The problem of the discharge time of a cylindrical bucket with a hole in the bottom is solved by means of Bernoulli's equation for non-steady flow.Comparison of the results with experiment and with a simplified analysis using Torricelli's law is made. The measurements were made by high-school students in a laboratory session under guidance of instructors. It is noted that, for large ratios between the radius R of the cylinder and the radius r of the hole, the simple formula for the discharge time of a leaking bucket found by means of Torricelli's law can be used to interpret the experimental results, provided effective parameters for the model are defined.
We show that some results in the kinematics of a point particle can be easily recalled by introducing simple definitions. In particular, in the parabolic motion of a particle thrown from a height h above the origin O at an angle θ from the horizontal direction, the optimum angle θ* for reaching the maximum distance Rmax on the ground, measured from the origin, can be found by calculating the inverse tangent of the ratio between the initial velocity V0 and the final velocity Vf. The value of Rmax is itself found to be easily expressed as V0Vf/g, g being the acceleration due to gravity.
In recent years, Modern Physics has been included in the curricula of Italian secondary schools, so that many teachers are asking for specific didactical tools to allow their students to acquire the right skills to deal with final examinations. The Physics Department at University of Salerno (Italy) is, therefore, planning PLS (Piano Lauree Scientifiche / Scientific Degree Project) training courses to give some valid educational paths through new didactical strategies for Physics learning. Introducing quantum mechanics by experimental set-ups with commonly used materials is a rather interesting and challenging task. In fact, this practice allows teacher attending the course to reproduce the same experiments in their own class. Moreover, by using readily available material for the experimental set-up, a soft approach to Modern Physics can be achieved. In the present work, we propose the analysis of an experiment: the measurement of Planck’s constant, one of the most important fundamental quantities in Modern Physics, by means of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). The properties of LEDs can be explained by means of elementary quantum mechanics concepts. As a consequence, when describing the quantum behaviour of these commonly used physical systems, Planck’s constant needs to be considered. Therefore, to illustrate one possible way of measuring Planck’s constant to high-school students, we can make use of the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of a LED. In fact, by opportunely interpreting the measured I-V curves of these systems, by means of a linear fitting the value of Planck’s constant can be obtained.
We present a kinematics problem in the framework of a videogame. Students are asked to find possible extensions of a safety zone on the x -axis to the right of an indestructible defense wall of height h placed at x = d in which the point-like balls, fired by strange attackers from the origin O of an Oxy reference system, cannot fall. We solve this problem analytically and suggest generalizations. This exercise may be appealing to students who play videogames, since it is proposed by recalling typical situations in simple virtual reality
The dynamics of water micro-particles in air can be studied by introducing a viscous force in the equations of the motion, in addition to the weight of the particle and the buoyance force. In this work, by taking account of the buoyance force, the range of the micro-particle is calculated as a function of the angle at which it is released. An analytic-numerical procedure to find the angle giving the maximum range is indicated. The effect of a convective air flow is finally studied.
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