a0908/AJP [Machian propulsion, including Feynman's reverse sprinkler].

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; Leinonen et al EJP(09) [students' pre-knowledge].
@ Entropy: Basano AJP(80)feb [geometrical analogy]; Schoepf AJP(02)feb.
@ Second law: Baierlein AJP(94)jan; Moore & Schroeder AJP(97)jan.
@ Related topics: Savarino & Fisch AJP(91)feb [rubber band thermodynamics]; Velasco et al AJP(98)jul [adiabatic coefficient of air]; Scott AJP(98)feb [comparative review]; Prentis AJP(00)dec [statistical mechanics experiments]; Lee AJP(01)jan [undergraduate, simulations]; Kautz et al AJP(05)nov, AJP(05)nov [ideal gas law]; Jackson & Laws AJP(06)feb [glass syringes].

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

Modern Physics and Quantum Mechanics > deformation quantization.
* Possibility: Try teaching using density matrices from the beginning.
@ Quantum mechanics: Henry AJP(90)nov; Styer AJP(96)jan; Scarani & Suarez AJP(98)aug [short introduction]; Vokos et al AJP(00)jul [wave nature of matter]; Singh AJP(01)aug [difficulties]; Hirshfeld & Henselder AJP(02)may-qp [and deformation quantization]; issue AJP(02)mar; Mermin AJP(03)jan [for computer scientists]; Passon EJP(04)qp; Goff AJP(06)nov [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)jul [electrons as field quanta]; > s.a. quantum effects [tipping pencil/rod 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)jun [students' models of microscopic physics]; Gilmore 04 [activities, projects, computational]; Walecka 08.
@ III: Carr & McKagan AJP(09)apr [reforming graduate quantum mechanics].
@ Quantum theory, conceptual: Singh et al PT(06)aug [improving understanding]; Singh AJP(08)mar [understanding]; Karakostas & Hadzidaki S&E(05)-a0904 [and physical reality]; > s.a. classical mechanics; atomic, nuclear, particle physics [problems].

Other Topics > s.a. astronomy; chaotic systems; computational physics; physics; symmetry.
@ Cosmology: Akridge AJP(01)feb; Pimbblet PhysEd(02)ap; Pimbblet & Newman PhysEd(03); Jordan AJP(05)jul-ap/03.
@ Labs: James et al AJP(99)aug [speed of light].

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send feedback and suggestions to bombelli at olemiss.edu – modified 10 nov 2009