Table of contents

Hydrogen gas clouds dispersed throughout our own galaxy, the Milky Way, emit radio waves at a frequency of 1420 MHz. This article details a system incorporating mainly amateur radio communication equipment to observe and profile these galactic hydrogen radio emissions. Subsequent analysis of hydrogen line profiles can reveal the spiral structure of our galaxy.

A few conceptual questions on radiation from charged particles moving in circular orbits are answered here in a purely qualitative way without using any mathematics. These relate to the quasicontinuous spectrum of synchrotron radiation, the absence of radiation from current rings and Bohr orbits, and the phenomenon of radiation reaction.

A teaching model aimed at promoting conceptual change concerning the concepts of heat and temperature is described. The type of research conducted seems to have great impact on the professional development of the secondary school teachers who participate in the project.

The physics of dielectric behaviour in solid materials is discussed using very simplified atomic models. The aim is to understand the concepts that are used in the elementary continuum theory in terms of what is actually happening at the microscopic level.

The question "What `holds up' the Moon?" was used to generate discussion, amongst A-level students, which led to the identification and exploration of some of their conceptual difficulties regarding circular motion generally and the Earth/Moon system in particular.

The recent development of fast PCs with a large memory and their availability at a relatively modest cost has meant that the use of CAL (computer-aided learning), both for individuals and for institutions such as universities, has become a very realistic proposition. In this paper we demonstrate that, using new programming languages such as Visual BASIC or Multimedia Toolbook, it is possible to produce, in a relatively short space of time, packages that are clear and simple to use by students with little or no computing expertise. We describe here a short example of CAL for teaching elementary quantum mechanics which was written in Visual BASIC within the Windows environment.

At Loughborough University of Technology the Foundation Programme in Science and Engineering has been running for three years. The course attracts large numbers of students with diverse educational backgrounds. This was initially seen as a major problem by the lecturer responsible for the physics input to the course. However, it prompted a radical rethink of her teaching methods, to the benefit of all concerned.

Quantitative measures of concept maps drawn by senior high-school students are shown to be useful in assessing the understanding of relationships between the concepts required for multistep problem solving.

Two computer programs (OBJETIVA and APARENTE) that show the difference between measuring and seeing an object in relativistic movement have been developed. Some results are shown here.

A-level Physics: What hope for the futureB K Tanner University of Durham, UK

Further reflectionsRobert M Scott The Nicolson Institute, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, UK

No flies on trainsSimon Petts MPW Tutorial College, London, UK