0
$\begingroup$

This coming Spring I'll be running a Mechanics I lab for freshman (as a teaching assistant) and I'll have some say as to the way I do it. So I was thinking it would be nice if I could find some research papers to show the students. I think it might be good for them to read actual papers written by actual physicists. They would have to be something readable and at least partially understandable by an average freshman physics major.

I thought that maybe I could find some older papers in Physical Review. I could also try to scour arxiv.org, but that might be more difficult.

Do any of you have suggestions as to other places I can look, or do you know of some papers that would suit? The papers need to be about classical physics (though not necessarily just mechanics) and need to be written at a low enough level that my students will be able to tell at least what they're about, even if they can't follow all of it.

$\endgroup$
1
  • 5
    $\begingroup$ You could ask them to read "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" by Copernicus. Everything it contains is known to freshmen (or should be) and it will give them an excellent introduction to a major source of modern science writing. Unlike Principia, which is hard to understand because of the disconnect between Newton's geometric constructions and the modern formulation of classical mechanics, this book gives vivid insights into the development of science. In mechanics proper you could show them the papers by Hamilton, but that might be tough for some. $\endgroup$
    – CuriousOne
    Dec 17, 2014 at 3:12

1 Answer 1

5
$\begingroup$

The American Journal of Physics has in its archives a couple hundred "Resource Letters," which are mini-reviews of some interesting topic with several hundred references each. The recent resource letters usually group the references by their complexity, making it easy to find "simple" or "thorough" treatments of a topic. The journal is published by the American Association of Physics Teachers, so most authors have some interest in quality high school or undergraduate physics education as well. Spend some time browsing that archive, pick a subject that you might be able to expand on in your class, and dive in to the literature.

$\endgroup$
0

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.