Andreas Johansson

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection in Artificial Intelligence Tools in Physics Teaching and Physics Education Research.] Generative AI tools, including the popular ChatGPT, have had a significant impact on discourses about future work and educational practices. Previous research in science education has highlighted the potential of generative AI in various education-related areas, including generating valuable discussion material, solving physics problems, and acting as a tutor. However, little research has been conducted on the role of generative AI tools in laboratory work, an essential part of science education, and physics education specifically. Here, we show various ways in which high school students use ChatGPT during a physics laboratory session and discuss the relevance of using generative AI tools to investigate acoustic levitation and the speed of sound in air. Additionally, employing variation theory as a theoretical lens in the analysis, we identify how generative AI can be used to further develop students’ problem-solving skills in the physics laboratory. However, although our study shows that generative AI tools may handle some relevant questions and problems during laboratory work, the teacher still plays a crucial role in identifying students’ needs and capabilities of understanding the potential and limitations of generative AI. Finally, this study serves as an important point of discussion regarding the ways in which students need support and training to efficiently utilize generative AI to further their learning of physics.

Acoustically levitated droplets in the nanoliter to microliter range are studied in various fields. The volume measurements of these are conventionally done using image analysis. A precision-produced calibration sphere is often used to calibrate the recording equipment, which is time-consuming and expensive. This paper describes a self-calibrating method to measure the volumes of acoustically levitated droplets as a versatile and low-cost alternative. The distance between two levitated droplets in a horizontally oriented acoustic trap is processed via real-time or recorded frame data using image analysis. To assist in setting the cavity length for the acoustic trap, a simulation of the acoustic field is utilized based on the temperature in the trap, thereby also predicting the distance between the central nodes used to determine the scale factor. The volumes of the spheroidal-shaped levitated droplets can then be calculated from the pixel data. We use a modified version of the well-known TinyLev, and our method has been tested with two types of transducer packing. Its accuracy for volume measurements has been verified in comparison with the standard calibration sphere technique. Self-calibration of the system is demonstrated by changing the camera zoom during data collection, with negligible effects on measured volume. This is something that could not be achieved with conventional static methods.

Sound waves are often studied as part of mechanical waves in the upper-secondary and undergraduate physics curricula. Acoustic levitation is an application of standing-wave phenomena, growing in popularity through the recent adoption of low-cost ultrasound transducers. Nevertheless, acoustic levitation has not yet been included in the standard phenomena investigated in undergraduate and upper-secondary physics courses. The objective of this Frontline is to introduce acoustic levitation in the classroom. This is done with LeviLab, a low-cost and easy-to-use experiment, accompanied by three hands-on procedures (LeviLabs): modifying the cavity length, visually representing standing waves with multiple levitated particles, and a tactile experience by moving a single particle between nodes. The first procedure yields the most accurate speed of sound measurements, while the second and third offer valuable qualitative insights into standing wave properties. This work demonstrates the educational potential of acoustic levitation to investigate sound waves. It aims to make the phenomenon accessible as a learning resource for upper-secondary and undergraduate physics laboratories by providing engaging hands-on experiences for qualitative and quantitative exploration.

An essential goal of teaching experimental physics is to engage students in exploring the validity of models and refining them. To comprehend, test, and revise scientific models, students need well-designed learning activities that enable them to practice the necessary skills. In this paper, we critically review the prevalent assumption in contemporary literature that the coefficient of kinetic friction can be treated as a constant for a certain surface pair. Further, we introduce a novel approach for calculating gravitational acceleration by measuring accelerations on inclined planes. The study indicates that kinetic friction changes with different inclinations of the plane and cannot be assumed to be constant even with typical classroom laboratory equipment. Measuring the gravitational acceleration (g) via inclined planes can result in significant deviations if varying kinetic friction is not considered. This paper proposes a lab activity to investigate the validity of a naïve friction model, by measuring the well-defined gravitational acceleration (g) with controlled precision, in an upper secondary classroom setting.