Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Teresa L. Larkin, American University; Ben Hein

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

students rank-orderedapproximately 6 – 10 items that were important to them as they prepared to study for any course.Students were also asked to describe how they used each learning tool they identified. For thepurposes of this paper, Tables I and II illustrate the students’ number one item on their rank-ordered lists. Table I. Physics 100 (n = 43) Most Essential Learning Tool Needed to Study Number 1 Learning Tool Number of Responses % of Responses textbook, class notes 12 27.9 comfortable work place/quiet 11 25.6 computer 6

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Evan C. Lemley, University of Central Oklahoma; Thomas Chen

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

computational research and the research infrastructure atUCO. The process to acquire and deploy the ​Buddy​ Cluster will be detailed including the processto solicit proposals from and choose a cluster vendor. The process to get users working in thecluster environment - including internet browser-based access and use of certain cluster softwareand the use of more standard command line access and use - are discussed.IntroductionThere is a recognition of the national need for developing high performance computing (HPC)resources, which include human resources that will use this technology. In March 2007 theNational Science Foundation (NSF) released a report entitled “Cyberinfrastructure Vision for21st Century Discovery”​1​ that addresses how high

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Haridas Kumarakuru, Northeastern University; Don Heiman, Northeastern University; Bala Maheswaran, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

. For example, Richard Feynman was famousfor persuading scientists and mathematicians to explain complex ideas using only simpleterminology. This can also be extended to the connection between theory and experiment. RobertMillikan stated “The fact that science walks forward on two feet, namely theory andexperiment…….”[1] Although the understanding of physics may start from theoretical conceptsexplained in the lecture room, those ideas when complemented with laboratory experiments revealthe simple truths via observations and analysis. Physics is experiential.Indeed, experiments in the Advanced Physics Lab (APL) are different from those in theintroductory physics lab (IPL). APL experiments should be carefully designed to go beyond thesimple

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hector A. Ochoa, Stephen F. Austin State University; Christopher J. Aul, Stephen F. Austin State University; Dan Bruton, Stephen F. Austin State University; Collin J. Timmons, Stephen F. Austin State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

, andhow we are able to locate an object using an antenna. Due to the complexity of designing atracking circuit, each group was given the circuit diagram of Figure 1. Then they were asked tobuild the circuit on the breadboard using standard laboratory components. It needs to be notedthat each team built their own inductor (coil) using magnet wire. As a result, each tracking circuitwas working at a different frequency. Antenna R2 C2 L1 U1 2.2kΩ 33pF

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Phy

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Ross, University of Detroit Mercy; Jenna Ross, Utica Center for Mathematics Science and Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

, persuasivespeaking, and physics. Our unique program targets incoming high school freshmen from adiverse urban population. For several years the physics course was based on a traditionalintroductory college mechanics laboratory curriculum. This curriculum was not inquiry-basedand provided only limited opportunities for students to construct their own knowledge byperforming open-ended activities.Scholarly research into the teaching and, more importantly, the learning of physics has providedvaluable guidance for the design of innovative curricula and pedagogy 1 . The pedagogicalstrategies that are able to demonstrate high rates of student achievement, as measured bystandardized examinations, involve some form of what is commonly called interactiveengagement

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics or Engineering Physics C

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Baha Jassemnejad, University of Central Oklahoma; Wei Pee, University of Central Oklahoma; Mathew Mounce, University of Central Oklhoma

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

custom builtgear box.The team kept an engineering journal which they maintained every day. With this journal they Page 13.697.4were able to document the design, building, and testing of their robot. Charts 1 and 2, Gantt chartand testing data respectively, are two examples of what they recorded in their journal. Thepractice of keeping their engineering journal was difficult for them at first but with constantreminder and the need for them to refer back to their activities they learned quickly journals arean invaluable tool for building as well as later analysis of their progress. Gantt Chart Week 1

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics or Engineering Physics C

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Jonassen, University of Missouri

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

condition. Hume was one of the first modern philosophers to explorecausality. He identified the important attributes of causation [1, p. 116]:“1. The cause and effect must be contiguous in space and time. 2. The cause must be prior to the effect. 3. There must be a constant union betwixt the cause and effect.”That is, causation arises from the empirical relations of contiguity, temporal succession, andconstant conjunction. Spatiotemporal contiguity refers to the repeated and consistent associationsamong causes and effects in space or time. If kicking a ball always results in ball movement,humans induce a causal relationship. Temporal succession (AKA temporal priority) claims thatcauses always precede effects, not the other way around 10. Constant

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Phy

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Jonassen, University of Missouri; Young Hoan Cho, University of Missouri; Carlos Wexler, University of Missouri

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

, dynamics,fluids, oscillatory motion, waves and thermodynamics. Data were collected throughout thespring, 2007 semester.InstrumentsAssessment instruments included standard examinations for the course that included bothquantitative problems and conceptual questions. Embedded within these examinations werecalculation questions (see example in Figure 1) and conceptual questions requiringcomprehension of the relationships among problem elements but no calculations (seeexample in Figure 2). These exams were time-restricted and completed during normalclassroom periods during the semester. Student exam scores were calculated by adding thepoint values achieved by the students on all of the calculation questions plus the conceptualquestions that were

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeff Jalkio, University of St. Thomas; Arnold Weimerskirch, University of St. Thomas

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

for the implementation of qualityimprovement programs, we believe that much can be learned from the work of manufacturingquality experts such as Juran2, Crosby3, and Deming4. The fact that their work has producedclear, measurable results in many diverse industries has motivated our efforts to apply theirmethods to improving the quality of our graduate and undergraduate engineering programs at ouruniversity. In particular, we have adopted a Continual Improvement Process which employs Dr.W. Edwards Deming’s Plan-Do-Check-Act model to encourage systematic quality improvementin multiple ways within our school.The Deming cycle, shown in figure 1 and also known as the Shewart cycle, and the PDCA cycle

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics Classroom

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gerald Rothberg, Stevens Institute of Technology; Pavel Boytchev, Sofia University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

an experimental setup to observe the temperature of water as it is heated in a calorimeterfrom ice at low temperatures to liquid to vapor at high temperatures. A mercury thermometer isincluded as well as digital instruments for measuring time, temperature, heater voltage and massof water in the liquid state. When the experiment is running the student sees the readings of theinstruments changing and the liquid rising in the thermometer.Figure 1. Softlab setup to measure temperature of water as heated. The buttons on the left side call up a variety of instruments, which the student connects ashe wishes, and provide for other substances besides water. More instruments and substances willbe added as development continues. The experimental

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics Classroom

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gerald Rothberg, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

few might be useful. Table 1 summarizes the grades of all students having taken the course, 233 beforeintroducing the wireless technology and 298 after. At any one grade level the before and afterresults do not differ significantly. There is, however, a consistent shift of a few percent in gradesfrom F and D to C and A. The grading scale is not curved, it is absolute, and the gradeboundaries did not change during the project. The fact that grades have not declined, and mighthave improved slightly, despite the increased emphasis on concepts and increased reliance on the Page 12.170.3textbook is evidence of the benefits to me, the

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Radian Belu, Wayne State University; Alexandru Catalin Belu, Wayne State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

computationalresources and time. Page 12.1547.2The paper is organized as follows. Section 1 of this paper is reserved for introduction andwe will sketch the finite difference methods, section 2 and 3 are reserved for thepresentation of the discrete formulation of mechanics and electrodynamics, and wereview some of the engineering applications of this approach in section 4. Thepedagogical implementation of such formulations is discussed in section 5, and the lastsection is reserved for conclusions, discussion and future work.1.1 Finite Difference MethodsThe finite difference methods was developed by A. Tom in the early 1920s under the title“methods of squares” to solve

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bala Maheswaran, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

was done to see how much the motor design project motivatedour students to learn the course materials. About hundred students participated in the survey. Thedata was analyzed using a spreadsheet and the outcome will be reported in this paper.IntroductionProject based teaching is an interesting concept and is in practice at several institutions1-2. Howmuch these activities influence learning is always a varying opinion3-5. Like other colleges, at ourinstitution most of the engineering students take Engineering Physics 1 and 2. As part ofEngineering Physics 2 course requirement6, a design project to build Electric Motor7 wasassigned, (details given in appendix1). In order to build the motor, students have to understandthe function of the motor

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angeles Dominguez, Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM); Genaro Zavala, Tecnologico de Monterrey; Juan Antonio Alanis

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

implemented. The major topics covered in theFis-Mat course are presented in Table 1.Table 1.Topics covered in Fis-Mat corresponding to Physics I, Calculus I, and some from Calculus II(courses for engineering majors). Physics content Calculus content • Vectors • Linear model • Motion at constant speed • Quadratic model • Motion with constant acceleration • Derivatives • Constant acceleration, quantitative • Euler’s method • Motion in two dimensions • Noncontinuous functions • Energy • Integral • Work • Line

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Warren A. Turner, Westfield State University; Glenn W. Ellis, Smith College; Robert J. Beichner, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

physics education has matured and grown. A reasonablycomprehensive description of the state of the field can be found elsewhere 1. The process ofidentifying misconceptions, creating curricula to address those misconceptions and then evaluatingthe efficacy of instruction has been applied to many areas of physics 2, perhaps nowhere moresuccessfully than mechanics. In that arena, many well-validated and established instruments exist,including the Mechanics Baseline Test 3, Test of Understanding Graphics in Kinematics (TUG-K)4 Page 24.34.2and the Force Concept Inventory5 to name but a few. Physics educators have created a wide varietyof research

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Teresa L. Larkin, American University; Victoria "Tori" Vogel, American University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

five academicschools within the university with over 60 undergraduate majors available. With such amix of diverse academic options, the setting encompasses a wide range of studentperspectives.In terms of its faculty, 95% of full-time teaching faculty at American University holds thehighest degree in their field. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 12:1. As requiredby its robust general education program, all students are required to complete two coursesfrom within the various STEM departments on campus as well as a basic math course.To analyze the perceptions of students of a career in STEM, it was important to collect awider framework for the empirical data. The majority of subjects originated from the300-level, Modern Physics course

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harold T. Evensen, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

. The course begins with a laborientation and an exercise that introduces students to temperature measurement using an analogtemperature sensor,1 a serial DAQ2 and programming with Visual Basic 6 (VB6): studentsconstruct a sensor, calibrate it, and write a VB6 program that uses the DAQ to read the sensor’soutput and displays the measured temperature. Page 24.125.2After the class completes this introductory procedure, the course is run as a round-robinlaboratory, where student teams spend three two-hour class periods at a sensor station and thenrotate to another experiment. At these stations, students explore different sensors (strain gages

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Melissa Eblen-Zayas, Carleton College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

. In a small liberal artscollege without any follow-up courses in MSE, we decided that the two overarching objectivesfor this course were to enable students to 1) assess whether a particular material is appropriatefor a particular application through consideration of the structure, properties, and processing of amaterial, and 2) to research and evaluate a material and its appropriateness for potentialapplications and present their findings to a specified audience. We also wanted to use this courseto develop ancillary skills in written communication, including communication of quantitativeinformation.Content. Originally, course content was selected primarily based on what is typically covered inan introductory materials science and engineering

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marie Lopez del Puerto, University of St. Thomas; Adam S Green, University of St. Thomas; Jeffrey A. Jalkio, University of St. Thomas; Marty Johnston, University of St. Thomas; Paul R Ohmann, University of St. Thomas (MN)

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Association ofPhysics Teacher’s “Statement on Computational Physics” says, “Computational physics hasbecome a third way of doing physics and complements traditional modes of theoretical andexperimental physics.” 1 Computation should be an important component in the physicsundergraduate curriculum, and ideally it should merge seamlessly with the rest of the curriculum.Throughout the past 15 years, the University of St. Thomas physics department has beenimplementing an integrated physics curriculum where students gain the theoretical, experimental,computational, and communication skills they will need to succeed in their careers. Thecomputational work in our department began with an NSF-sponsored effort (DUE-0311432) todevelop computational modules in

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David K. Probst P.E., Southeast Missouri State University; Yumin Zhang, Southeast Missouri State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

. IntroductionThermodynamics has a long history of development and now it is applied to many disciplinesbeyond science and engineering.1-3 In the 17th century people investigated the relationshipsbetween temperature, pressure and volumes of various gasses; in addition, the prototype of thesteam engine was invented. In the 18th century the steam engine became practical, andthermodynamics is the theory behind this new machine that powered the industrial revolution. Inthe 19th century the laws of thermodynamics were formulated, and the concept of entropy wasintroduced. In the 20th century the theory of thermodynamics was expanded into many differentfields, such as information theory, economics and sociology, etc.Unlike courses such as Engineering Mechanics, Engineering

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert A Ross, University of Detroit Mercy

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

physics course or a more advanced laboratory course oncircuits. The pedagogical value of the activity is two-fold. First, it provides a clear visualrepresentation of the power factor, and second it serves as a springboard for further discussion ofthe nature of the phase relationship of reactive circuit elements.IntroductionA common introductory physics text book definition of the power factor is something along thelines of: “the voltage v has some phase angle φ with respect to the current i….The factor cosφ iscalled the power factor of the circuit.”1 A more practical definition is adopted in advancedtexts. There the power factor is defined as the cosine of the phase angle of the compleximpedance. However it is defined, the power factor has

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harold T. Evensen, University of Wisconsin, Platteville; W. Doyle St.John, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Physics (EP) Lab” – istypically taken in a student’s third year. It has advanced prerequisite courses, enabling more in-depth studies of physical phenomena and more sophisticated numerical analysis. Indeed, manyPhysics programs have a similar type of course. While an important part of the curriculum, ithas lacked a “unifying idea” that helps explain the course to employers and students: it largelyconsisted of student groups rotating among challenging, but unrelated, experiments. Metrology,the science of measurement, is a core competency of STEM fields and plays a key role inmodern engineering practice. It deals with several aspects that are common to (or readilyadapted to) our laboratory course: (1) uncertainty in measurements (and its

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve E. Watkins, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Electronic Devices course.A. Change to EE and CpE CurriculaSelected courses in the prior curricula for B.S. degrees in electrical engineering (EE) andcomputer engineering (CpE) are shown in Figure 1. Although the degrees were offered withinthe same department, the EE degree requirements and the CpE degree requirements had limitedoverlap. Common in-department requirements were limited to basic circuit analysis andcomputer engineering content, i.e. Circuits I EE 151, Circuits II EE 153, and Introduction toComputer Engineering CpE 111, and associated laboratories. (The EE and CpE course numbersare designated such that the first digit refers to the year, e.g. 1XX course for sophomore level;the second digit for the area, e.g. 12X for devices and 15X for

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bala Maheswaran, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

AC 2012-3390: HOW MUCH PHYSICS THE FIRST-YEAR ENGINEER-ING STUDENTS REALLY NEED: A STUDY AND SURVEYDr. Bala Maheswaran, Northeastern University Bala Maheswaran, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115. Page 25.701.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 1 How much Physics the First Year Engineering Students really need: A Study and Survey AbstractFreshmen engineering courses are the eye opener for engineering students in

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics III

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrian Ieta, Oswego State University College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

,impressions, and enthusiasm are presented. The course was refreshing in terms of researchperformed at undergraduate level. We hope that our experience can be useful to others teachingsimilar courses.IntroductionHands-on learning stimulates curiosity, renders relevant the theory used in the classroom, andprovides practical foundation for senior capstone projects [1]. It is known that there aresignificant difficulties in transferring learning from one field to another, such as mathematics tophysics. Laboratory work helps such transfer of skills and is an important component for studentsuccess and preparation for real-life [2, 3]. Physics faculty could also help by focusing on how tointerpret real-world information and to set up the solution. [4

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hatem M. Wasfy, Advanced Science and Automation Corp.; Tamer M. Wasfy, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Jeanne Peters, Advanced Science and Automation Corp.; Riham M. Mahfouz, Thomas Nelson Community College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

traditional classroom/textbook/lab instruction5.Content DeliveryThe course content represents the information that the students should know after going throughthe course. In a fully automated online course, the content can be delivered in 3 methods:1. Written content is delivered as web pages or pdf, doc or other file formats. This is the method employed by most online courses that are offered today.2. Pre-recorded content can be in audio or video form. Although some students prefer listening or watching a video of a lecture to reading, this method of delivery offers the least flexibility in terms of making changes to the course. This is due to the fact that even to add a single word, an entire segment usually needs to be recorded anew.3

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Phys

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chih-Hsiung Ku, National Dong-Hwa University, Taiwan(R.O.C.); Wen-Cheng Chen, National Dong-Hwa University, Taiwan(R.O.C.)

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

changing world. For example, knowledge and skills fromscience, technology, engineering, and mathematics—the so-called STEM fields—are crucial toeveryone, and all students should be educated to be “STEM-capable” 1. However, there are manyfactors affecting students’ learning performance in school, such as students’ attitude, motivation,and self-efficacy.Motivation is a crucial factor affecting students’ learning in school. It can be defined as anyprocess that initiates and maintains learning behavior. Motivation is important for learningbecause students can not learn unless they are motivated 2. Therefore, motivation could beviewed as an essential pre-requisite and co-requisite for learning.Attitude can be considered as a learning outcome. It is

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Teresa Larkin, American University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

focus on how writing can be used with a minimal investment of time.Finally, the importance of effective instructor feedback will be discussed along with ways toprovide that feedback in such a way that students have time to adjust their thinking while thelearning is actually taking place.I. INTRODUCTION A primary purpose of teaching is to promote and enhance student learning. However,traditional teaching methodologies have clearly been shown to put students in a role of passiverather than active learning [1]. Traditional instructional methods have also been shown to bevery inadequate in terms of promoting deep learning and long-term retention of importantconcepts. Students in traditional classrooms acquire most of their “knowledge

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Warren Turner, Westfield State College; Glenn Ellis, Smith College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

time-consuming version of thisactivity involves the frame-by-frame analysis of the readings of a bathroom scale filmedin a moving elevator.1 The development of computer-interfaced force probes simplifiedthe data collection and allowed for forces on small objects (2 kg) to be measured in anelevator2. As we describe below, the Vernier FP-BTA Force Plate, LabPro interface andLoggerPro 3 software3 allow us to take this experiment to an entirely new level bymaking the student the focus of the experiment and utilizing their kinesthetic sense toincrease learning and motivation4. Not only is it possible for students to accuratelymeasure the forces—and consequently the motion—of the elevator ride; now they canalso see these graphs in real-time while

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth M. Purcell, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

MP WP Text HRW HRW Knight HRW Avg Final 65% (52 65% (48 66% (47 64% (46Exam Grade students) students) students) students)Table  1:  Final  Exam  grades  for  PHYS  205  with  online  learning  system  and  textbook  used.    MP  =  MasteringPhysics.    WP  =  WileyPlus.  HRW  =  Halliday,  Resnick,  and  Walker.  HW  =  Conventional  HomeworkTable 1 shows the cumulative final exam grade for the calculus