Posters

• Astronomy Poster

  • • Authentic Astronomical Research in Educational Settings Using JS9

    • PST1C01
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Terry Matilsky,*, Eric Mandel, Pam Perry

    • Type: Poster
    • How can we provide an authentic research experience to students who want to find out what science is REALLY about? We couple JS9, a fun to use, web-based image display environment, with archival satellite data to allow students to perform astronomical analysis remotely using their browser. Energy spectra, light curves, periodic phenomena, and much more can be explored, using data from thousands of deep sky objects, spanning the gamut of observed energies, from infra-red emission to gamma rays. Since this system is platform independent, it is especially useful in the classroom, as well as in distance learning environments.

  • • LIGO Analysis in a Few Lines of MATLAB Code

    • PST1C03
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    
    • by Duncan Carlsmith,
    • Type: Poster
    • Analysis of open data from exciting big science experiments can engage physics students in courses incorporating computation. This poster illustrates how gravitational wave data from LIGO may be analyzed with a few lines of MATLAB code, reproducing results that led to a recent Nobel prize. The code is used in a tutorial exercise for first year undergraduates.

  • • Modeling the Disk of the Milky Way Galaxy

    • PST1C05
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Sarah Gonzalez,, Ava Doyle, Chris Huang, Heidi Jo Newberg

    • Type: Poster
    • The purpose of this project is to map stars within the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. We accomplish this goal through methods of statistical photometric parallax. Potential substructure has been identified and linked to galactic wiggles, the Hercules Aquila Cloud, and the Hercules Halo Stream.

  • • NANOGrav Outreach through Homework Questions

    • PST1C07
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    
    • by Carl Schmiedekamp,
    • Type: Poster
    • As part of the NANOGrav collaboration’s outreach activities, we have developed a set of homework questions that have the goal of increasing interest in the astrophysics related to gravitational waves and pulsars. NANOGrav is the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves, a National Science Foundation Physics Frontiers Center. The questions are on common introductory topics such as density, rotational motion, and centripetal force but use pulsars and gravitational waves as the subjects of the situations described. The questions are targeted to introductory, algebra-based physics classes and are applicable for college as well as high school classes. The questions will be provided in text format via the NANOGrav website and with solutions on the Living Physics Portal and in WebAssign.

  • • NASA and National Science Olympiad Universe of Learning Astronomy Program

    • PST1C02
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    
    • by Donna Young,
    • Type: Poster
    • There are opportunities to become involved with the NASA UoL and NSO STEM Literacy Network. NSO, a well-established and successful program for 35 years, is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of K12 science education, increasing interest in science for all students, creating a STEM literate workforce, and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by students and educators. These goals are achieved by participating in events at invitational, regional, state and national tournaments, and incorporating Science Olympiad events into classroom curricula. Events address NGSS scientific practices, crosscutting concepts and core disciplinary ideas from every scientific discipline, including physics and astronomy. Participation at the post-secondary level by Science Olympiad alumni have resulted in opportunities for hosting an invitational, writing an invitational, regional or state event test, becoming an event supervisor, or contributing questions to the national test bank or mentoring teams preparing for competition in the space science events.

  • • Pulsar Search Collaboratory -- Building a Research Community

    • PST1C04
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Sue Ann Heatherly,, Harsha Blumer, Natalia Lewandowska, Kathryn Williamson, Cabot Zabriske

    • Type: Poster
    • The Pulsar Search Collaboratory (PSC), now in its 12th year, engages high school students, undergraduate students, K-12 teachers, and professional astronomers in a shared research enterprise -- to discover pulsars and radio transients and to understand their properties. The PSC is unique in that all of our "audiences" participate together in one community of practice. In this poster we will describe how the PSC works and discuss our findings; the new discoveries made by community members, as well as our educational research results.

  • • Globe at Night

    • PST1C06
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Robert Sparks,, Constance Walker

    • Type: Poster
    • Globe at Night is international in nature, inviting citizen-scientists around the world to measure and submit night sky brightness observations in their locale. It is designed to raise public awareness of the disappearing starry night sky caused by lightpollution. During ten days per month of moonless evenings, citizen-scientists worldwide record the night sky brightness in a “star hunt” for the faintest star visible. They then submit their choice of star map online or with a smart phone along with their date, time and location to help create a light pollution map worldwide. On-the-fly mapping can be used to see contributed observations immediately. Postcards, activity guides and report pages are available in multiple languages. STEM activities for young children (Dark Skies Rangers) and problem-based learning activities for older students (Quality Lighting Teaching Kit) are integrated with the program.

• Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences (IPLS)

  • • Why You Should Use Normalized Gain and How To Use

    • FG04
    • Tue 01/21, 9:30AM - 10:30AM
    
    
    • by Vincent Coletta
    • Type: Poster
    • Normalized gain has long been applied to pre and post testing on concept inventories and used as a measure of learning in introductory physics classes. We show how normalized gain has been used to improve learning in those classes. We also show that one must be careful in making comparisons of normalized gains when those comparisons involve significantly different student populations. One must take into account some independent measure of those populations. We describe how one can do this. Failure to do so is an example of omitted variable bias.

  • • Beautiful Natural Phenomena

    • FG05
    • Tue 01/21, 9:30AM - 10:30AM
    
    
    • by Mohamed Ellid,
    • Type: Poster
    • Several beautiful wiggling patterns (similar to a goalkeeper net) were projected on the sand underwater, most of the figures look lhexagonal in shape. The color inside the hexagonal was gray (like a shadow), while the border of the hexagonal was very shine like we have a source of light present at the border of the patterns. The depth of the water at the shore was about 120 cm. It took me a few minutes trying to find a physical explanations to this fascinating phenomena. Finally I a came up with an idea that, the reason behind the shadows color inside these shapes was due to partial absorption of the light rays incident on the flat part of the water (in fact water is transparent to visible wavelengths, it strongly absorbs both ultraviolet light below 300nm and infrared wavelengths over 1300nm). I think the reason behind the very bright borders is due to the behavior of the water waves , which acts as a convergence lens flatten from one side . Since the rays from the Sun are parallel and it happens that the position of the sand was near the focal point of this lens, so the Sun rays will be focused on the border of these patterns and it looks very shining, while inside of these patterns looks dimmer. This explanation was supported using a very simple optical formula.

  • • Change of Students’ Attitudes in a Redesigned Lecture

    • FG06
    • Tue 01/21, 9:30AM - 10:30AM
    
    
    • by Guillaume Schiltz,
    • Type: Poster
    • Students with non-physics majors often lack a motivational incentive in studying physics and they struggle in viewing physics as a valuable subject for their own discipline. To overcome these motivational issues, we have completely redesigned a compulsory calculus-based first year introductory physics lecture which is offered to students in biology together with students in pharmaceutical sciences. By making physics more accessible, we hope that students also change their attitudes and beliefs of learning physics. To that end, we are relying on CLASS, the “Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey” that we administered as a pre- and as a posttest. In this poster, we discuss the question to what extent the redesigned physics lecture induces changes in the students’ attitudes of learning physics and how well we succeed in making the students think like a physicist.

• Labs/Apparatus

  • • Engaging Students in the Learning Process: Active Learning Labs for Scientists and Engineers

    • PST2B01
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Irene Guerinot,, Jordan Woodward, Sarah Woodward

    • Type: Poster
    • The goals of introductory physics laboratories have been evolving over the past 70 years. To design effective instruction and excellent laboratory programs, we need to listen to the students and find ways to learn and understand how they process physics concepts. We will discuss a new suite of laboratory exercises and class demonstrations designed by two undergraduate engineering students in collaboration with their physics professor. The new labs will be benefiting our engineering, math, biochemistry, and teacher licensure students. We will also discuss the challenges and successes we encountered during this effort.

  • • A Low Cost Muon Telescope

    • PST2B05
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Erik Belhage,*, Freja Guttesen, Ian Bearden

    • Type: Poster
    • Using two disk shaped Geiger Müller counters a simple muon detector can be constructed, giving students and teachers an opportunity to further their investigation into particle physics and radioactivity beyond the scope of traditional measurements concerning half-life and half-value thickness of radioactive sources. Adding a third counter, the efficiency of the detectors easily can be estimated by setting them up in line, and the probability of recording background counts on all three detectors simultaneously can be estimated from setting them up spatially apart measuring coincidences. The poster will be split threefold. The setup’s characteristics including efficiency estimations, digital solutions for data collection for use in secondary and tertiary physics education and finally the measurements.

  • • Improving Precision for TeachSpin’s Faraday Rotation DC Activities

    • PST2B07
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    
    • by Patricia Allen,
    • Type: Poster
    • TeachSpin’s Faraday Rotation manual includes two DC and four AC activities to find the Verdet constant for a glass rod. While the AC activities lead to consistent and precise values for the Verdet constant, the two DC activities can result in imprecise Verdet constants markedly different from AC values and each other. The small angle approximation for Malus’ Law can be used, together with relation for the rotation angle = VBL (V is the Verdet constant, B is the applied magnetic field, and L is the length of the material), to derive the relative intensity for any angle of the polarizer. This relationship will be presented, along with how it can be applied to two special cases: extinction (when intensity is a minimum) and half-maximum (intensity is halved). Results for SF-57 will be included, along with a comparison to the DC activities described in the TeachSpin manual. While many may be familiar with the small angle approach, others may benefit from this addition to the TeachSpin suite of Faraday Rotation activities.

  • • Line of Sight Communication

    • PST2B09
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Dakota Turk,, Roman Shikula, Adam Clemons, Steven Arbogast

    • Type: Poster
    • This project utilizes two raspberry pis, LEDs and a camera module to send a string of text from one raspberry pi to the other across an open distance. This works by using the LEDs controlled by the raspberry pi as placeholders in a binary array; a light on represent a 1 in the list; a light off represents a 0. Using the camera module attached to the second raspberry pi, we can take a picture of the set up of LEDs and determine what binary character is being represented at that moment. Using a simple console based program we can have the LEDs send multiple characters until the end of a string, all while the other detects and interprets the LED-binary array.

  • • Student Evaluations of Cookbook versus Guided Inquiry Laboratory Activities

    • PST2B11
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Brian Thoms,, Sumith Doluweera

    • Type: Poster
    • Laboratory exercises for an introductory algebra-based physics sequence were redesigned from “cookbook” style to guided inquiry. Student opinions regarding aspects of the labs were collected through Likert-scale and open-answer questions before and afterthe redesign. The redesign led to increased agreement by students to statements that labs helped them to learn physics and were interesting. Students also significantly increased their evaluations of helpfulness, preparation, and knowledge of the lab instructors (graduate student teaching assistants). Student comments, grades, and conceptual survey results will also be reported.

  • • Measurement Errors, Random and Systematic, Illustrated to Students

    • PST2B13
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    
    • by Jingbo Ye,
    • Type: Poster
    • Almost always in the first lab of entry-level physics measurement errors or uncertainties are discussed. Standard instruments, often rulers or scales, are used to illustrate random errors, sometimes systematic errors. I will present a newly designed lab in which both the random and systematic errors are made sizable and clearly illustrated to students, through a basic length measurement with specially made rulers and lab procedures. Guidance in data taking and analysis is provided to students so that they will have a good understanding about the process of estimating either type of the errors, through the numbers that they obtain in their own measurements. A discussion of random error propagation is also included in the lab, and the concept of instrument calibration is brought to the students’ attention to fight systematic errors.

  • • Classroom Research with Noyce Scholars Is Rewarding and Improves Learning

    • PST2B15
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    
    • by Jeffrey Williams,
    • Type: Poster
    • Bridgewater State University (BSU) has had Noyce funding for the last six years and has supported four physics majors. Physics majors with Noyce funding are also hired to serve as Learning Assistants in our Introductory Calculus Based Physics courses. One of those students was very interested in working toward improving the laboratory work of the students in the class. Over the last two years we have experimented with two different methods to improve the student lab reports. We compared the effectiveness of pre-laboratory data activities versus scaffolded laboratory procedures. This poster will report on the results of that work. Supported by BSU ATP summer research program and support for Noyce scholars from NSF Noyce grant DUE-1339779.

  • • A PSoC Coincidence Counting Unit for Single Photon Investigations

    • PST2B02
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Mark Masters,, Justin Smethers

    • Type: Poster
    • We present results of more single photon investigations using our low cost ($50) Cypress PSoC based Coincidence Counting Unit.

  • • Investigating Energy Loss in a Simple Pendulum

    • PST2B06
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Sytil Murphy,
    • Type: Poster
    • The simple pendulum is one of the standard systems in physics used to analyze conservation of mechanical energy. However, in order for energy conservation to be seen, assumptions have to be made and steps taken to validate these assumptions. For example,the pendulum is often made with a small metal ball for the bob and energy transfer over a single oscillation is measured in order to minimize energy loss due to air resistance and other forms of friction. Video analysis provides a means of observing the total energy of a pendulum as a function of time, allowing students to investigate energy loss from the system in order to better see the circumstances in which energy can be considered conserved. Particularly striking is a comparison of the behavior of a pendulum with a metal ball for the bob to one with a Styrofoam bob.

  • • Simple Measurements of the Speed of Light

    • PST2B08
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Mark Rupright,
    • Type: Poster
    • I outline two simple undergraduate laboratory activities for measuring the speed of light. The first measures the wavelength of microwaves of known frequency. The second measures the speed of a high frequency modulated laser directly by changing distancebetween transmitter and receiver. Both methods exploit intentional systematic errors to ensure high-precision distance measurements and analysis. These activities introduce students to the benefits and potential pitfalls of fundamental data analysis techniques.

  • • The NBI-ULAB Table Top PET Scanner

    • PST2B10
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Ian Bearden,
    • Type: Poster
    • In addition to being valuable medical imaging devices, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanners provide a direct demonstration of what is almost certainly the most widely known physics equation in the history of human endeavours. While almost everyoneknows the equation, E=mc**2, many don’t fully understand its implications. In order to help pupils and students attain this understanding, we have developed a “toy” PET Scanner consisting of two BiGS gamma spectrometers, and a simple DAQ. Students “image” a 22Na source and discover that the 2 gammas produced in the annihilation process always have the same energy and that they are always emitted “back-to-back”. Depending on the students’ prior knowledge, this can lead to a discussion of how actual PET scanners work, why coincidence measurements are useful, or even how one could use the device to estimate the e+-e- collision relative velocity distribution.

  • • Training TAs to Teach Non-traditional Labs

    • PST2B12
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Jennifer Delgado,
    • Type: Poster
    • Less traditional labs require less traditional instruction from laboratory instructors. For most large universities, labs are taught by graduate teaching assistants (TAs), who often do not have a lot of pedagogical training. For two years at KU we have tried a new format for training our TAs. We report preliminary findings on using interviews, question games, debates and practice labs to train TAs to use a more Socratic method of teaching in their labs.

  • • Experimentally Mapping Sound Wave Intensity vs. Distance

    • PST2B14
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Nicholas Johnson,*, Victoria Colvin, Soumitra Ganguly, Sebastian Lee, Suraj Thapa Magar

    • Type: Poster
    • The sound intensity is measured as a function of distance from a single loudspeaker. An open speaker is placed on a table, and then a detector is moved away from the speaker along the axis perpendicular to the plane containing the speaker. The sound waves emitted from the speaker are subject to reflections from the boundaries (e.g. walls) of the room. By using a motion detector in conjunction with the sound detector, we collected data for a plot of sound intensity level (in dB) versus distance (in m). The intensity level varies linearly with the logarithm of the distance from the speaker, but some local maxima and minima are also observed, in good agreement with theoretical predictions when accounting for interference from reflections. This was an undergraduate student research project.

  • • Pedagogical Materials to Cure Misconceptions Connecting Special and General Relativity

    • PST2B16
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Ron Pepino,, Risley Mabile

    • Type: Poster
    • Many professional physicists do not fully understand the implications of the Einstein equivalence principle of general relativity. Consequently, they are unaware of the fact that special relativity is fully capable of handling accelerated reference frames. We present results from our nationwide survey that confirm this is the case. We discuss the possible origins of this misconception and then suggest new materials for educators to use while introducing both special and general relativity. These materials can help prevent the propagation of this misunderstanding to the next generation of physicists.

• Lecture/Classroom

  • • Simple Communication Hacks to Improve your Physics Teaching

    • PST1A01
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    
    • by Rebecca Lindell,
    • Type: Poster
    • Often students express dislike for their physics courses in statements like “it is too hard”, “I never knew what was going on” and “I don’t understand”. Even after successfully completing these courses, former students will often express an “ugh” reaction to physics courses. This may seem like an insurmountable problem to fix, but by simply changing how we communicate inside and outside of our physics courses affects not only our students’ learning, but also their overall satisfaction with our course and whether they will decide to take additional courses. As these are the main goals of any physics course, it is important that we adjust our communication style to better serve our students. In this poster I will present multiple simple communication hacks that can easily be adapted into our teaching style that will greatly improve how students perceive us and our courses.

  • • Improving Student Success in Introductory Physics Courses at ERAU

    • PST1A03
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Richard Pearson III,, Bryan Armentrout, Muhammad Farooq, John Hughes, Terry Oswalt

    • Type: Poster
    • Nearly half of the first-year students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) take an introductory, calculus-based physics course within their first two terms as collegiate learners. Though nearly all enter as high-performing secondary graduates,difficulties completing, understanding, and problem-solving introductory physics concepts are common among them. To better identify, isolate, and improve cognitive processing pertaining to the physics material, research-based changes to ERAU’s PS150 course have been made, including the addition of a weekly, instructor-led recitation, a preliminary mathematical assessment, supplemental instruction periods led by graduate students, and course uniformity across the PS150 sections. Qualitative and quantitative data concerning these items will be discussed, as well as some preliminary longitudinal information of the implementation’s effectiveness.

  • • An Introductory Short Course Conductors, Semiconductors and Superconductors

    • PST1A05
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    
    • by Mark Masters,
    • Type: Poster
    • Our physics department has introduced a concentration in Materials Science (or Materials Physics if you like). One of the courses we offer is a 5-week, 1 credit hour class on Conductors, Semiconductors, and Superconductors. This course has minimal prerequisites (algebra) and is part of a 3-course sequence with the second being Optical and Magnetic properties of solids, and the third being Thermal properties of solids. All these classes rely heavily on hands-on activities. These activities will be described for the conductors class. We will discuss course goals and learning outcomes.

  • • Elephants That Help Glaciers Move: A Simple Integrative Activity in Thermodynamics

    • PST1A07
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    
    • by Michael Waxman,*
    • Type: Poster
    • We consider the movement of glaciers and trace back the main principles used to explain the decrease of the melting point of ice with applied pressure. This activity is designed to help students appreciate the general structure of thermodynamics.

  • • Cohort Intervention Impacts on Undergraduate Science Students’ Success*

    • PST1A09
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Peter Sheldon,, Sarah Sojka

    • Type: Poster
    • Randolph College instituted a recruitment and retention program funded by two NSF S-STEM grants that has contributed significantly to doubling the number of science majors, tripling the number of physics majors, and to increased retention. Randolph College is a small, liberal arts college in Central Virginia that produces many successful graduates in the sciences. While the NSF grants have provided scholarships to two cohorts of 12 students and two cohorts of 18 students, we have exceeded our goal to recruit 24 students into our Step Up to Physical Science and Engineering at Randolph (SUPER) program each year since 2011, and to retain students at a higher rate than the whole college. We are researching the impacts of each part of our program: scholarships, summer transition program, living and learning community, mentoring program, and research/internships. In this presentation, we will address initial data on the impact of the mentoring program.

  • • Takeaways from a Facilitated Introductory Physics Support Network

    • PST1A11
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Daryl McPadden,, Matthew Hertel, Paul Irving

    • Type: Poster
    • At Michigan State University, we have created a facilitated support network to promote the success and persistence rates of underrepresented minority students who are enrolled in Physics 183 (PHY-183) - Introductory Mechanics, a STEM gateway course. The goals of this initiative are to give students a space to build supportive peer networks and have opportunities to engage in scientific practices that support their success in physics courses. Students are recruited from their PHY 183 classrooms and are invited to attend 1-2 sessions a week, which focus on helping with physics assignments, discussions about study/test strategies, and which includes a shared meal with each other. Each session is facilitated by undergraduate learning assistants (LA) and a graduate teaching assistant (TA). In this poster, we outline the design decisions and structure of the sessions; the impacts on the students; and the takeaway points from implementing this style of support network.

  • • Infusing Culturally Responsive Practices into Physics/STEM Teacher Preparation Programs

    • PST1A13
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by David Rosengrant,, Karina Hensberry, Ann Marie Gunn, Allan Feldman, Ruthmae Sears

    • Type: Poster
    • One of the issues facing recruiting, training and retaining teachers is culturally relevant practices. Many teacher preparation programs may have a single course or few discussions on how to work with diverse populations but may not truly infuse into their programs. Many school districts across the nation are diverse in several ways yet we do not spend enough time focusing on this aspect when training our teachers. This poster presents our current endeavors of creating this preparation program in partnership with Pinellas County School Districts. This project is part of a Robert Noyce Capacity Building Grant and is funded by the NSF (Grant #1852857). In this project we share examples of what we are doing to infuse culturally responsive practices in the curriculum as well results from a survey where we investigate teachers’ dispositions towards culturally responsive practices.

  • • BiteScis Physics Lessons: Standards-Aligned Content Through Contemporary Research

    • PST1A02
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Shannon Morey,, Nathan Sanders, Stephanie Keep, Kelsey Lucas

    • Type: Poster
    • BiteScis (bitescis.org) is a nonprofit dedicated to introducing high school students to current scientific research and providing context for the content they are learning in the classroom. Teachers sometimes hear, “Why are we learning this?” or “When amI ever going to need this?” BiteScis lessons help provide answers to those questions because each lesson links the knowledge students have right now to that which is being used by scientists. In this way, our physics lessons help students master standards-aligned content while also providing accessible introductions to contemporary science as varied as runaway stars and laser cooling. All of our lessons, which are developed through collaborations between classroom teachers and current science researchers, are available for free online and we are continually working to create new content. This poster will briefly explain our model and will introduce the audience to the physics lessons available through BiteScis.org.

  • • Case Study of SRL and the CLASS in Introductory Physics Courses

    • PST1A04
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Richard Pearson,, Chad Rohrbacher

    • Type: Poster
    • Self-regulated learning (SRL) is an important characteristic of successful learners, especially in an introductory physics course. In order to investigate the impact of helping first-year students take responsibility for their own learning, a case study was completed utilizing two introductory, calculus-based physics courses at a private engineering university. Each were asked to complete the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) at the beginning and end of the term. Additionally, one of the courses was asked to complete an SRL questionnaire before and after each of the three midterm examinations throughout the fall semester. In coordination with those surveys and questionnaires, physics concepts were analyzed in parallel qualitative responses. Correlation between attitudes, perceptions, and conceptual understanding are presented here. Future efforts with a larger scope-of-work will follow.

  • • Revisiting the Toy Helicopter

    • PST1A06
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    
    • by Arunava Roy,
    • Type: Poster
    • The flight of a toy helicopter (also known as wacky whirler) through the air is investigated. The various forces acting on the helicopter are considered including a time-dependent lift force. An equation of motion of the toy is constructed taking into account the lift and drag forces and solved using the free open-source software, Tracker.

  • • Student-Driven Exploration of Sliding on an Arbitrarily Shaped Incline With Friction

    • PST1A08
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Michael Waxman,*, Alexandre Gainer

    • Type: Poster
    • We suggest a small series of guided-inquiry exercises involving sliding on an arbitrarily-shaped incline with friction to help students review the basics of vector analysis along with calculus and energy conservation, and apply their physical intuition to analyze and understand the resulting solutions. These solutions turn out to be quite succinct and elegant allowing students to appreciate the beauty of physics.

  • • Affordances and Strategies for Teaching introductory Circuits to Blind Children

    • PST1A10
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Daniel MacIsaac,, Kathleen Falconer, Manuela Welzel-Breuer, Pamela Detrois

    • Type: Poster
    • We describe affordances – simple modifications to equipment and procedures, and interventions for teaching an introductory lesson showing the classic one bulb in a circuit, two bulbs in series, then two in parallel sequence. Affordances for partially sighted, visually impaired students are straightforward, with slight but important adaptations to apparatus, lesson flow and timing. Affordances for profoundly blind students include using circuit representations on raised plastic or paper (swell paper) with and without Braille, and rigidly supported concrete circuits created with “Snap Circuits” TM apparatus. Given a second or two for thermal stabilization, sightless students can discriminate by touch between dark, partially lit and brightly lit incandescent subminiature bulbs for the traditional comparisons. We also discuss the need to establish trust and safety for blind children in handling simple circuit elements.

  • • Mapping Sound Waves on Octave

    • PST1A12
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Soumitra Ganguly,*, Caroline Howell, James Sanders

    • Type: Poster
    • The intensity of a sound wave emitted from a point source in an isotropic region of space will decrease by the square of the distance from the source. However, if boundaries are introduced, then the reflected waves cause interference with the incident wave. Therefore, sound waves emitted from a source in an enclosed room will have an intensity which follows the inverse square law but eventually deviates due to interference from reflections. This project makes use of the GNU OCTAVE to calculate the intensity of a sound wave as a function of distance from a source which is placed in an enclosed room. This calculation considers multiple possible paths along which a wavelet can propagate to reach the detector. It then determines the relative amplitude and phase for each of these paths in order to create a superposition of these wavelets at the position of the detector.

  • • Modeling osmosis for IPLS students

    • PST1A14
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    
    • by Peter Nelson,
    • Type: Poster
    • Osmosis is an important topic in IPLS (Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences) courses. However, the standard model of osmosis is based on a thermodynamics argument that’s difficult to understand, even for well-prepared physics majors. This poster presents a new model of osmosis that’s accessible to IPLS students. It’s based on a kinetic model that treats osmosis as the single-file diffusion of water through aquaporins in a manner that’s consistent with molecular-level simulations based on the known structure of aquaporins. A key concept is the “effective water concentration,” which is the difference between the concentration of pure water and the osmotic concentration (osmolarity) of the solution. In the absence of a pressure gradient, osmosis is modeled by the simple jump-diffusion of water caused by an effective water concentration gradient. A pressure gradient modifies the jump rates in a manner that then successfully predicts the van’t Hoff equation for osmotic pressure.

• Physics Education Research

  • • Building Partnerships Between Learning Assistants and Faculty by Leveraging Authentic LA Expertise*

    • PST1D01
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Jamia Whitehorn,, Ember Smith, Mel Sabella, Andrea Van Duzor

    • Type: Poster
    • The Learning Assistant (LA) Model involves undergraduate students as peer support in STEM classrooms. In one component of the LA Model, faculty meet with their LAs and have the opportunity to discuss content, think about student understanding, develop instructional materials, and much more. These sessions are opportunities to engage LAs in collaborative partnerships where LAs are authentic members of an instructional team. In this poster we talk about the affordances of collaborative partnerships, discuss instructional power shifts from instructor to LA, and present resources to support LA-faculty teams in moving toward collaboration.

  • • Apparatus for Demonstration of Acoustic Bubble Levitation in Water

    • PST1D03
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Mikaela Furman,, Murray Korman

    • Type: Poster
    • An apparatus has been built at the USNA to demonstrate that with a sufficiently large amplitude sound wave it is possible to levitate an air bubble in water. The levitation cell is a 15 cm cubic acrylic tank (3.2 mm wall thickness) filled to 9 cm. A standing wave with a pressure node at the surface, bottom and near the middle is generated by four end-capped 17 KHz cylindrical shell transducers secured on the underside of the tank. The transducer resonant frequency is matched to the standing wave resonance in the open tank. A 17 KHz monopole resonant bubble has a radius of 0.19 mm. If the bubble radius > 0.19 mm (where the bubble resonate frequency < 17 kHz of the sound), then the bubble will levitate slightly above the pressure node in the middle of the tank. The oscillator, amplifier, and impedance matching circuits are vital electronic components.

  • • Increasing Growth Mindset with a Brief, Interactive, Classroom-based Intervention*

    • PST1D05
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Stephanie Sedberry,, Ian Beatty, William Gerace, Maha Elobeid, Jason Strickhouser

    • Type: Poster
    • A convincing body of research indicates that psychosocial constructs such as self-efficacy, growth mindset, and perceived academic control predict and affect student performance, persistence, and success in STEM. Interventions designed to increase these factors have proven particularly effective for women and underrepresented minorities. As a part of an NSF-funded project, we have developed and honed a 30-minute interactive, classroom-based intervention aimed at improving students' STEM self-efficacy. Through a combination of short video presentations, live discussions, and short writing prompts, the intervention teaches students about the scientific basis of “growth mindset,” stresses the importance of “productive struggle” for getting smarter, and suggests some concrete strategies students can try to take control of their learning and turn struggles into successes. A quasi-experimental study at three universities (n = 853) showed that the intervention significantly increases students’ growth mindset, although impacts on self-efficacy and course grades were not statistically significant.

  • • A Comparison of Flipped Versus Traditional Teaching of College Physics

    • PST1D09
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Donald Walter,, Eugene Kennedy, Jennifer Cash, Nikunja Swain

    • Type: Poster
    • We previously implemented the flipped approach to teaching calculus-based physics (University Physics) at South Carolina State University, a HBCU located in Orangeburg, SC. In the fall of 2019 we piloted a similar approach with algebra based physics. Aninstructor is teaching two sections of the same course. One is presented in the traditional lecture format with some in-class problem solving as the “control” group. The other is taught by the flipped method. Earlier we created over 250 short videos on mathematical and physics topics. Students in the flipped section are required to view these videos and other resources prior to lecture and take an online quiz before class. The flipped class receives only a short review of the topics and spends the rest of the period working on problems interactively. We present our preliminary results comparing the two methods.

  • • Validation and Administration of a Conceptual Survey on the Formalism and Postulates of Quantum Mechanics

    • PST1D11
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Chandralekha Singh, Emily Marshman

    • Type: Poster
    • We developed and validated a conceptual survey that focuses on the formalism and postulates of quantum mechanics covered in upper-level undergraduate quantum mechanics courses. We describe the validation and administration of the survey, which has been administered to over 400 upper-level undergraduate and graduate students from six institutions. The QMFPS is valid and reliable for use as a low-stakes test to measure the effectiveness of instruction in an undergraduate quantum mechanics course that covers relevant content. The survey can also be used by instructors to identify students’ understanding of the formalism and postulates of quantum mechanics at the beginning and end of a graduate quantum mechanics course since graduate students are expected to have taken an undergraduate quantum mechanics course that covers the content included in the survey. We found that undergraduate students who engaged with research-validated learning tools performed better than students who did not on the QMFPS after the first semester of a junior/senior level quantum mechanics course. In addition, the performance of graduate students on QMFPS after instruction in the first semester of a core graduate-level quantum mechanics course was significantly better than the performance of undergraduate students at the end of the first semester of an undergraduate quantum mechanics course. We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

  • • Investigating and Improving Student Understanding of the Basics for a System of Non-Interacting Identical Particles

    • PST1D13
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Chandralekha Singh, Christof Keebaugh, Emily Marshman

    • Type: Poster
    • We discuss an investigation of upper-level and graduate students' difficulties with fundamental concepts involving a system of identical particles. The investigation was carried out in advanced quantum mechanics courses by administering free-response andmultiple-choice questions and conducting individual interviews with students. We find that students share many common difficulties related to these concepts. We describe how the research on student difficulties was used as a guide to develop and evaluate a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) which strives to help students develop a functional understanding of the concepts necessary for determining the many-particle Hamiltonian and stationary state wavefunctions for a system of non-interacting identical particles. We discuss the development of the identical particles QuILT and its evaluation in undergraduate and graduate courses that focused on these issues.

  • • The Coming Revolution in Physics and Engineering Education - Computational Calculus

    • PST1D15
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    
    • by William Flannery,
    • Type: Poster
    • The laws governing physical processes are written as differential equations. Wiki reveals what I call the universities’ little secret: - “Only the simplest differential equations are solvable by explicit formulas; however, some properties of solutions of a given differential equation may be determined without finding their exact form. If a closed-form expression for the solution is not available, the solution may be numerically approximated using computers.” The simplest way to numerically approximate a solution to a differential equation is Euler’s method. It is based on one formula, distance equals velocity times time. Euler’s method can be taught to high school science students with no prior exposure to calculus in a single one-hour lecture. The poster explores how Euler’s method can be used to solve problems in central force motion, electric circuit analysis, and 2D rigid body dynamics.

  • • Exploring the E-CLASS Using Item Response Theory

    • PST1D17
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Anne Wang,, Marcos Caballero, Rachel Henderson

    • Type: Poster
    • Traditional physics laboratory courses at Michigan State University (MSU) were transformed into the Design, Analysis, Tools, and Apprenticeship Lab (DATA Lab) two-course sequence as a response to the national call for a focus on practices and skills within the physics laboratory context. In order to measure how well students’ views align with expert-like views of experimental physics, the Colorado Learning Attitudes and Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS) was developed. Analysis using Item Response Theory (IRT), a psychometric paradigm for constructing, validating, and analyzing surveys, will be presented to comment on how the E-CLASS items contribute to the assessment. With respect to the set of learning goals from the MSU DATA Lab courses, results show that the majority of the items on the E-CLASS are reliable for each of the learning goals.

  • • The Physics of Second Chances

    • PST1D19
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    
    • by Ethan Deneault,
    • Type: Poster
    • When one learns to ride a bicycle, the oft-repeated mantra is "get up and try again". In physics, especially at the undergraduate level, the mantra is much different: "do well on this test to succeed." In this latter paradigm, the student's understandingcan only be demonstrated by a singular event. Mastery of a skill, however, comes from repetition: failure and "getting back on the bike." In this poster, we present a pedagogical method which stresses repetition, in which the students' struggles and failures are recognized and realigned into opportunities for growth and better understanding of the material.

  • • Student and Faculty Perspectives of Retention in Physics Graduate Programs

    • PST1D21
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Kelli Shar,, Lindsay Owens, Benjamin Zwickl, Casey Miller

    • Type: Poster
    • Why do physics graduate students leave their programs? Seventeen faculty from four different institutions and 54 graduate students from 23 institutions were asked this question. Faculty discussed poor work ethic and struggles with coursework and qualifying exams as the primary reasons that graduate students leave their programs. Graduate students cited departmental culture and mentoring not meeting their expectations as well as opportunities in industry as common reasons for withdrawing from Physics Ph.D. programs. Based on this discrepancy between perspectives we recommend that faculty and students actively communicate about the underlying issues of why graduate students leave. Such discussions can aid programs in creating solutions to address issues and improve retention rates.

  • • Building on Student Resources for Understanding Mechanical Wave Propagation: Examples from Classroom Video

    • PST1D02
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Lauren Bauman,, Lisa Goodhew, Amy Robertson, Paula Heron, Rachel Scherr

    • Type: Poster
    • Resource theory depicts resources as dynamic, context-dependent “pieces of knowledge” and learning as building from students’ resources. In line with resource theory, we developed research-based instructional materials meant to elicit and build on commonconceptual resources for mechanical wave propagation. In this talk, we will investigate the following questions: What does building-on students’ resources look like? What contextual and interactional features support students in this process? To answer these questions, we will look at an example from classroom video, where students are building on and working with their conceptual resources for understanding mechanical wave propagation.

  • • Classroom Demonstration of Reflective Ultrasonic Tomography Imaging in Water

    • PST1D04
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Sarah Kwon,, Murray Korman

    • Type: Poster
    • An apparatus has been built at the USNA to demonstrate acoustic imaging. Reflective ultrasonic tomography imaging was chosen because the medical community, using photo-acoustic tomography imaging, utilizes a similar back-projection imaging algorithm. Theexperiment involves suspending an ultrasonic transducer unit of resonant frequency 2.5 MHz in an aquarium filled with water. The transducer (sender-receiver) generates a short Gaussian shaped pulse characterized by a 20% amplitude reduction two cycles from the peak. The circular plane array transducer diameter is 1 cm. Its wavelength in water is 0.6 mm (using c=1480 m/s). The half-power down angle is 20 degrees. The target, located 10 cm from the source, consists of three long vertical stainless steel rods (0.5 mm diam, separated by 2 mm). Received echoes vs. time (data sets) are measured at 2 degree rotation increments of the target (from 0 to 360 degrees) for back-projecting the 2-D image reflectance of the target.

  • • A Rubric for Assessing Thinking Skills in Free-Response Exam Problems

    • PST1D06
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Beth Thacker,, Fatema Al Salmani

    • Type: Poster
    • We designed a rubric to assess free-response exam problems in order to compare thinking skills evidenced in exams in classes taught by different pedagogies. The rubric was designed based on Bloom’s taxonomy. The rubric was then used to code exam problems. We analyzed exams from different sections of the algebra-based physics course taught the same semester by the same instructor with different pedagogies. One section was inquiry-based and the other was taught traditionally. We discuss the instrument, present results and present plans for future research. The inquiry-based students demonstrated all of the thinking skills coded more often than the traditional students.

  • • Integration in Physics without Calculus. Integration for the Layman

    • PST1D08
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by David Wright,, Christos Velissaris, Al-Rawi Ahlam, Zhongzhou Chen

    • Type: Poster
    • Integration in STEM disciplines presents a formidable task for novice students which according to our findings is due to students considering integrals as mere antiderivatives. We developed a pedagogy where solutions inhomogeneous physics problems are approximated as finite sums, eventually becoming limits of an infinite series of infinitesimally small terms (Riemann sum). In a series of worksheets inhomogeneous problems are presented to students who are being asked to derive approximate solutions as sum of partial results obtained from dividing the original problem into a number of smaller, approximately homogeneous, ones. As we increase the number of divisions, the accuracy of the solution increases and the integral is naturally emerging as a Riemann sum. No calculus is required for completion of the worksheets and the work is essentially algebra based. Recently we implemented the pedagogy on the web to facilitate disbursement and data collection in large classes.

  • • Investigating and Improving Student Understanding of Dirac Notation By Using Analogical Reasoning In the Context of A Three-Dimensional Vector Space

    • PST1D10
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Chandralekha Singh, Emily Marshman

    • Type: Poster
    • We discuss an investigation of student difficulties with Dirac notation in the context of a three-dimensional vector space and the development, validation and evaluation of a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) to improve student understanding of these concepts. We find that many upper-level undergraduate students in quantum mechanics courses have difficulties with Dirac notation even in the context of a three-dimensional vector space. The QuILT uses analogical reasoning and builds on students’ prior knowledge of three-dimensional vectors in the familiar context of introductory mechanics to help students build a coherent understanding of Dirac notation in three dimensions before transitioning to the quantum mechanical context. We summarize the development of the QuILT and findings from its evaluations. We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

  • • Investigating and Addressing Student Difficulties with the Corrections to the Energies of the Hydrogen Atom for the Strong and Weak Field Zeeman Effects

    • PST1D12
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Chandralekha Singh, Christof Keebaugh, Emily Marshman

    • Type: Poster
    • Understanding when and how to make limiting case approximations and why they are valid in a particular situation is a hallmark of expertise in physics. Using limiting cases can simplify the problem-solving process significantly and they often provide a means to check that the results obtained are reasonable. We discuss an investigation of student difficulties with the corrections to the energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom for the limiting cases of the strong and weak field Zeeman effects using degenerate perturbation theory. This investigation was carried out in advanced quantum mechanics courses by administering written free-response and multiple-choice questions and conducting individual interviews with students. Here we first discuss the common student difficulties related to these concepts. We then describe how the research on student difficulties was used as a guide to develop and evaluate a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) which strives to help students develop a functional understanding of the concepts necessary for finding the corrections to the energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom for the strong field and weak field Zeeman effects. The development of the QuILT and its evaluation in the undergraduate and graduate level courses are presented. We thank the National Science Foundation for support.

  • • Active Learning in Physics: Strategies for the Community College Classroom

    • PST1D14
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Petia Yanchulova Merica-Jones,, Philip Blanco, Irena Stojimirovi?

    • Type: Poster
    • We applied two active learning strategies - Think, Pair, Share (TPS) and Muddiest Point Feedback (MPF) - to Introductory Mechanics courses at San Diego Mesa College and Grossmont College in 2019 as part of a student-centered course redesign. We reflect on the strategies’ implementation and outcomes to understand the teaching and learning dynamics of the course. The key learning goal is for students to analyze physical situations by applying physics laws with confidence. In particular, students are asked to discern which conservation laws apply to a certain physical situation. We gather evidence of learning by relatively standard methods of quizzes, finals exams, and lab reports. We implement the ABCD card collaboration activity for instant feedback and to spark peer-to-peer instruction in the TPS strategy. We obtain prompt and authentic feedback by asking students to hand in index cards containing their MPF - a low-stakes activity giving students the permission to disclose their challenges in understanding a topic, and receive acknowledgment and tailored instruction in the following lecture. These activities foster an inclusive environment as all students are asked to participate. These approaches to a modular course transformation were prompted by the need to increase the success and retention rates in these courses, which typically are below 65%.

  • • The Coming Revolution in Physics Education – The Finite Difference Method

    • PST1D16
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    
    • by William Flannery,
    • Type: Poster
    • The finite difference method (FDM) is Euler’s method adapted to compute solutions to partial differential equations. The FDM converts by rote a partial differential equation into a computational equation that can be used to compute numerical solutions tothe equation. The FDM is simple, intuitively clear, and easily taught. The laws of physics governing heat transfer, material stress and strain, fluid dynamics, and electrodynamics, are written as partial differential equations. Like ordinary differential equations, partial equations are difficult and usually impossible to solve analytically. As a result I believe these branches of physics, with the exception of electrodynamics, are forgotten at many universities, they are completely missing from the (nearby to me) University of South Florida physics undergraduate curriculum. The poster covers the application of the finite difference method to analyzing partial differential equation models of physical processes, including the physical laws, the model derivation, applying the FDM, and results.

  • • A Four-Pillar Approach to Teach (Radioactive) Decay

    • PST1D18
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    
    • by Martina Bachlechner,
    • Type: Poster
    • To engage students in a two-year college in learning various aspects of half-life and decay, a four-pillar approach was developed: For ideal decay, (i) differently wide strips of paper are cut repeatedly in half and taped to the wall with the bottom aligned and (ii) spreadsheet software is utilized to “remove exactly one sixth or exactly one third of currently present dice” and graph the number remaining versus time. To incorporate the randomness of the radioactive decay process, (iii) a high number of dice is rolled virtually and those with a specific number of eyes are “removed.” Spreadsheet software is used to calculate the remaining number of dice, to graph the remaining number versus time, and add a trendline. The learning process is rounded off with the (iv) PhET Radioactive Dating Game that interactively visualizes the randomness of the decay process and relates it to the previously studied graphs.

  • • Assessing a New Pedagogy for Introductory Physics Using Institutional Data

    • PST1D20
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Christopher Fischer,, Jennifer Delgado, Sarah Rush

    • Type: Poster
    • We collaborated with our university’s office of institutional research to assess pedagogical changes in our calculus-based introductory physics courses using different sets of student data. We found that switching to a competency-based grading system in these classes reduced the drop/fail/withdrawal rates and course-associated grade penalties of under-represented minority, first generation, and female students. We separately performed a longitudinal study to identify how changing the curriculum of these physics courses affected student performance in downstream engineering courses. We found that increasing the calculus content in introductory physics correlated with higher grades earned in subsequent engineering courses, and that these downstream benefits were largest for students with lower math abilities. Taken together, these results demonstrate how instructors can use educational data sets to make improvements in their courses that specifically target improving the performance and retention of traditionally underserved populations.

• Physics Education Research II

  • • The Science of Sound: An Interdepartmental Research Collaboration

    • PST2A01
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Corinne Brevik,, Jeremy Wohletz

    • Type: Poster
    • In the spring of 2018, Dickinson State University’s physics and music faculty partnered to create a semester-long research project focused on the “Science of Sound” for the College Physics II class. The physics curriculum was re-arranged so that studentslearned about waves and music at the beginning of the semester. They then had the rest of the semester to design and implement their research project. The entire class identified the questions they wished to answer, and then pairs of students chose individual instruments, including the piano, clarinet, and human voice, on which to focus. With the help of music majors and the music faculty, the physics students were able to collect sound data in a variety of settings that they later analyzed. This experience reinforced the fundamental concepts of experimental design, greatly strengthened the students’ knowledge of sound and waves, and created a great deal of enthusiasm for all involved.

  • • Student Understanding and Applications of Infinity in Physics and Mathematics

    • PST2A03
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Daniel Marsh,, Cade Hensley, Rabindra Bajracharya

    • Type: Poster
    • The concept of infinity is applied widely in various contexts in physics, particularly while implementing the limits of large quantities, such as distance, time, and mass. We are investigating how students’ deal with this concept when they solve problemsin mathematics and physics. We report results from individual semi-structured interviews with physics students, where they are required to use the concept of infinity to solve the problems. We found that students have several difficulties with the implementation and interpretation of the concept of infinity. These difficulties are due to either insufficient understanding of the underlying mathematical concept, differences in how it is interpreted and implemented in mathematics and physics, or inappropriate implementation to physics. We also found that student difficulties stem from the fact that in mathematics infinity is used as an abstract upper bound, whereas in physics it is used to quantify scales of physical quantities.

  • • Developing a Codebook for Student Self-Feedback

    • PST2A05
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Matthew Dew,, Paul Irving, Paul Hamerski, Daryl McPadden

    • Type: Poster
    • At Michigan State University, students may choose between a standard lecture-based physics course or a flipped classroom for their introductory calculus-based physics sequence. In Electricity and Magnetism Projects and Practices in Physics (EMP^3), the second semester flipped physics class, students are given formative feedback by their instructors on their performance every week with the aim of assessing and developing scientific practices. A third of the way into the semester, students are required to assess their performance in three categories and write feedback for themselves. For this self-feedback, students are prompted to discuss something they did well, something they want to improve, and strategies to improve that aspect of their performance. The three categories are group collaboration, individual understanding, and process skills. In this study, we investigate how well student responses fit these three categories and highlight self-feedback themes present in students’ feedback that are focused on alternative categories.

  • • Investigating Albedo with ACES

    • PST2A07
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Freja Guttesen,, Ian Bearden, Rebekka Frøystad

    • Type: Poster
    • We have created a dynamical small scale model of a planetary system to demonstrate the detection of exoplanets. The experiment consists of an orrery with a light bulb at the center, representing a star, and two Arduino controlled orbiting planets. By monitoring the amount of light from the center star as planets pass by, students can apply Keppler’s laws to deduce the size of the planets and their distances from the center. The setup can further be used to investigate the albedo of the planets as one detects a rise in intensity when they pass the back of the star. This induces discussions concerning the Moon, detection of Earth-like exoplanets, and how the albedo of the Earth is affected by climate change. Throughout the experiment, students will not only be strengthened in their mathematical skills and physical understanding, but also gain insight into advanced research in a palpable way.

  • • Gender Dynamics and Sense-making within a SCALE-UP Classroom: Patterns in Introductory Electricity and Magnetism

    • PST2A11
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    
    • by Mark Akubo,
    • Type: Poster
    • This is a qualitative case study on gender dynamics and sense-making in a student-centered active learning environment for undergraduate physics classroom. The context is an Introductory Electricity and Magnetism course in a large research university in Southeastern U.S. I documented patterns in gender dynamics, exploring how such patterns may influence student sense-making in small groups. Gender dynamics include the relationships and interactions that take place within and across gender groups. I adopted the conceptualization of gender as performance (e.g., Traxler et al., 2016) as a way to frame gender dynamics in two heterogeneous groups of students. In sense-making, students share their perspectives, argue about stuff, push back on each other’s ideas, take opportunities to generate, use and extend scientific knowledge in order to understand the natural world. Preliminary findings suggest that cohesive and inclusive gender dynamics foster equitable participation in sense-making while non-cohesive and exclusionary gender dynamics inhibited equitable participation.

  • • Update on the STEM Connections Program at Lewis University*

    • PST2A13
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Joseph Kozminski,, Jason Keleher

    • Type: Poster
    • The STEM Connections Program builds scientific community early on through a first year cohort program for students majoring in programs offered by the Chemistry and Physics Departments at Lewis University. Students with financial need in the first three cohorts were also awarded renewable scholarships through an NSF S-STEM grant for their participation in the program. As students progress through their college careers, STEM Connections offers research, professional development, and other opportunities for students. This poster will review the program goals, present program data, and discuss challenges and successes over the last 4.5 years.

  • • Guiding Physics Students Towards Writing Strong Explanations: An Intervention

    • PST2A15
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Alfredo Sanchez,*, Matt Moelter

    • Type: Poster
    • Students in physics courses often find it difficult to explain their answers to a question or problem in a detailed, logical manner. We carried out an intervention in some sections of our introductory electromagnetism course to guide students towards writing better explanations. In the intervention, small groups of students worked on a series of questions requiring an explanation; then, they were given sample explanations that they were asked to rank based on their quality, using criteria they determined on their own. We find that students are consistently able to distinguish a “strong” explanation from a “weak” one, and that they come up with similar criteria for their analysis. To test the effectiveness of the intervention, we present a comparison of exam question scores across sections where the intervention was or was not carried out, using a grading rubric that accounts for explanation quality.

  • • Characterizing Goal Orientations Held by Hispanic Women Physics Students

    • PST2A17
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Brian Zamarripa Roman,, Jacquelyn Chini

    • Type: Poster
    • According to IPEDS data, the number of Hispanic women attaining physics degrees yearly and the number of institutions awarding those degrees tripled between 2011 and 2017. However, Hispanic women only made up 2% of physics degrees awarded in 2017 while making up 10% of the student population. Since the perspectives of Hispanic women remain underrepresented yet more of them are attaining traditional markers of success, it is important for the physics community to understand Hispanic women’s conceptualizations of success to better support their integration in the community. In this qualitative study we characterize the goal orientations of Hispanic women studying physics at public four-year universities by analyzing participant responses during semi-structured interviews about success. The responses were coded with a priori codes of goal orientations based on Motivational Systems Theory. We present the most common goal orientations, and recommend educators align their practices to support a variety of goals.

  • • Effects of Physics Identity and Academic Integration on Retention

    • PST2A02
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Zeynep Topdemir,, Brian Thoms, Joshua Von Korff, Amin Bayat Barooni

    • Type: Poster
    • Only 43% of undergraduate students who start in the physical sciences are graduating with the same degree.(1) Also, physics identity has been found as a predictor of career choices of students. To understand the factors that help students to graduate in the physics program, we have prepared a survey measuring students’ physics identity and their academic integration to the physics department. The survey is given to physics majors at different stages of the undergraduate program. The differences between the students in the early and late stages of the program are compared. The effects of physics identity and academic integration on retention will be discussed.

  • • Nonlinear Scattering of Crossed Ultrasonic Beams from Turbulent Constricted Flow

    • PST2A04
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Leah Burge,, Murray Korman

    • Type: Poster
    • This experiment explores the correlation between a blockage size in axially symmetric flow and the resulting Doppler shift, spectral broadening, and intensity values of the scattered 4.1 MHz sum frequency using incident crossed beams (2.0 and 2.1 MHz). This experiment simulates the location of Deep Vein Thrombosis and will prospectively improve technology to detect DVT. The experimental pipe-flow set-up (submerged in an aquarium) artificially resembles a vein, using various orifice plates to simulate blockage (blood clots). Sum frequency scattering measurements (outside the pipe) indicate turbulent flow. Doppler shift is proportional to the mean flow speed of the turbulent eddies, spectral broadening is proportional to the root mean squared turbulent velocity, and intensity is proportional to spatial concentration of turbulent eddies measured from the Gaussian shaped power spectrum. The results indicate a decrease in the Doppler shift and an increase in spectral broadening and the peak of the Gaussian shaped spectrum.

  • • Physicists’ Views about Disability and Physics Careers

    • PST2A06
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Daniel Oleynik,, Erin Scanlon, Jacquelyn Chini

    • Type: Poster
    • According to the NSF Women, Minorities, and People with Disabilities Report, people with disabilities are underrepresented in the science and engineering workforce. Specifically, in 2016, people with disabilities represented 19.5% of all postsecondary science and engineering students and only 10% of employed scientists and engineers. This, in large part, is due to attitudes in the physics community, and physicists’ implicit beliefs about the capabilities of people with disabilities. On the other hand, the literature also indicates that supportive beliefs about the capabilities of people with disabilities can create a supportive environment and help to increase the representation of people with disabilities in science and engineering. Thus, building on prior research in the geosciences community, we developed surveys to investigate the relationship between physicists’ beliefs about disability and potential physics careers, we piloted a survey at two APS section meetings and present themes of physicists’ views about physics career viability across disability type.

  • • Investigating the Effects of Short-Term Mindfulness Sessions on Student Learning

    • PST2A08
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Cade Hensley,, Danielle Plutino, Daniel Marsh, Rabindra Bajracharya

    • Type: Poster
    • The effects of mindfulness on an individual's mind-body have been studied in multiple disciplines including psychology and medicine. Many K-12 schools have already started to implement mindfulness practices in their curricula to foster teaching and learning practices. We are investigating the effects of short-term mindfulness sessions on students’ learning processes in physics including reading, responding to conceptual questions, and problem solving. In each experiment, the participants were randomly assigned to either the treatment or the control group. The treatment group completed a five-minute long mindfulness session, during which they were instructed to observe their breathing objectively. After the mindfulness sessions, both the groups read either powerpoint slides, the solution to a problem, or sections from their textbook. The students then answered conceptual questions or solved problems. We present the results from the study to answer whether or not short-term mindfulness sessions have any impact on students’ learning processes in physics.

  • • Why Use Normalized Gain and How To Use It

    • PST2A10
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Vincent Coletta
    • Type: Poster
    • Normalized gain has long been applied to pre and post testing on concept inventories and used as a measure of learning in introductory physics classes. We show how normalized gain has been used to improve learning in those classes. We also show that one must be careful in making comparisons of normalized gains when those comparisons involve significantly different student populations. One must take into account some independent measure of those populations. We describe how one can do this. Failure to do so is an example of omitted variable bias.

  • • Opinions About Working in a Group: Positive and Nuanced

    • PST2A12
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Miranda Straub,
    • Type: Poster
    • I will present on the results of a survey sent to post-secondary physics instructors in Minnesota regarding their beliefs about group work. Group work here was set in the context of working on homework outside of class or obligation. The survey respondents were overwhelmingly positive (88%) about the benefits of working in a group but most (79%) had reservations about how the group work should be done. The most cited drawback was an unequal distribution of work. I concluded that the implications of this portion of the survey in the larger context of problem-solving was the instructors believe it is necessary for students to talk about their ideas as part of successful problem-solving.

  • • Understanding the Perception Radar Plots of the PTaP & PTaP.HE

    • PST2A14
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Richard Pearson III,, Savannah Logan, Wendy Adams

    • Type: Poster
    • As the PTaP and PTaP.HE continue to be broadly utilized to analyze what undergraduate students and university faculty perceive about secondary teaching, a quick and effective visual tool is needed to easily compare results. The radar plots produced from each survey allow for easy comparative viewing of multidimensional contrast: for example, year-to-year, institution-to-institution, discipline-to-discipline, and demographics. The poster is meant to introduce, explain, and direct others on how to build, use, and construct their own plots to visually articulate perception changes within their area of influence. This work is supported by NSF DUE-1821710.

  • • Considering Different Representations of Research-based Activities

    • PST2A16
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Amin Bayat Barooni,, Joshua Von Korff, Brian Thoms, Zeynep Topdemir, Jacquelyn Chini

    • Type: Poster
    • In our research 66 research-based activities from 11 academic activities were coded for student actions and K-means cluster analysis was applied. We found three different clusters that we called Thinking Like a Scientist, Learning Concepts, and Building Models. These three clusters not only address different design goals, but also use different kind and amounts of representations to help students to learn. Examples of different representations include, mathematical, discussions, diagrams, multiple choices, pie charts and so on.

• Post-deadline Poster Abstracts

  • • Exploring Nuclear Reactions through Hands-on Fusion and Fission Modeling

    • PST3A01
    • Tue 01/21, 2:30PM - 3:15PM
    
    

    • by David Osmond,, Donna Governor

    • Type: Poster
    • Hands on demonstrations involving nuclear reactions are uncommon in high school and early undergraduate physics courses. However, learning some common components of these reactions is relatively simple when students are provided a hands-on approach. In this poster I will present two relatively simple demonstrations that allow students to discover the relationships of nucleus size and progressing to fission or fusion events. Components of star size and mass are also demonstrated to allow students to think about the rate of stellar fusion. This lab activity is inexpensive and safe enough to be done in an elementary classroom, but the ideas are complex enough to be applicable in an undergraduate setting.

  • • How PLTL & Demographics Affect the Development of an Expert-Like Schema in Introductory Physics

    • PST3A03
    • Tue 01/21, 2:30PM - 3:15PM
    
    
    • by Siera Stoen
    • Type: Poster
    • Robust evidence shows that Peer-led Team Learning (PLTL) improves the academic success of college students in introductory Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses. However, it is unclear what is actually causing the benefit of increased academic success. The present study explores whether or not one of the benefits of PLTL is in the development of an expert-like schema for undergraduates enrolled in Introductory Physics at a selective private university. After using a similarity rating task to measure a student’s schema, I used analyses of variance to test whether PLTL participants outperformed non-participants, thus demonstrating a more expert-like schema. Furthermore, I looked at whether the PLTL effects varied across race, gender, and preparedness of students.

  • • The Optimal Group Size for Small Introductory Physics Classrooms

    • PST3A05
    • Tue 01/21, 2:30PM - 3:15PM
    
    

    • by JaQuan Bullock,, Marco Scipioni, Soroush Khosravi

    • Type: Poster
    • Learning can be hard in an introductory physics classroom. Students often lack the experience to master concepts and to use them for solving physics problems. Conceptual understanding is a critical skill, but educators’ ultimate goal should be creating alearning environment that enhances students’ problem-solving ability. Research shows that group cooperative learning is an effective way to reach this goal. The main objective of this research was to identify the optimal group size in small introductory physics classrooms for the life sciences. Students were divided into groups of two and three and were given Force Concept Inventory (FCI) as well as context-rich problem-solving tests, which were taken individually. The test results indicate that, while groups of two improved their conceptual understanding, groups of three had a more significant improvement in their problem-solving skills.

  • • Personalized, Adaptive, and Interactive Approach in Teaching Introductory Physics Courses

    • PST3A02
    • Tue 01/21, 3:15PM - 4:00PM
    
    

    • by Priya Jamkhedkar,, Misty Hamideh, Toai Nguyen, Chuck Faber, Ralf Widenhorn

    • Type: Poster
    • We summarize the development of personalized, adaptive and interactive courses for algebra-based General Physics and calculus-based courses taught at Portland State University. Teaching introductory physics courses to large classes with students having diverse skills in math, problem-solving, conceptual reasoning, and learning styles is challenging. The need to provide support in terms of math remediation, improvement in problem-solving, understanding of concepts to students who work at different paces led us to look for a platform providing these features. The poster summarizes the design of such a course using “CogBooks” as an adaptive platform with many support features including concept-checks, simulations, problems with intermediate steps, and drawing tools. In-class activities promote active and engaged learning to achieve a positive impact on the students’ educational experience. We conclude the poster with early results and insights for the future improvements to these courses.

  • • The Need of a Physical Perspective in this Rocky World: Transitioning to Environmental Science

    • PST3A04
    • Tue 01/21, 3:15PM - 4:00PM
    
    

    • by Katrina Henry,, Zachary Hubbard

    • Type: Poster
    • The authors who are at different stages in their career (one pre-tenure professor and one undergraduate student) transitioned from a path in physics to environmental science at different points in their education. They share the perspective of being environmental scientists with a background in the fundamental science of physics. As environmental science advances and the problems faced become more complex, there arises a need for the next generation of environmental scientists to have the strong quantitative, problem solving, and reasoning skills that come from a cross disciplinary scientific education. Students, and even practicing scientists, in other STEM fields may not consider themselves qualified to transition to environmental science. We have found the transition from physicist to environmental scientist to be remarkably frictionless because environmental science takes the fundamental laws of the universe and applies them in a way that explain the interactions of the various systems comprising our planet.

  • • Visit to Coelba’s Electricity Museum: Learning in an Informal Academic Environment

    • PST3A06
    • Tue 01/21, 3:15PM - 4:00PM
    
    

    • by Dielson Hohenfeld, FELIPE César Rodrigues

    • Type: Poster
    • Non-formal academic environments are an alternative to bring students closer to the teachings of the exact sciences. Believing in the potential of these environments, a visit to Coelba’s Museum of Electricity with students of the State School Mário Augusto Teixeira de Freitas was undertaken. With the objective of having the students interact with the experiments and discuss and visualize phenomena of physics outside of the classroom, an investigative script was prepared to take full advantage of the visit. Returning to the classroom, a quantitative questionnaire was given to the students in order to verify whether classes in informal environments have potential for learning physics.

• Pre-college/Informal and Outreach

  • • The Devil’s Staircase: Latest Progress and Future Plans

    • PST2C01
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Timothy McCaskey,, Luis Nasser

    • Type: Poster
    • This poster will discuss further progress on our musical project where the compositional forms are inspired by phenomena in math and physics such as fractals and cellular automata. We discuss our continued communication and outreach efforts, plans for the final product, ways this work has inspired new scholarly results, inclusion of our ideas in projects assigned to students, and other future ambitions.

  • • Establishing Physics Identity through Informal Physics Experiences with Outreach

    • PST2C03
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Callie Rethman,, Tatiana Erukhimova, Jonathan Perry

    • Type: Poster
    • Beyond the formal curriculum of a physics degree, students majoring or minoring in the field may choose to enhance their education through participation in informal experiences such as physics outreach. While participation in outreach gives students opportunities to engage with the public and communicate physics, the role of these experiences in establishing a student’s identity within physics is not well understood. This work investigates how engaging in outreach programs affects a physics student’s identity as a physicist, a member of their home department, and in the STEM field as a whole. For the initial iteration of this study, current and former participants from outreach programs at Texas A&M University will be surveyed. This survey will specifically investigate the impact of outreach programs on a student’s integration, identity, soft skills, and experiential learning.

  • • Journey into a 6th Grade Classroom with Pre-Service Elementary Teachers*

    • PST2C05
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    
    • by Beth Marchant,
    • Type: Poster
    • Elementary education majors in Physical Science for Elementary Teachers at Indiana University South Bend (IUSB) worked with a group of 6th graders in a 90-minute math and science block class held at Navarre Middle School, which has been deemed by the state a “Failing” school for the past 6 years. The 6th graders first worked on science fair projects with the IUSB student mentors. Later in the semester, the IUSB students led science labs on light and photosynthesis with the same group of students. This effort was inspired by a Campus Community Grant through IUSB and involved professors from the Departments of Physics & Astronomy and Mathematical Sciences.

  • • The Teen Astronomy Cafe Program

    • PST2C07
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Robert Sparks,, Constance Walker, Stephen Pompea

    • Type: Poster
    • The Teen Astronomy Café program to excites the interest of talented youth in STEM. One Saturday a month during the academic year, high school students interact with expert astronomers who work with big data. Students learn about killer asteroids, exoplanets, lives and deaths of stars, variable stars, black holes, the structure of the universe, gravitational lensing, dark matter, colliding galaxies, and more. Each cafés begins with a short presentation by an astronomer, a computer-based lab activity and a discussion during lunch. Students explore the astronomer’s research using tools such as Python and Jupityr notebooks to examine astronomical data. The diverse team includes the program director, grad students, an undergrad student and high school students. The input of high school students is valuable to make the experience relevant to their peers. The experience offers them training in planning, leadership, and communication skills and encourages their personal interests in STEM.

  • • Utilizing Undergraduate Students to Staff Family Science Days

    • PST2C09
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Corinne Brevik, Cynthia Burgess

    • Type: Poster
    • Each fall, Dickinson State University offers a series of monthly Family Science Days that are free and open to the public. These Saturday-afternoon events include both a planetarium show and a series of thematically linked hands-on activities. While each month’s activities are planned by a faculty member in the Department of Natural Sciences, the staffing for all the activities is composed solely of college students. These students come from a large variety of majors – science, nursing, elementary education, business, and more. Typically, they sign up to help with these events either because it is required for their current college science course or because it will earn them extra credit. This arrangement benefits the youth who attend by exposing them to college students who are excited about science, and it benefits the college students by providing them with experience explaining scientific concepts at a level that the kids can understand.

  • • Teaching Physics inside of a Florida State Prison

    • PST2C11
    • Mon 01/20, 8:30PM - 9:15PM
    
    

    • by Dave Austin,, Nicholas Cox, Stephanie Jarmark, Justin Reyes, Michael Chini

    • Type: Poster
    • Studies have shown that access to postsecondary education while incarcerated reduces recidivism. With the help of four professors and four graduate students at the University of Central Florida, a “Physics and Everyday Thinking” course was organized and taught at the Florida Reception Center, a mixed security men’s prison in Orlando, Florida. There were three main objectives for students participating in the course. The first was to develop an understanding of physics ideas about magnetism and energy that can be used to explain everyday phenomena. The second was to an understanding of how knowledge is developed within the scientific community and the nature of that knowledge itself. The third was to learn to evaluate and draw conclusions from observations. Here we present an overview of the course content, bureaucratic difficulties in administering the course, and personal experiences of teaching in the program.

  • • Measurements of 137Cs In and Around the Daiichi Power Plant 2: Results

    • PST2C02
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Ian Bearden,, Helene Kaas, Malene Nielsen

    • Type: Poster
    • In September 2019, we had the great good fortune to be allowed to visit the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan with a group of final year students from Zahles Gymnasium. During the previous academic year, members of this class visited the Niels Bohr Institute’s “Ungdomslaboratory” (YouthLab) to construct, test, and characterize inexpensive gamma-ray spectrometers. In our September visit to Daiichi, these spectrometers were used to measure gamma spectra in and nearby the site of the nuclear accident which occurred in the aftermath of the Tohuku earthquake and tsunami. This poster will summarise the characteristics of the detectors, and the results of measurements in the vicinity of the Daiichi reactors.

  • • Utilizing National Science Olympiad Alumni Undergraduates for NSO STEM Outreach

    • PST2C06
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Donna Young
    • Type: Poster
    • National Science Olympiad (NSO) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing interest in science for all students, creating a STEM-literate workforce, and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers. These goals are achieved by participating in regional, state and/or national tournaments. Each year more than 230,000 middle school and high school students begin competition by preparing for 23-25 unique events that include all scientific disciplines, construction and engineering. Many participants enter engineering and science professions as a result of their involvement with NSO events. Thousands of NSO alumni, many who have metaled at the state and national levels, continue their Science Olympiad experience by becoming involved in mentoring teams, supervising invitationals, writing tests for invitational, regional, state and national competitions, and presenting at coaches’ clinics. NSO alumni want to provide others the same experience they enjoyed so encourage the SO alumni at your institution to participate!

  • • Einstein Schools

    • PST2C08
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Robert Sparks,, Stephen Pompea

    • Type: Poster
    • The Einstein Schools program was founded by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as part of the celebration of its 100th anniversary. Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity passed its first test during a solar eclipse in 1919, the famous Eddington Experiment, the same year the IAU was founded. The Einstein Schools Program helps students at schools around the explore the fore of gravity through such topics as black holes, gravitational waves, orbits and the dark matter. The Einstein Schools program encourages schools to collaborate as they explore their chosen topics. Einstein schools are provided an archive of high quality internet based resources on various topics related to General Relativity and the opportunity to apply for time on robotic telescopes to observe objects of interest. The program is free to schools around the world.

  • • Introducing Students to the Wonders of the Universe Through Outreach

    • PST2C10
    • Mon 01/20, 9:15PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Noura Ibrahim,*
    • Type: Poster
    • While the education system covers many important and crucial scientific topics, it does not always cover the most interesting and exciting ones. The more exciting scientific topics can be seen as too advanced for students, and as a result, students can go through 12 years of school without ever hearing about those topics. Through outreach, however, we can introduce students to the most fascinating parts of physics and astronomy just to pique their interest. This basic introduction leaves interested students wanting more. They can then go on to research the topics that appealed to them and in some cases, they might decide to pursue physics or astronomy professionally, which is the ultimate goal.

• SPS Undergraduate Research and Outreach Poster Session

  • • Studying Muon Count Rates as Underground Depth Increases

    • SPS01
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Paul Graham,*, Emmanuel copeland, Eleanor Winkler, Nathan Unterman, Marybeth Senser

    • Type: Poster
    • Chicago area QuarkNet students worked together to determine the cosmic ray muon flux as a function of depth while descending in the MINOS elevator at Fermilab. Rates were measured at different angles of acceptance. Results and unexpected errors will be presented.

  • • Open-Ended Scientific Experimentation in Physics Labs

    • SPS02
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Madeline Clyburn,, Charles Lane

    • Type: Poster
    • Asking a variety of physics professors about the importance of laboratory instruction in undergraduate physics curriculum produces a diverse selection of answers. Are labs intended to reinforce the lecture content from class or to learn how to measure certain physics quantities? Regardless, everyone would agree that physics labs are valuable to students’ education and future. Previous research reveals that past “cookbook” labs are ineffective and do not prepare students for the critical thinking and experimentation used in the real scientific world. Thus, we have created open-ended experimental physics labs for the introductory physics course at Berry College and have implemented these labs into the courses, in fall semester 2019. We hope to show that these new lab experiences are more effective than “cookbook” labs, and the implementation of these physics’ labs will create an increase in test scores on diagnostic tests compared to the scores obtained through conventional physics labs.

  • • Optical Characterization of an Overhead Projector Spatial Light Modulator

    • SPS03
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Romulo Ochoa,, Rob Conwell, Zachery Andreula

    • Type: Poster
    • Commercial overhead projectors contain three spatial light modulators (SLM). In the past, we have used these SLMs in 4f Fourier optics experiments and for the formation of optical vortices. These experiments can be easily adapted to upper level physics lab experiences. We optically characterized the SLMs using red, green, and blue lasers. We report the rotation of linearly polarized light as a function of the RGB values in images input to the SLMs. We have found polarization rotations that are dependent on the light source frequency, the specific SLM used, and the projector port to which the SLM was connected.

  • • Modeling Radiation Trapping in Alkali Vapors

    • SPS04
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Oluebubechukwu Onaga,, Brian Patterson, Stephen Spicklemire, Monte Anderson, Jerry Sell

    • Type: Poster
    • We present the outcome of an undergraduate capstone project involving the validation of Monte Carlo simulations of radiation trapping in alkali vapors and comparison to experimental data. Radiation trapping is the confinement of light in atomic vapors bysuccessive absorption and reemission of photons. If the vapor is sufficiently dense, the apparent lifetime of the atomic excited state, as observed in the fluorescence decay, may be significantly longer than the natural lifetime. The calculations modeled and visualized the random walk of photons in cesium and rubidium vapors in a small, temperature-controlled cell, from initial absorption using a broadband laser source to eventual escape and detection. The focus of the poster is the validation of the calculations invoked in the Monte Carlo simulation compared to experimental results from an experiment having the same geometry and utilizing a Ti:sapphire pulsed laser for excitation.

  • • Developing a Community Outreach Program on the Physics of Smell

    • SPS05
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Carissa Giuliano,, Matthew Wright

    • Type: Poster
    • We will present our progress toward developing a public outreach program on the physics of smell to present at local high schools and museums. We have developed interactive exhibits to explain the two primary models that reveal how we smell: the lock and key model and the inelastic electron tunneling model. For the lock and key model, we 3-D printed several receptors for molecules, built from molecule kits, to fit into. For the tunneling model, we have developed various graphical simulations and used a physical example of frustrated total internal reflection to showcase a visible example of tunneling. After presenting this at various maker fairs our main takeaway was that observers will need to understand more about properties of light to grasp this demonstration. Therefore, we plan to incorporate a segment on this in the next version of the presentation.

  • • Shape/Scale Independent Direct Surface Area Measurement Method from Images*

    • SPS06
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Matthew Mancini,, Mariana Sendova

    • Type: Poster
    • A direct, shape, and scale independent digital image measurement method of the surface area (SA) of individual objects is proposed. The algorithms presented herein utilize the brightness histogram of 8-bit grey scale images, and thus are referred to as Brightness Histogram Surface Area Measurement Algorithm (BHSAMA). The proposed SA measurement technique allows the uncertainty of the single measurement reading to be evaluated by traditional error propagation. This fact alone presents a significant advantage to the current methods utilizing image segmentation and/or edge detection whose measurement uncertainties cannot be quantitatively analysed. For method verification purposes, a series of digital simulations using a control sample of predetermined size is undertaken. The accuracy of the single measured SA reading is between 0.5 % and 1.5 %. The two presented BHSAMA techniques can have wide range of applicability from nanoparticles, to cell biology, to aerial imagery.

  • • Non-linear Oscillations in Quartz Tuning Forks at Cryogenic Temperatures

    • SPS07
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Frank DiLello,*, Eric Bautista, Yoonseok Lee

    • Type: Poster
    • We investigated non-linear behavior of commercially available quartz tuning forks. Quartz tuning forks are mechanical resonators whose mechanical oscillations can be actuated and detected electrically. When they are driven at low excitations, the quarts tuning forks can be described by a driven damped harmonic oscillator model with its resonance frequency in the range of 10 kHz. Our previous attempts to investigate these resonators in vacuum at room temperature hit the physical limit of the fork, causing it to display unusual non-linear behavior. It is well known that most of the mechanical oscillators exhibit non-linear behavior called Duffing oscillations. We embarked on conducting the in-depth study on this at cryogenic temperatures down to 4 K where the non-linear effect should be more pronounced. We designed and constructed a 4 K probe for this project. In this paper we will discuss the non-linear behavior of quartz tuning forks at 4 K in vacuum.

  • • Search for Potential Higgs Boson to Dark Photon Decay

    • SPS08
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Sean Kent,*
    • Type: Poster
    • The Large Hadron Collider accelerates protons to the order of 10 TeV of energy and smashes them together, enabling an emergence of heavy and short-lived subatomic particles. One such new subatomic particle, the Higgs Boson, was discovered in 2012. The Higgs Boson is vastly different from all other known elementary particles and plays a very special role in the theory, which warrants a broad program of studying its properties, including searches for decays to yet some other new particles that have been otherwise evading detection so far. This poster presents a strategy for one of such searches, namely: decays of the Higgs boson to a pair of ''dark'’ photons predicted to exist by some theoretical models.

  • • Student Engagement in a Project-based Electricity and Magnetism Course

    • SPS10
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Ayax Santos,, Osvaldo Aquines, Hector Gonzalez

    • Type: Poster
    • Despite the relevance of science in engineering, sometimes engineering students do not see the connection of physics courses to their field of study. As an alternative, a project-based course was designed to engage them into the subject. The course starts by defining a set of projects from which they can choose. In each of them, they have to apply the concepts seen in the course to build the final prototype. The main project deliverables are: a first report in which they detail how will they build their prototype and the physics concepts implied, a second videoreport (youtube) in which they show their first test and finally an oral presentation and demonstration of the working prototype in front of the class. Qualitative results from interviews show that students feel more motivated since they relate the course to the real world and other areas of engineering.

  • • Physics and Engineering of the Speed Limit Enforcement Devices

    • SPS11
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Mikhail Agrest,
    • Type: Poster
    • The need of limiting speed is based on multiple reasons related to safety. The practice of use of speed limiting devices (e.g.: speed humps/speed bumps) is very contradicting in terms of achieving the main goals, as safety without increasing pollution. The study also showed that selection of speed limiting devices is often intuitive, but not based on adequate physical model and accurate calculation and design. Actual practice today shows that the safe speed passing a speed hump/bump is often differs from the assigned speed limit. This leads to drivers’ slowing down before the speed humps and their acceleration in the space between speed humps. As a result, the purpose is not achieved, the safety is not improved, the environment becomes more polluted and the spent money wasted. The study was made on reasoning of the shape and dimensions of speed limit enforcement devices to match the assigned speed limit.

  • • Physicochemical Modeling and Optimization of the Dissolution Kinetics of Prednisolone Loaded Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Films*

    • SPS12
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Megan Mouton,
    • Type: Poster
    • Pharmaceutical industries spend a tremendous amount of time and money in order to develop a formulation process for the mass production of individual drugs suitable for certain release properties. These industries are spending so much money on the formulation processes because with a faster formulation comes the enabling of a faster transition from the bench to clinical trials to commercial production (translational research). Mathematical models are essential in modern drug development and design research to predict the optimal process design based on physical properties and targeted release profile. Here, a physicochemical model is developed based on Fick’s first law of diffusion to describe prednisolone loaded polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) dissolution in aqueous solution, which was solved using Python after simplifying by Noyes-Whitney approximation to predict the transport properties (diffusivity and boundary layer thickness). The model produced a good fit (R2 > 0.9) for drug release profile with changing solution volume, film thickness and presence/absence of surfactant Tween80, and was used to predict a lumped rate k and solubility Cs. The model and predicted physical parameters will help in the design of film-based drug formulation systems with optimal properties.

  • • Using an IR Camera to Investigate Power in Simple DC Circuits

    • SPS13
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Sarah Nowell,, Megan Mouton

    • Type: Poster
    • Traditionally in introductory level physics, simple DC circuits with light bulbs are used to teach current, potential difference, and power. This can be problematic because light bulbs are non-ohmic, which results in unexpected observations. In this set of experiments, we used ceramic resistors, which are ohmic, and an IR camera to investigate power. We used the IR camera to measure temperature and radiance of resistors in series and in parallel, and we measured temperature and radiance of single resistors as a function of time. We found that it took a long time for resistors to reach thermal equilibrium, especially for lower resistance (higher power). We found that radiant power increased with electrical power and that radiance is proportional to temperature. These results can be used to write new introductory physics lab activities that use an IR camera to better understand the Energy Principle applied to a resistor in a circuit.

  • • Electrochemical Liquid-Liquid-Solid Deposition of Crystalline InGaAs

    • SPS14
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    
    • by Mark Moran,
    • Type: Poster
    • InGaAs is a (III-V) compound semiconductor alloy with tunable optoelectronic properties in the near infrared (NIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum, making this material an excellent candidate for various applications in NIR sensing and detection. Current methods for producing InGaAs require high-cost experimental setups and toxic gaseous precursors. Thus, this research targets the deposition of crystalline InGaAs via the electrochemical liquid-liquid-solid (ec-LLS) process, in which growth occurs in room temperatures, ambient pressure, and without any toxic precursors. The hypothesis tested in this work says that crystalline InGaAs can be grown via ec-LLS using varied mixtures of In and Ga liquid metals to serve as an electrode, solvent, and coreactant promoting semiconductor crystal growth. The InGaAs crystals will be characterized for crystallographic properties via x-ray diffraction and electrical properties via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Obtained results will reveal the efficiency of ec-LLS in growing semiconductor materials.

  • • How Would A Nearby Kilonova Look On Camera?

    • SPS17
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Nihar Gupte,*, Imre Bartos

    • Type: Poster
    • Kilonovae are cosmic optical flashes produced in the aftermath of the merger of two neutron stars. While the typical radiant flux of a kilonova can be as high as 10e34 W, they typically occur at cosmological distances, requiring meter-class or larger telescopes for their observation. Here we explore how a kilonova would look like from Earth if it occurred in the Solar System’s backyard, 1000 light-years from Earth. This is a small distance on cosmological scales, with only one neutron-star merger expected to occur this close every 100,000,000 years. While humans will likely only see kilonovae at much greater distances, showing how such a nearby event would look on camera can help visualize these events, and demonstrate their unique spectral evolution.

  • • Balloon Borne Investigation Zenith Angle Dependence of Cosmic Rays Showers

    • SPS18
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Melissa Graham,, Claire Weinzierl, Judy Panmany, Alisha Wiedmeier, Alynie Walter

    • Type: Poster
    • Galactic Cosmic Rays are high-energy particles from stars or remnants of a supernova. These particles impinge upon the Earth's atmosphere, in the form of positively charged particles, protons. Protons interact with atmospheric nuclei to produce a cascadeof high energy secondary particles known as a Galactic Cosmic Ray Shower. This post-collision secondary shower depends on altitude, latitude, solar activity, and air pressure. The Regener-Pfotzer (R-P) maximum, which is between 15-25 km, is the altitude where the maximum number of detections is measured with a Geiger Müller detector. In order to quantify particle collisions, a payload was flown containing four Geiger counters in a cross configuration comparing and measuring vertical, horizontal, and omnidirectional coincidences. Analyzed data showed an R-P maximum occurring at different altitudes depending on the direction of the coincidences, consistent with previous research.

  • • Balloon Borne Lower Atmosphere Neutron Detection Using Personal Neutron Dosimeters

    • SPS19
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Judy Panmany,, Claire Weinzierl, Alisha Wiedmeier, Melissa Graham, Alynie Walter

    • Type: Poster
    • Helium filled High Altitude Balloons (HABs) carrying payloads are utilized to explore Earth’s atmosphere. These balloons expand until they burst at approximately 32 km due to low pressure. Subatomic particles, such as neutrons can be found within regionsof the atmosphere where HABs are flown. Neutrons are challenging to detect because they are electrically neutral. A Personal Neutron Dosimeter (PND) detector can be used to quantify neutrons through the appearance of bubbles, based on the reaction with liquid Freon-12. Two HAB flights were conducted with payloads that consist of a PND, heater circuit, GPS devices, and GoPro camera. Particle counts peak between 15-25 km; this altitude is referred to as the Regener-Pfotzer (R-P) maximum. Data analysis showed a correlation between the altitude of neutrons and the altitude of charged subatomic particles. These flights demonstrated that neutrons were present at lower altitudes than previously demonstrated.

  • • Cosmic Ray Shower Zenith Angle Measurement by Balloon Borne Apparatus

    • SPS20
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Alisha Wiedmeier,, Melissa Graham, Claire Weinzierl, Judy Panmany, Alynie Walter

    • Type: Poster
    • High energy particles, mainly protons, from distant stars or supernovae interact with atmospheric particles producing a Galactic Cosmic Ray Shower; these particles can be monitored through High Altitude Balloon (HAB) flights. In past experiments, Aware Electronics RM-80 Geiger Müller (GM) detectors were separated and stacked vertically, to collect particle coincidences aligned at zero and 90 degrees in relation to the zenith angle. The Regener-Pfotzer maximum, an altitude dependent maximum of this measurement, varied for vertical, horizontal, and omnidirectional coincidences. An apparatus built to rotate a pair of stacked GM detectors using a stepper motor was used to collect coincidence data for particles traveling at different angles. The detectors were turned every 15-seconds to collect data for zenith angles of ? = 0°, 45°, and -45° relative to the vertical axis. A HAB flight confirmed that the apparatus prototype could withstand low pressure, low temperature, and continued to collect data after landing.

  • • A Profile of the Muon Flux in Fermilab’s MINOS Tunnel

    • SPS21
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Benjamin Grey,*, Jacob Miller, Shoshana Frank, Shira Eliaser, Allen Sears

    • Type: Poster
    • The MINOS tunnel at Fermilab is 103 meters in depth to shield the experiment from cosmic rays. High school students hypothesized that the muon flux will decrease as a function of distance in the tunnel from the access shaft. Two detectors were used, one parallel to the tunnel and one perpendicular to the tunnel. An additional stack was on the surface as a control. We varied the distance from the shaft and measured the muon flux. We found influences from the neutrino beam which necessitated normalization of our results. The results gathered over that period proved our hypothesis. Experiment details will be presented.

  • • DivYX; Software to Perform Web-based Kinematic Analysis

    • SPS22
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Hector Antonio Gonzalez Flores,, Osvaldo Aquines, Ayax Santos

    • Type: Poster
    • Computer-based analysis tools have proven to be very effective in physics education and their use has become everyday more intensive. However, the analysis tools currently available have technical requirements related to their installation in some combination of hardware and operating system. DivYX, is an analysis tool that works completely online, and is independent of the hardware and operating system used. DivYX is able to provide students with the necessary facilities to perform a kinematic analysis of some phenomenon which has been previously recorded on video. DivYX is part of the Newtondreams project, which it intends to make it available for users; Teachers or physics students, of tools that can be used in the teaching-learning process. DivYX is a tool used regularly in our laboratories, Physics, and Digital Effects Animation courses, as well as various departmental projects.

  • • Application of AMTI Sports Performance Force Plates in Introductory Physics

    • SPS23
    • Sat 01/18, 8:10PM - 10:00PM
    
    

    • by Paul Klippel,, Aaron Titus

    • Type: Poster
    • An important, yet challenging, concept in introductory physics is contact forces with perpendicular (normal) and tangential (friction) components in both static and dynamic situations. Our new physics classroom includes three recessed, parallel, researchgrade force plates designed for biomechanics that measure 3D contact forces and position on the plate. Using Python and VPython, we created a custom data acquisition, analysis, and visualization application for introductory physics students to observe and measure contact forces with the plates. In live recording mode students can view the 3D force vector alongside graphs of force components and magnitude. After data is collected, students can select data to analyze. Selecting a single data point displays the corresponding 3D force vector. This unique hardware in an introductory physics classroom creates novel opportunities for education and research.

• Technologies

  • • Visualizing the Invisible: Viewing 3-D Magnetic Fields with Your Smartphone

    • PST1B01
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Rebecca Vieyra, Chrystian Vieyra, Colleen Megowan Romanowicz, Mina Johnson-Glenberg, Ramon Lopez

    • Type: Poster
    • This poster presents a series of magnetic field concepts and associated protocols for learning about them using Physics Toolbox AR, a smartphone-based app to see field vectors in three dimensions. This work addresses commonly misunderstood or difficult-to-understand aspects of static fields due to the Earth's background field, permanent magnets, and current-carrying wires. Preliminary findings will be shared about the opportunities and challenges of using AR technology to teach and learn about fields, based on the authors' experiences with a variety of age groups.

  • • Conceptually Mapping Computational Integration in High School Physics

    • PST1B03
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    

    • by Rebecca Vieyra,, Colleen Megowan Romanowicz, Melissa Girmscheid, Jess Dykes

    • Type: Poster
    • This poster will display a series of concept maps to present a visual overview of how a group of 30+ physics teachers have integrated computational modeling into the first five units of Modeling Instruction for Physics First. It will include the flow of computational knowledge-building as it relates to a progression through qualitative energy, constant velocity, uniform acceleration, and balanced and unbalanced forces.

  • • The Smartphone as a Hydrophone

    • PST1B05
    • Mon 01/20, 1:30PM - 2:15PM
    
    
    • by Martín Monteiro,
    • Type: Poster
    • Several models of smartphones are currently submersible, and the performance of their microphones underwater is good enough to be used as true hydrophones capable of conducting physics experiments. A very elementary application of the hydrophone, suitable for a basic physics course, is to use it to determine the speed of sound in water. Here we present two related activities, one is to measure the speed of sound in water from the time difference of two signals and the speed of sound in air. The other problem-activity consists in determining the distance of a sound source from the delay between two signals, one that travels through the air and another that travels through the water.

  • • STEM Education Delivery Techniques Using an iPad Pro

    • PST1B02
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    

    • by Sarah Sublett,, Virginia Coghlan, James Bowen

    • Type: Poster
    • Instructors develop innovative content delivery methods inside and outside of the classroom for their students. Through the last two years, the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering at West Point purchased iPad Pros for every faculty member as anoption for creating and delivering educational content. Instructors generated many unique approaches producing content for, collaborating with, and delivering classroom content to their students, regardless of if their student had an iPad. This study surveys instructors two years after our initial acquisition to determine how faculty are using iPads for their classrooms and consolidate those techniques.

  • • Digitally Mediated Team-Based Learning using the Virtual Classroom

    • PST1B04
    • Mon 01/20, 2:15PM - 3:00PM
    
    
    • by KC Walsh,
    • Type: Poster
    • Oregon State University recently embarked on a complete re-envision on how to structure and deliver online courses. Following the tremendous success in reforming the traditional face-to-face Introductory Physics sequence we had learned the value of implementing PER approved curriculum. Our greatest hurdle bringing these techniques online lie in the problem statement, "How can we implement real-time engagement pedagogies and Peer Instruction strategies in a distance learning environment?". My poster will introduce you to the Virtual Classroom and AsyncSync system created to facilitate Guided Peer Instruction. Using our Lightboard Studio, communication tools, and real-time polling we believe we've created a first-of-its-kind online learning environment that can bring people together in ways never possible. Come check it out!