The value of hands-on experiments in an upper-division classical mechanics course
We share our experience incorporating open-ended experimentation into an upper-division classical mechanics course through project-based learning, including one student’s investigation of a common textbook problem and its unexpected connections to astrophysics. By iterating a computational model and...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
EDP Sciences
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Emergent Scientist |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://emergent-scientist.edp-open.org/articles/emsci/full_html/2025/01/emsci240001/emsci240001.html |
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| Summary: | We share our experience incorporating open-ended experimentation into an upper-division classical mechanics course through project-based learning, including one student’s investigation of a common textbook problem and its unexpected connections to astrophysics. By iterating a computational model and an experimental apparatus, the student participated in inquiry in a way that would not have been possible in a typical classical mechanics course. We advocate the adoption of similar hands-on approaches in the classroom to help upper-division students develop both an understanding of the value of experimentation and an appreciation of the diversity and subtlety of physical phenomena that can emerge in apparently simple systems. |
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| ISSN: | 2556-8779 |