Mario Belloni, J. Essick, C. Marrache-Kikuchi, Raina Olsen, B. Parks, B. C. Reed, Donald Salisbury, K. Zengel
{"title":"In this issue: April 2024","authors":"Mario Belloni, J. Essick, C. Marrache-Kikuchi, Raina Olsen, B. Parks, B. C. Reed, Donald Salisbury, K. Zengel","doi":"10.1119/5.0204076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0204076","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7589,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140357128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Relativistic acceleration in noninertial frames of a line of objects","authors":"Chris Dobson","doi":"10.1119/5.0144523","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0144523","url":null,"abstract":"A general solution to the problem of relativistic acceleration of point objects in the noninertial frame of any of the objects is given in one spatial dimension. The objects are initially at rest in a common inertial frame and accelerate until they are at rest in a second inertial frame. The starting time and position of each object, the acceleration rate of each object, and the number of objects are arbitrary. The solution gives the position and velocity of each object in the noninertial frame of the host object, and the proper time of each, as functions of the proper time of the host. The method is based on system states for a pair of objects, and it is found that there are nine series of states which cover all cases, including those in which objects are separated from the host by its Rindler horizon. The familiar problems of acceleration of an elastic rod and a (Born) rigid rod are treated, and a number of examples are given of spaceflight sequences for multiple craft in tandem.","PeriodicalId":7589,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140355871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
D. Pérez-Guerrero, B. Morales-Cruzado, G. I. Guerrero-García, E. Sarmiento-Gómez
{"title":"On the Brownian motion of a colloid trapped in optical tweezers: Experiments and simulations","authors":"D. Pérez-Guerrero, B. Morales-Cruzado, G. I. Guerrero-García, E. Sarmiento-Gómez","doi":"10.1119/5.0077571","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0077571","url":null,"abstract":"The trapping potential induced by the interaction of a highly focused laser light with a spherical dielectric particle can be accurately approximated by a parabolic potential. In this work, we revisit experimental and numerical methodologies used to characterize the Brownian motion of a colloidal particle under the influence of a simple harmonic potential produced by optical tweezers. A classic Brownian dynamics simulation is used to model the experimental results, focusing on statistical properties that can be measured by direct visualization of the system using videomicroscopy. This work represents a useful insight into the underlying physics behind the optical tweezers technique, also giving guidelines regarding programming protocols and experimental analysis methodologies, that may be of help for students working with such techniques, as well as for professors teaching undergraduate advanced optics courses.","PeriodicalId":7589,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140355403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Virtual lab: Using spreadsheets to simulate experiments measuring viscosity, BJT NPN curves, and RL circuits","authors":"Ahmed Ali Rajput","doi":"10.1119/5.0185096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0185096","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7589,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140082920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Predicting the axial deformation of an extensible garden hose when pressurized","authors":"Jordi Renart, Pere Roura-Grabulosa","doi":"10.1119/5.0086302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0086302","url":null,"abstract":"Extensible or expandable garden hoses have become popular. However, their behavior may be surprising to physicists. In this paper, the stress–strain equations that explain this behavior are derived and compared with experiments. The results clearly demonstrate that, since deformation is very large, conventional definitions of strain and stress are not useful and so-called real definitions are needed instead.","PeriodicalId":7589,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140085034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matt Beekman, Allison M. Phillips, Muhammad Sabieh Anwar
{"title":"Comment on “Experimental determination of heat capacities and their correlation with theoretical predictions” [Am. J. Phys. 79(11), 1099–1103 (2011)]","authors":"Matt Beekman, Allison M. Phillips, Muhammad Sabieh Anwar","doi":"10.1119/5.0166198","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0166198","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7589,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140086818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Thermal damping of the motion of a piston: Any irreversibility implies dissipation","authors":"David S. Corti, Joshua A. Ciesar, Juan M. Vazquez","doi":"10.1119/5.0166800","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0166800","url":null,"abstract":"We consider the motion of a frictionless piston that separates the surrounding atmosphere from an ideal gas enclosed within a cylinder, with no friction or viscous dissipation arising within the gas or surrounding atmosphere. Although no mechanically based dissipative mechanisms act, the motion of the piston is still damped if heat transfer between the gas and the piston occurs at a finite rate. Hence, as long as some kind of irreversibility develops within the system, such as irreversible heat transfer, the piston will not oscillate back-and-forth indefinitely and must eventually come to rest. We provide detailed thermodynamic and numerical analyses of this thermal damping, various aspects of which should prove useful to both students and instructors when discussing the first and second laws of thermodynamics.","PeriodicalId":7589,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140091321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Designer spectrographs for applications in the advanced undergraduate instructional lab","authors":"Timothy T. Grove, C. Daly, Naomi Jacobs","doi":"10.1119/5.0173768","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0173768","url":null,"abstract":"In an advanced undergraduate instructional laboratory, it is often necessary to analyze the spectrum of light emitted from an experimental setup. There are numerous instruments that are used to accomplish this analysis, including spectrometers and spectrographs. In this report, we present 3D-printed, low-budget spectrographs (∼ US $200), which are specifically designed for different applications. For example, one can either observe a visible spectrum over a large range of wavelengths about a desired center wavelength or achieve more precise measurements by choosing a smaller part of the visible spectrum. Our generalized design approach is well within the knowledge base of advanced undergraduate physics majors and can be applied to a wide range of applications within the visible spectrum. To demonstrate the utility of these designer spectrographs, we provide examples of recording multiple doublets in the sodium spectrum (a determination of the fine structure spin-orbit splitting of the 3p energy level) as well as measuring the wavelength differences between the hydrogen and deuterium Balmer alpha lines (a measurement of an isotope shift).","PeriodicalId":7589,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140091549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"2024 AAPT award citations at the winter meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana","authors":"","doi":"10.1119/5.0200616","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0200616","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7589,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140091950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Frank V. Kowalski, Justin L. Swantek, Tony D’Esposito, Jacob Brannum
{"title":"Voltage decay in an RLC circuit is not what is taught: An advanced laboratory exercise","authors":"Frank V. Kowalski, Justin L. Swantek, Tony D’Esposito, Jacob Brannum","doi":"10.1119/5.0068145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0068145","url":null,"abstract":"At first glance, a simple model of an RLC circuit taught in undergraduate courses provides a reasonable fit to experimental data. However, careful analysis demonstrates that this model does not accurately describe the behavior of the oscillations in this circuit and requires further refinement. Measuring and analyzing data from this system provides an opportunity for advanced lab students to engage in hypothesis construction, modeling, and experimental design as they seek to explain the discrepancy between these data and a model. The learning outcomes of this activity are consistent with the AAPT guidelines on the undergraduate laboratory experience. Furthermore, such experimentation allows students to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the real world.","PeriodicalId":7589,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140088515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}