0000000000737603
AUTHOR
Giulia Termini
showing 4 related works from this author
Pedagogical approaches to surface phenomena in liquids: Investigation-based laboratory and modelling activities to improve students’ learning
2023
Paperclips can float on water, mercury drops do not spread on solid surfaces, and fluids can flow against gravity in capillary tubes. Surface tension can be used to explain these phenomena that are macroscopic manifestations of microscopic molecular interactions. At both school and university levels, surface phenomena are introduced through traditional macroscopic or microscopic approaches. However, since explanations based on microscopic models are often in conflict with common macroscopic interpretations, the traditional teaching of the basic concepts related to surface phenomena can be unclear and can prevent students from an effective understanding of the topic. However, since surface p…
A study of capillarity phenomena by using a computer-based simulation approach
2021
Liquid properties are relevant for the understanding of fundamental and applied sciences. Among these properties, those that can be traced back and explained through the surface tension are particularly interesting to study and reconstruct in educational terms. Traditional educational treatment of surface tension is often obscure or too complex, sometimes superficial or completely neglected. The aim of the research here described is to discuss in detail a mesoscopic model of liquids and show quantitative results obtained by a computer simulation approach. Looking at the educational aspect, the main advantage of this approach is that it allows the student/teacher to control the simulation pa…
Fluids in Equilibrium and Hydrodynamics
2023
Teaching fluid mechanics applied to undergraduate and graduate students of STEM disciplines has traditionally been a difficult task for the teacher. It connects to the use of more or less complex mathematics, computer science, and numerical methods. In this chapter, after a brief discussion about the development of pedagogical approaches to introduce students to fluid mechanics from 1950 to today, we discuss some relevant examples of Physics Education Research (PER) literature pieces related to teaching and learning specific aspects of fluid mechanics. The aim is to understand how PER has contributed to our current knowledge in that field, how it has evolved in terms of methodologies used, …
Outcomes of a Teaching Learning Sequence on Modelling Surface Phenomena in Liquids
2023
In this paper we discuss the effects of modelling and computer simulation activities in promoting student use of lines of reasoning useful to explain proposed or observed situations. The activities are part of a structured Teaching/Learning Sequence on surface phenomena in liquids. We outline a model of liquid based on a mesoscopic approach, examples of computer simulations students can use during the activities, and we describe the Teaching/Learning Sequence. During the pedagogical activities, students can simulate the liquid behaviour by controlling many simulation parameters, such as the interaction intensity among liquid and solid particles. The results of the analysis of student answer…