Pub Date : 2024-09-18DOI: 10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e45
J Etxebarria
Although the theory of elasticity has been well known for many years there are still some commonly accepted misconceptions that continue to be taught in solid-state physics courses. In this paper we review some of these misconceptions through a detailed study of the relationship between macroscopic and microscopic theories of elasticity in a simple-cubic crystal with one atom per primitive cell. The analysis is performed at different stages of complexity. In the first-neighbor approximation we find that the crystal is simply unstable. If pairwise interaction up to second neighbors is considered the crystal is stable but the elastic constants present additional symmetries known as Cauchy relations which are not observed experimentally. The reasons for this behavior are analyzed, pointing out that the invariance of the potential energy with respect to rotations implies necessarily that pairwise interactions must be central. Only if the atomic interactions involve the participation of 3-bodies or more, the forces are non-central and the resulting elastic tensor may be acceptable.
{"title":"Surprises in the theory of elasticity: pairwise atomic interactions, central forces, and Cauchy relations","authors":"J Etxebarria","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e45","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e45","url":null,"abstract":"Although the theory of elasticity has been well known for many years there are still some commonly accepted misconceptions that continue to be taught in solid-state physics courses. In this paper we review some of these misconceptions through a detailed study of the relationship between macroscopic and microscopic theories of elasticity in a simple-cubic crystal with one atom per primitive cell. The analysis is performed at different stages of complexity. In the first-neighbor approximation we find that the crystal is simply unstable. If pairwise interaction up to second neighbors is considered the crystal is stable but the elastic constants present additional symmetries known as Cauchy relations which are not observed experimentally. The reasons for this behavior are analyzed, pointing out that the invariance of the potential energy with respect to rotations implies necessarily that pairwise interactions must be central. Only if the atomic interactions involve the participation of 3-bodies or more, the forces are non-central and the resulting elastic tensor may be acceptable.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-18DOI: 10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e43
Julie Nassoy, Margot Nguyen Huu, Léon Rembotte, Jean-Baptiste Trebbia and Pierre Nassoy
The water bottle flip experiment is a recreational, non-conventional illustration of the conservation of angular momentum. When a bottle partially filled with water is thrown in a rotational motion, water redistributes throughout the bottle, resulting in an increase of moment of inertia and thus a decrease in angular velocity, which increases the probability of it falling upright on a table as compared with a bottle filled with ice. The investigation of this phenomenom is accessible to undergraduate students and should allow them to gain better understanding of combined translational and rotational motions in classical mechanics. We report a series of detailed experiments that are quantitatively compared with numerical calculations based on a simple theoretical framework in which the water volume is decomposed into thin slices of a rigid body that are subjected to fictitious forces in the non-inertial frame of the spinning bottle. This model also allows us to capture and predict other experimental configurations. Finally, we discuss additional counter-intuitive effects that contribute to bottle stabilization on landing.
{"title":"The water bottle flipping experiment: a quantitative comparison between experiments and numerical simulations","authors":"Julie Nassoy, Margot Nguyen Huu, Léon Rembotte, Jean-Baptiste Trebbia and Pierre Nassoy","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e43","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e43","url":null,"abstract":"The water bottle flip experiment is a recreational, non-conventional illustration of the conservation of angular momentum. When a bottle partially filled with water is thrown in a rotational motion, water redistributes throughout the bottle, resulting in an increase of moment of inertia and thus a decrease in angular velocity, which increases the probability of it falling upright on a table as compared with a bottle filled with ice. The investigation of this phenomenom is accessible to undergraduate students and should allow them to gain better understanding of combined translational and rotational motions in classical mechanics. We report a series of detailed experiments that are quantitatively compared with numerical calculations based on a simple theoretical framework in which the water volume is decomposed into thin slices of a rigid body that are subjected to fictitious forces in the non-inertial frame of the spinning bottle. This model also allows us to capture and predict other experimental configurations. Finally, we discuss additional counter-intuitive effects that contribute to bottle stabilization on landing.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142249026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-17DOI: 10.1088/1361-6404/ad74b9
Ilija Arsenić, Miodrag Krmar, Branka Radulović, Pavel Semchukov, Gennady Yarygin and Nikita Sidorov
This paper presents two ways to introduce the student to some basic experimental concepts of gamma spectroscopy, without the use of expensive professional measurement equipment. For one, the complete experiment was simulated through several computer programs. Using this simulation, students are tasked with performing all the operations that must be performed in a real experimental setup, to obtain the spectrum of gamma radiation, as the expected result. For the second approach, equipment has been designed that looks and functions like real experimental equipment, and students can use it to perform completely identical procedures in the measurement process as with the real one. The central part of each component of a system designed in this way is a programmable microcontroller, set to perform a function analogous to that of the actual components. By working in these two ways, with a virtual experiment or a setup designed to fully imitate real measurement equipment, students can be introduced to the field of gamma spectroscopy and acquire a routine that can be repeated in real experiments. The main advantage of these two described methods is that they only require small investments.
{"title":"An inexpensive way to introduce students to gamma spectroscopy","authors":"Ilija Arsenić, Miodrag Krmar, Branka Radulović, Pavel Semchukov, Gennady Yarygin and Nikita Sidorov","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad74b9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad74b9","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents two ways to introduce the student to some basic experimental concepts of gamma spectroscopy, without the use of expensive professional measurement equipment. For one, the complete experiment was simulated through several computer programs. Using this simulation, students are tasked with performing all the operations that must be performed in a real experimental setup, to obtain the spectrum of gamma radiation, as the expected result. For the second approach, equipment has been designed that looks and functions like real experimental equipment, and students can use it to perform completely identical procedures in the measurement process as with the real one. The central part of each component of a system designed in this way is a programmable microcontroller, set to perform a function analogous to that of the actual components. By working in these two ways, with a virtual experiment or a setup designed to fully imitate real measurement equipment, students can be introduced to the field of gamma spectroscopy and acquire a routine that can be repeated in real experiments. The main advantage of these two described methods is that they only require small investments.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-11DOI: 10.1088/1361-6404/ad7107
Johann Otto and Carl E Mungan
The unsteady Bernoulli equation is used to numerically determine the surface height and velocity distribution of water flowing out of a conical tube as a function of time. The speed is found to interpolate between freefall for a cylindrical pipe of constant radius and Torricelli’s law for a funnel having a small exit hole. In addition, the applied force needed to hold the conical vessel in place is calculated using Newton’s second law including the rocket thrust due to the water flowing out of the funnel. A comparison is made with the analogous expressions for the flow through and holding force on a right cylindrical tank having a hole in its bottom face. The level of presentation is appropriate for an undergraduate calculus-based physics course in mechanics that includes a module on fluid dynamics.
{"title":"Flow of water out of a funnel","authors":"Johann Otto and Carl E Mungan","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad7107","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad7107","url":null,"abstract":"The unsteady Bernoulli equation is used to numerically determine the surface height and velocity distribution of water flowing out of a conical tube as a function of time. The speed is found to interpolate between freefall for a cylindrical pipe of constant radius and Torricelli’s law for a funnel having a small exit hole. In addition, the applied force needed to hold the conical vessel in place is calculated using Newton’s second law including the rocket thrust due to the water flowing out of the funnel. A comparison is made with the analogous expressions for the flow through and holding force on a right cylindrical tank having a hole in its bottom face. The level of presentation is appropriate for an undergraduate calculus-based physics course in mechanics that includes a module on fluid dynamics.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142183675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-10DOI: 10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e44
M Campione, A Pietropaolo and G Bussetti
The inverse-square decay law of the illuminance of a point light source with distance is a common notion of basic optics theory, which is readily demonstrated to be a direct consequence of the propagation of spherical wave fronts with the centre at the light source. It is far less common to address the experimental verification of this law and, even less, to study the illuminance decay with the distance of extended light sources, which somehow represent an unknown topic. We propose a scientific experiment where the light sensor of a smartphone is used to collect illuminance data as a function of the source-to-sensor distance and orientation. Through this procedure, students can realize the limit of validity of the inverse-square law and determine the luminance flux of the chosen point-like light source (e.g. the white LED flashlight of a smartphone). More interestingly, when dealing with extended sources (e.g. the LCD of a laptop displaying a white image) subtle characteristics of the decay trend emerge, particularly for distances lower that the source size. A detailed analysis of these characteristics is presented though a process allowing student engagement in a real scientific investigation, envisaging steps of data acquisition through experimental measurements, model construction on the basis of the observed patterns, and finally model testing. We provide a guided formulation for the general modelling of planar emitters, starting from the theoretical treatment of Lambertian sources. In this way, students are able to quantify the luminous emission also for extended sources and their deviation from a Lambertian behaviour.
点光源照度随距离的反平方衰减规律是基础光学理论中的一个常见概念，很容易证明它是以光源为中心的球面波前沿传播的直接结果。但对这一规律进行实验验证的情况却少之又少，而对延伸光源的照度随距离衰减的研究更是少之又少，这在某种程度上是一个未知的课题。我们提出了一个科学实验，利用智能手机的光传感器收集照度数据，并将其作为光源到传感器距离和方向的函数。通过这一过程，学生可以认识到平方反比定律的有效性极限，并确定所选点状光源（如智能手机的白色 LED 手电筒）的光通量。更有趣的是，在处理扩展光源（如显示白色图像的笔记本电脑液晶显示屏）时，衰减趋势会出现微妙的特征，尤其是在距离小于光源尺寸时。我们通过让学生参与真正的科学调查，设想通过实验测量获取数据、根据观察到的模式构建模型以及最后进行模型测试等步骤，对这些特征进行了详细分析。我们从朗伯光源的理论处理入手，为平面发射器的一般建模提供了指导性公式。这样，学生们就能够量化扩展光源的发光发射及其与朗伯光源的偏差。
{"title":"Investigative photometry experiments on planar extended-light sources","authors":"M Campione, A Pietropaolo and G Bussetti","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e44","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e44","url":null,"abstract":"The inverse-square decay law of the illuminance of a point light source with distance is a common notion of basic optics theory, which is readily demonstrated to be a direct consequence of the propagation of spherical wave fronts with the centre at the light source. It is far less common to address the experimental verification of this law and, even less, to study the illuminance decay with the distance of extended light sources, which somehow represent an unknown topic. We propose a scientific experiment where the light sensor of a smartphone is used to collect illuminance data as a function of the source-to-sensor distance and orientation. Through this procedure, students can realize the limit of validity of the inverse-square law and determine the luminance flux of the chosen point-like light source (e.g. the white LED flashlight of a smartphone). More interestingly, when dealing with extended sources (e.g. the LCD of a laptop displaying a white image) subtle characteristics of the decay trend emerge, particularly for distances lower that the source size. A detailed analysis of these characteristics is presented though a process allowing student engagement in a real scientific investigation, envisaging steps of data acquisition through experimental measurements, model construction on the basis of the observed patterns, and finally model testing. We provide a guided formulation for the general modelling of planar emitters, starting from the theoretical treatment of Lambertian sources. In this way, students are able to quantify the luminous emission also for extended sources and their deviation from a Lambertian behaviour.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142183676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-06DOI: 10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e46
Navinder Singh
As is well known, Paul Drude put forward the very first quantitative theory of electrical conduction in metals in 1900. He could successfully account for the Wiedemann–Franz law which states that the ratio of thermal to electrical conductivity divided by temperature is a constant called the Lorenz number. As it turns out, in Drude’s derivation there is a lucky cancellation of two errors. Drude’s underestimatation (by an order of 100) of the value of square of the average electron velocity compensated for his overestimatation of the electronic heat capacity (by the same order of 100). This compensation or cancellation of two errors lead to a value of the Lorenz number very close to its experimental value; which is well known. There is another error of a factor of two which Drude made when he calculated two different relaxation times for heat conductivity and electrical conductivity; in this article we highlight how and why this error occurred in Drude’s derivation and how it was removed 5 years later (in 1905) by Hendrik Lorentz when he used the Boltzmann equation and a single relaxation time. This article is of pedagogical value and may be useful to undergraduate/graduate students learning solid state physics.
{"title":"Drude’s lesser known error of a factor of two and Lorentz’s correction","authors":"Navinder Singh","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e46","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad6e46","url":null,"abstract":"As is well known, Paul Drude put forward the very first quantitative theory of electrical conduction in metals in 1900. He could successfully account for the Wiedemann–Franz law which states that the ratio of thermal to electrical conductivity divided by temperature is a constant called the Lorenz number. As it turns out, in Drude’s derivation there is a lucky cancellation of two errors. Drude’s underestimatation (by an order of 100) of the value of square of the average electron velocity compensated for his overestimatation of the electronic heat capacity (by the same order of 100). This compensation or cancellation of two errors lead to a value of the Lorenz number very close to its experimental value; which is well known. There is another error of a factor of two which Drude made when he calculated two different relaxation times for heat conductivity and electrical conductivity; in this article we highlight how and why this error occurred in Drude’s derivation and how it was removed 5 years later (in 1905) by Hendrik Lorentz when he used the Boltzmann equation and a single relaxation time. This article is of pedagogical value and may be useful to undergraduate/graduate students learning solid state physics.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142183678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-03DOI: 10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb4
Frank V Kowalski
The process of constructing knowledge is typically taught to students by having them reproduce established results (e.g. homework problems). An alternative pedagogical strategy is to illustrate this process using an open problem, such as voltage decay in an RC circuit as described below. Analyzing data from this circuit in an undergraduate physics laboratory course reveals a discrepancy between the data and the exponential decay model found in textbooks. As students attempt to reconcile this discrepancy, the instructor can provide guidance in the process of validating data, modeling, and experimental design. This undergraduate laboratory exercise also provides an engaging transition from classroom learning to real world experience.
{"title":"The process of constructing new knowledge: an undergraduate laboratory exercise facilitated by a vacuum capacitor-resistor circuit","authors":"Frank V Kowalski","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb4","url":null,"abstract":"The process of constructing knowledge is typically taught to students by having them reproduce established results (e.g. homework problems). An alternative pedagogical strategy is to illustrate this process using an open problem, such as voltage decay in an <italic toggle=\"yes\">RC</italic> circuit as described below. Analyzing data from this circuit in an undergraduate physics laboratory course reveals a discrepancy between the data and the exponential decay model found in textbooks. As students attempt to reconcile this discrepancy, the instructor can provide guidance in the process of validating data, modeling, and experimental design. This undergraduate laboratory exercise also provides an engaging transition from classroom learning to real world experience.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142227766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-03DOI: 10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb3
Ahmed Houari
Analytical solutions are always desirable in physics for the sake of mathematical exactness and physical insight. In this study, I obtain closed-form analytical expressions for various physical quantities taken from solid state physics. More precisely, I derive analytical expressions in terms of the Lambert W function for the work function and the field-enhancement factor of a field emitting material from the Fowler–Nordheim equation. Additionally, I derive similar analytical expressions for the localization length and the density of states in amorphous semiconductors from the Mott hopping conductivity. Similarly, I also derive analytical formulae based on the Lambert W function to compute the extrinsic-intrinsic transition temperature in a partially compensated semiconductor and the Kondo exchange coupling constant. All the obtained results are exact and explicit. Moreover, some of them allow a direct determination of some physical quantities of interest compared to their indirect determination from semi-logarithmic experimental plots. The findings of this paper are accessible and suitable for students enrolled in graduate solid state physics courses.
在物理学中，为了数学的精确性和物理洞察力，分析解总是令人向往的。在本研究中，我从固体物理学中获得了各种物理量的闭式分析表达式。更确切地说，我从 Fowler-Nordheim 方程推导出了朗伯 W 函数的分析表达式，即场发射材料的功函数和场增强因子。此外，我还从莫特跳跃电导率推导出了非晶半导体中局部化长度和状态密度的类似分析表达式。同样，我还根据兰伯特 W 函数推导出分析公式，计算出部分补偿半导体的本征-外征转变温度和近藤交换耦合常数。所有得到的结果都是精确和明确的。此外，与从半对数实验图中间接得出的结果相比，其中一些结果还能直接确定一些感兴趣的物理量。本文的研究结果易于理解，适合修读固体物理研究生课程的学生。
{"title":"Additional applications of the Lambert W function to solid state physics","authors":"Ahmed Houari","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb3","url":null,"abstract":"Analytical solutions are always desirable in physics for the sake of mathematical exactness and physical insight. In this study, I obtain closed-form analytical expressions for various physical quantities taken from solid state physics. More precisely, I derive analytical expressions in terms of the Lambert W function for the work function and the field-enhancement factor of a field emitting material from the Fowler–Nordheim equation. Additionally, I derive similar analytical expressions for the localization length and the density of states in amorphous semiconductors from the Mott hopping conductivity. Similarly, I also derive analytical formulae based on the Lambert W function to compute the extrinsic-intrinsic transition temperature in a partially compensated semiconductor and the Kondo exchange coupling constant. All the obtained results are exact and explicit. Moreover, some of them allow a direct determination of some physical quantities of interest compared to their indirect determination from semi-logarithmic experimental plots. The findings of this paper are accessible and suitable for students enrolled in graduate solid state physics courses.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142183677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-02DOI: 10.1088/1361-6404/ad669d
Will Yeadon, Elise Agra, Oto-Obong Inyang, Paul Mackay, Arin Mizouri
This study aims to compare the academic writing quality and detectability of authorship between human and AI-generated texts by evaluating n = 300 short-form physics essay submissions, equally divided between student work submitted before the introduction of ChatGPT and those generated by OpenAI’s GPT-4. In blinded evaluations conducted by five independent markers who were unaware of the origin of the essays, we observed no statistically significant differences in scores between essays authored by humans and those produced by AI (p-value = 0.107, α = 0.05). Additionally, when the markers subsequently attempted to identify the authorship of the essays on a 4-point Likert scale—from ‘Definitely AI’ to ‘Definitely Human’—their performance was only marginally better than random chance. This outcome not only underscores the convergence of AI and human authorship quality but also highlights the difficulty of discerning AI-generated content solely through human judgment. Furthermore, the effectiveness of five commercially available software tools for identifying essay authorship was evaluated. Among these, ZeroGPT was the most accurate, achieving a 98% accuracy rate and a precision score of 1.0 when its classifications were reduced to binary outcomes. This result is a source of potential optimism for maintaining assessment integrity. Finally, we propose that texts with ≤50% AI-generated content should be considered the upper limit for classification as human-authored, a boundary inclusive of a future with ubiquitous AI assistance whilst also respecting human-authorship.
{"title":"Evaluating AI and human authorship quality in academic writing through physics essays","authors":"Will Yeadon, Elise Agra, Oto-Obong Inyang, Paul Mackay, Arin Mizouri","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad669d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad669d","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to compare the academic writing quality and detectability of authorship between human and AI-generated texts by evaluating <italic toggle=\"yes\">n</italic> = 300 short-form physics essay submissions, equally divided between student work submitted before the introduction of ChatGPT and those generated by OpenAI’s GPT-4. In blinded evaluations conducted by five independent markers who were unaware of the origin of the essays, we observed no statistically significant differences in scores between essays authored by humans and those produced by AI (<italic toggle=\"yes\">p</italic>-value = 0.107, <italic toggle=\"yes\">α</italic> = 0.05). Additionally, when the markers subsequently attempted to identify the authorship of the essays on a 4-point Likert scale—from ‘Definitely AI’ to ‘Definitely Human’—their performance was only marginally better than random chance. This outcome not only underscores the convergence of AI and human authorship quality but also highlights the difficulty of discerning AI-generated content solely through human judgment. Furthermore, the effectiveness of five commercially available software tools for identifying essay authorship was evaluated. Among these, ZeroGPT was the most accurate, achieving a 98% accuracy rate and a precision score of 1.0 when its classifications were reduced to binary outcomes. This result is a source of potential optimism for maintaining assessment integrity. Finally, we propose that texts with ≤50% AI-generated content should be considered the upper limit for classification as human-authored, a boundary inclusive of a future with ubiquitous AI assistance whilst also respecting human-authorship.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142183679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-30DOI: 10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb5
Ya-Ju Song, Meng-Yao Chai, Xin-Wen Wang, Ji-Bing Yuan, Shi-Qing Tang, Yan Liu
This paper employs Mathematica for visualizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) in circular waveguides, effectively addressing pedagogical challenges related to theoretical abstraction and computational complexity. We first derive the exact solutions for guided modes, then summarize the steps for visualizing EMF using Mathematica, propose educational strategies, and showcase simulation results. The Mathematica code is provided, allowing for dynamic parameter adjustment and real-time field change observation. This approach significantly enhances undergraduate students’ understanding of electromagnetism through engaging visual and interactive learning experiences.
{"title":"Visualization of electromagnetic fields in a circular waveguide using Mathematica","authors":"Ya-Ju Song, Meng-Yao Chai, Xin-Wen Wang, Ji-Bing Yuan, Shi-Qing Tang, Yan Liu","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad6cb5","url":null,"abstract":"This paper employs Mathematica for visualizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) in circular waveguides, effectively addressing pedagogical challenges related to theoretical abstraction and computational complexity. We first derive the exact solutions for guided modes, then summarize the steps for visualizing EMF using Mathematica, propose educational strategies, and showcase simulation results. The Mathematica code is provided, allowing for dynamic parameter adjustment and real-time field change observation. This approach significantly enhances undergraduate students’ understanding of electromagnetism through engaging visual and interactive learning experiences.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142183681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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