The Physics Teacher
September 2026
Volume 64 Issue 6
This Month’s Cover... features a student-produced vortex smoke ring, “Inferno,” generated by Lucian Sharpe, Sofia Gilroy, Kiara Vong, and Himanssh Pettie. For more information, see “Blending Fluid Mechanics and Art—Part II: Flow Visualization” by Jack-William Barotta, Avery Trevino, Madeline E. Federle.
Columns
AI Physics Tools, And the Survey Says..., Astronotes, Fermi Questions, Figuring Physics, For the New Teacher, iPhysicsLabs, Just Physics, Little Gems, Physics Challenge for Teachers and Students, Talkin' Physics, Technology In The Classroom, Tricks of the Trade, TCY Tidbits, Visual Physics, and Websights.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
How many times does a ball bounce? by Rod Cross
The Physics Teacher 64, 444 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0296183
Reply to Cross by Roberto De Luca; Marco Di Mauro; Adele Naddeo
The Physics Teacher 64, 445 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0344381
Response to Cross: In defense of the pedagogical model by Paul Hatchell
The Physics Teacher 64, 445 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0349497
TPT referees: Providing the gift that keeps on giving!: June 1, 2025–May 31, 2026
The Physics Teacher 64, 504–505 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0346126
AAPT AWARDS
AAPT Awards
The Physics Teacher 64, 446–447 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0354780
PAPERS
Sunlight and the Geometry of Trees by Mark Denny
The Physics Teacher 64, 449–453 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0249491
The Maximum Acceleration of Terrestrial Animals Including Tyrannosaurus rex by Scott A. Lee; Lisa L. Walsh
The Physics Teacher 64, 454–457 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0268325
Blending Fluid Mechanics and Art—Part II: Flow Visualization by Jack-William Barotta; Avery Trevino; Madeline E. Federle; Roberto Zenit
The Physics Teacher 64, 458–462 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0258492
Dynamic Lightboard: Incorporating Animation into Lightboard-Based Lecturettes by Michael J. Gladys; Paul McDonald; Nicholas Barnham; Paul C. Dastoor
The Physics Teacher 64, 463–465 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0258555
Estimating the Efficiency of Regenerative Braking in Electric Vehicles by Massimo Mitolo
The Physics Teacher 64, 466–469 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0255105
Scientific Recreations by Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr.
The Physics Teacher 64, 470–472 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0271034
The Trajectory of a Steel Ball Passing Close to a Magnet by Rod Cross
The Physics Teacher 64, 473–476 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0241998
Evaluation of Mechanical Energy in the Design of a Pump Track: A Case Study for Classroom Analysis by Geovanny Solano-Vinueza; Jesús González-Laprea
The Physics Teacher 64, 477–481 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0263811
A Project-Based, Purposeful, Interdisciplinary Approach to Physics Fun by Christine L. Fleischacker; Lucy B. Brodeur; Sarah J. Prescott; John L. Frohlich
The Physics Teacher 64, 482–485 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0242158
Phone Physics and the Gateway Arch: Fun with Friends and Physics at the AAPT Winter Meeting in St. Louis by David Marasco; Bree Barnett Dreyfuss
The Physics Teacher 64, 486–489 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0267317
To Be or Not to Be on Earth, That Is the Question by André Heck; Richard Kaufman
The Physics Teacher 64, 490–493 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0208989
Studying the Dynamics of Apparent Weight in an Elevator by Antonio Augusto Soares; Nayron Costa Alves
The Physics Teacher 64, 494–496 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0267920
An Innovative Experimental Design for Measuring a Liquid Viscous by Coefficient by a Falling Ball Method by Dongqiang Han; Panpan Chen; Zhaoxing Du; Cheng Gao; Zhengda He
The Physics Teacher 64, 497–499 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0213331
An Overlooked Foundation: Teaching Equations of Constraints in Introductory Physics by Kim Nielsen
The Physics Teacher 64, 500–503 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0266417
A DIY Triboelectric Nanogenerator: An All-In-One Generator, Microphone, and Loudspeaker by Christopher J. Chiaverina
The Physics Teacher 64, 506–507 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0258112
Experimental Apparatus for Studying Color Perception Using Smartphones by João Lucas Ribeiro; Wellington dos Santos Souza
The Physics Teacher 64, 508–509 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0240461
Development of Augmented Reality Content for Preservice Teacher Education: Reflection of Light from a Plane Mirror by Sungsu Choi; Jeongwoo Park
The Physics Teacher 64, 510–513 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0245760
Development of a Light Synthesis Experiment Device Using Physical Computing by Hyun-Woo Kim; Seong Joo Kang
The Physics Teacher 64, 514–517 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0260648
Gamma Ray Spectroscopy in Introductory Physics by J. Pantaleone
The Physics Teacher 64, 518–522 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0254324
A Detachable Multifunctional Transformer Device for Electromagnetic Demonstration by Li Tang; Wei Fang
The Physics Teacher 64, 523–525 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0236395
A Simple Experiment to Visualize Electromagnetic Induction and Study Faraday’s Law and Magnetic Pole Strength Using a Voltage Sensor by Ponn Maheswaranathan
The Physics Teacher 64, 526–529 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0243393
Computational Approaches for Intermediate-Level Thermal Physics and Electrodynamics Courses by Minjoon Kouh; Taejoon Kouh
The Physics Teacher 64, 530–535 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0235537
Entangled Boxes as a Quantum Physics Teaching Tool by Serkan Akkoyun; Mehmed Koç; Sebahattin Kartal; Erdoğan Özdemir
The Physics Teacher 64, 536–538 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0247176
Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Water Jet Trajectories: Deviations from Torricelli’s Theorem and the Role of Viscous Effects by Sanjoy Kumar Pal; Pradipta Panchadhyayee; Kausik S. Das; Debapriyo Syam
The Physics Teacher 64, 539–543 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0267695
Improving Student Self-Confidence in Quantum Computing with the Qubit Touchdown Board Game by Kristina Armbruster; Gintaras Duda; Thomas G. Wong
The Physics Teacher 64, 544–548 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0258097
What Does a Scale Submerged in Water Measure? by Sohee Oh; Hyukjoon Choi; Jung Bog Kim
The Physics Teacher 64, 549–551 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0245255
BOOK REVIEW
A Review of Optics: Fundamentals and Phenomena by Gorazd Planinsic
The Physics Teacher 64, 556–557 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0343413
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