The Physics Teacher

February 2026
Volume 64 Issue 2

This Month's cover...is a photo of the Qiantang River in China in 2024 taken by Linglong Pan, showcasing the formation of a “matrix tide.” For more information see the. Visual Physics Column submission by Jianwei Jiang of Westlake University in Hangzhou, China.

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

When precision gets in the way: Teaching students to think, not calculate by Charles W. Coe. DOI: 10.1119/5.0306299

Erratum. DOI: 10.1119/5.0321449

AAPT AWARDS

2026 Winter AAPT Awards. DOI: 10.1119/5.0321426

PAPERS

Questions Without Answers as a Teaching Tool by Kaisa Young. DOI: 10.1119/5.0211068

Bodies in Motion: Analyzing Movement with Fitness Trackers by Chadwick H. Young; Amy Chiasson. DOI: 10.1119/5.0213467

Dinosaur Gigantism and Conservation of Energy by Scott A. Lee. DOI: 10.1119/5.0213739

The Physics of Auto-transforming Robot Toys: A Laboratory Investigation for High School or College Physics Classes by David James Horne. DOI: 10.1119/5.0235636

Orbits of Balls in a Funnel and a Spherical Surface by Rod Cross. DOI: 10.1119/5.0229223

Integrating an Eyeball Simulation Model and Physical Apparatus to Enhance the Understanding of Vision Imaging and Correction by Junwen Zhen; Limei Wang; Sheng Zhang; Cuilan Qiao; Li Xie. DOI: 10.1119/5.0216102

Analysis of Single- and Double-Slit Diffraction Patterns Using Hair by Yoriko Suda; Masayoshi Suko; Tsuyoshi Okuno. DOI: 10.1119/5.0219614

Determining Dye Solution Decoloration Using a Low-Cost Light-Dependent Resistor by Edy Wibowo; Naily Ulya; Faiq Irfan; Deni Indrawan Saefullah; Widyan Haikal Bantas; Mamat Rokhmat; Suwandi; Putut Marwoto; Sutisna. DOI: 10.1119/5.0190886

Using a Smartphone to Explore Fluid Pressure Dependence on Position and Acceleration by Leland Aldridge; Ananda Shastri. DOI: 10.1119/5.0215168

Useful Thermodynamic Concepts from the Simple Coin Toss Experiment by Sara Gómez; Sergio Lopera; Albeiro Restrepo. DOI: 10.1119/5.0191131

STEM-Based Drone Activity in Integrated Multiphysics by Pongpatai Kitrungloadjanaporn; Narin Nuttavut; Wannapong Triampo; Darapond Triampo. DOI: 10.1119/5.0231710

Undergraduate Physics Courses in a Remote Context Compelled by the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparison Between Two Adapted Experimental Course Approaches by Vinícius P. S. Santos; Andreza G. Subtil; Mariana P. Brandao; Jackson M. Fonseca; Leonarde N. Rodrigues. DOI: 10.1119/5.0209224

A Simple Controllable Gyroscope for Sensing and Understanding Rotational Motion by Pedro L. S. Bastos; Naiara C. Oliveira; Jusciane da Costa e Silva; Subênia K. Medeiros; Gustavo de O. G. Rebouças. DOI: Phys. Teach. 64, 147–149 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0267461