Smart physics to create kinematic data from GPS measurements

An experimental exercise is presented where students explore the principal concepts of kinematics with the GPS sensor of their smartphone. It enables our students to record and analyze a self-performed complex movement independently. Students learn how to transform geographical into Cartesian coordinates and how to investigate movements in everyday life

Smart physics with an oscillating beverage can

A digital learning-teaching environment is introduced in which undergraduate students are challenged to connect the basic physical concepts of oscillation, buoyancy and data analysis via an authentic experiment. The damped oscillation of a cylindrical body swimming upright in water is measured via the MEMS acceleration sensor of a wireless MCU SensorTag. The data are recorded with the app phyphox on a smartphone or tablet. The theoretical oscillation period and the experimentally determined periods obtained via different data analysis roots are found to agree showing an excellent theory-experiment interplay. The proposed experiment is suited for the physics home lab e.g. under the current pandemic situation or for open university courses as well as for physics lab courses

Implementation of smartphone-based experimental exercises for physics courses at universities

A concept for undergraduate mechanics courses at universities is introduced where traditional pencil-paper based exercises are partially replaced by experimental exercises, in which smartphones are used as measurement devices. A detailed guidance for practical realization and implementation of these tasks formats into the course is presented. Three smartphone-based experimental exercises ‘The tilting smartphone’, ‘The oscillation balance’ and ‘Using the Smartphone in a Torsion Pendulum’ are presented. First empirical results with respect to the learning achievement indicate a mid size effect on the understanding of the physical concepts. Compared to the traditional pencil-paper based exercises, the students performance in the experimental exercises is slightly lower, although the motivation to solve these tasks is higher

Water dynamics of LiCl solutions confined in nanopores

The self-diffusion of water in aqueous solutions of lithium chloride in bulk solutions and in these solutions confined to porous glass monoliths with bimodal pore structure has been studied by PFG NMR. The concentration dependent data for the bulk solutions are analyzed by the description of Sevrugin et al. [1], which yields information about the water dynamics within the ion’s hydration shell. For an application to confined diffusion, this description is extended by introducing a tortuosity factor. Whereas in the larger macropores no influence on the water dynamics within the hydration shell is detected, in the smaller mesopores, a significant increase of the mobility of the hydrating water molecules is observed

Lernwirksamkeitsanalyse smartphonebasierter Experimentierhausaufgaben

In diesem Beitrag werden das Design und die Ergebnisse einer Pilotstudie vorgestellt, welche die Lernwirksamkeit von Experimentierhausaufgaben mit Smartphones als Messinstrument in der Studieneingangsphase für das Fach Physik untersucht. Die experimentellen Aufgabenstellungen ermöglichen es den Studierenden schon in den ersten Vorlesungswochen selbstständig zu experimentieren, eigens generierte Daten zu analysieren und somit die theoretischen Konzepte aus der Vorlesung kontextorientiert anzuwenden. Die Lernwirksamkeit der Experimentierhausaufgaben wird exemplarisch für einen Themenbereich aus der Rotationsdynamik starrer Körper in der Mechanik mit einer Pre-Post-Test Studie im Interventions- und Kontrollgruppedesign untersucht. Die Ergebnisse der Pilotstudie zeigen, dass das neue Aufgabenformat für den untersuchten Themenkomplex einen größeren Lernzuwachs bewirkt, als es die klassischen physikalischen Übungsaufgaben ermöglichen