Physics on the web

» Being a physics student » Blow hot, blow cold » Frugal science – The origami microscope » Getting hotter is equal to getting bigger » Of numbers small and large » Osmosis and its reverse » Physics for fun Read More …

Evergreen atomic energy a possibility

Pallava Bagla

A star is set to be born in southern France. A humongous effort costing over $ 20 billion is being made to construct a nuclear reactor like never before, a special steel cauldron where fusion energy could be tapped; it is called the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

King Khan in a physics classroom

Subha Das Mollick
Popular films can be used by teachers to explain physics concepts. However, teachers would need to identify portions that can elevate the classroom experience of the students. Chosen clips from the films should bring the ideas under discussion into sharp focus. This article explains how a clip from the popular film, Swades, can be used to teach the concept of energy.

Some simple experiments with straws

Manish Jain
Straws and potatoes can be used to explain some simple laws of physics. Here are a few experiments which can be tried out in the class or by students on their own. Not only can children have fun with these toys, they can also learn a lot along the way.

It’s all in the mind…

Aruna B V
The classroom can come alive if the teacher introduces fun activities and games while dealing with any topic on physics. In this article, the author, while explaining Newton’s Laws of Motion, introduces three games, for each of the three laws which can be held in any open space. Each of these games is designed to explain the laws in a fun way so that children can relate to them.

Is cricket ball swing affected by the weather?

Rabindra Mehta
Does a cricket ball swing more on a humid or damp day as compared to a relatively dry day? Why do fast bowlers constantly shine the ball? If you are wondering why we are talking cricket here, then it is because physics is part of cricket and by connecting physics to this much loved game, students are bound to be all attentive and teachers can rest assured that learning is happening.

An ice cube on a summer day

Pratyush Tiwary

In this short article, we will try to understand a driving force of nature that is arguably one of the most fundamental and omnipresent – yet generally a bit poorly understood by the average high school student.

Introduction to The ‘why’ and the ‘how’

The art and science of designing experiments Subha Das Mollick Practicals and laboratory work are an inseparable part of any science subject. In the syllabus, 50 percent marks are reserved for practicals. But how are these practical classes held and Read More …

An experiment with falling bodies

Legend has it that Galileo Galilei dropped two weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to prove that objects of different weights fall at the same rate. Historians doubt this claim. They are also sceptical about Galileo’s description in his Read More …

Measuring the smallest unit of charge

Robert A Millikan

It is strange how one thing leads to another. Today, the electron is an accepted fact of life. Even though nobody can vouch that he has seen an electron, scientists have not only found out all its behavioural properties, they have rallied around beams of electrons in CRTs and TV sets and harnessed their behaviour to the benefit of mankind in gadget after gadget.