Electronic Collections of Solved Problems in Physics and Physics Experiments

Abstract

The Collection of Solved Problems in Physics and the Collection of Physics Experiments have been developed at the Department of Physics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University for more than fifteen years. Although they are prepared as support materials for the students of our department, the audience is much larger. The Collection of Physics Problems is used not only by university students of other study programs and universities, but also by lower and upper secondary school students and their teachers. There are more than 950 (in Czech), and 320 (in English) fully solved problems covering all major areas of physics with a specially designed solution structure that promotes active thinking and the development of problem-solving skills. Selected problems are accompanied by interactive components. They are mainly prepared in GeoGebra or Wolfram Mathematica. Their aims are various, e.g., they help to create a correct geometrical view of the problem; they show the temporal development of the process; they simulate a mental process involved in solving the problem; they graphically show the solution for values other than those given; they allow to simulate various alternatives. These elements are designed for free play and exploration by the reader, and they are accompanied by tasks that lead the reader to a deeper understanding of the problem. The Collection of Physics Experiments is widely used by in-service teachers at both levels of secondary education. The collection includes approximately 170 experiments in Czech and 80 experiments in English. The focus is on selecting practical classroom experiments that captivate students. Most experiments come with video sequences presenting sample experiment settings and/or procedures.