Jochen Kuhn

Analyzing free fall with a smartphone acceleration sensor

This paper provides a first example of experiments in this column using smartphones as experimental tools. More examples concerning this special tool will follow in the next issues. The differences between a smartphone and a “regular” cell phone are that smartphones offer more advanced computing ability and connectivity. Smartphones combine the functions of personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cell phones.

Analyzing acoustic phenomena with a smartphone microphone

This paper describes how different sound types can be explored using the microphone of a smartphone and a suitable app. Vibrating bodies, such as strings, membranes, or bars, generate air pressure fluctuations in their immediate vicinity, which propagate through the room in the form of sound waves. Depending on the triggering mechanism, it is possible to differentiate between four types of sound waves: tone, sound, noise, and bang. In everyday language, non-experts use the terms “tone” and “sound” synonymously; however, from a physics perspective there are very clear differences between the two terms. This paper presents experiments that enable learners to explore and understand these differences. Tuning forks and musical instruments (e.g., recorders and guitars) can be used as equipment for the experiments. The data are captured using a smartphone equipped with the appropriate app (in this paper we describe the app Audio Kit for iOS systems1). The values captured by the smartphone are displayed in a scre...

Analyzing simple pendulum phenomena with a smartphone acceleration sensor

This paper describes a further experiment using the acceleration sensor of a smartphone. For a previous column on this topic, including the description of the operation and use of the acceleration sensor, see Ref. 1. In this contribution we focus on analyzing simple pendulum phenomena. A smartphone is used as a pendulum bob, and SPARKvue2 software is used in conjunction with an iPhone or an iPod touch, or the Accelogger3 app for an Android device. As described in Ref. 1, the values measured by the smartphone are subsequently exported to a spreadsheet application (e.g., MS Excel) for analysis.

Classical experiments revisited: smartphones and tablet PCs as experimental tools in acoustics and optics

Smartphones and tablets are used as experimental tools and for quantitative measurements in two traditional laboratory experiments for undergraduate physics courses. The Doppler effect is analyzed and the speed of sound is determined with an accuracy of about 5% using ultrasonic frequency and two smartphones, which serve as rotating sound emitter and stationary sound detector. Emphasis is put on the investigation of measurement errors in order to judge experimentally derived results and to sensitize undergraduate students to the methods of error estimates. The distance dependence of the illuminance of a light bulb is investigated using an ambient light sensor of a mobile device. Satisfactory results indicate that the spectrum of possible smartphone experiments goes well beyond those already published for mechanics.

Analyzing radial acceleration with a smartphone acceleration sensor

This paper continues the sequence of experiments using the acceleration sensor of smartphones (for description of the function and the use of the acceleration sensor, see Ref. 1) within this column, in this case for analyzing the radial acceleration.

Analyzing spring pendulum phenomena with a smart-phone acceleration sensor

This paper describes two further pendulum experiments using the acceleration sensor of a smartphone in this column (for earlier contributions concerning this topic, including the description of the operation and use of the acceleration sensor, see Refs. 1 and 2). In this paper we focus on analyzing spring pendulum phenomena. Therefore two spring pendulum experiments will be described in which a smartphone is used as a pendulum body and SPARKvue3 software is used in conjunction with an iPhone or an iPod touch, or the Accelogger4 app for an Android device.1,2 As described in Ref. 1, the values measured by the smartphone are subsequently exported to a spreadsheet application (e.g., MS Excel) for analysis.

Measurement of sound velocity made easy using harmonic resonant frequencies with everyday mobile technology

Recent articles about smartphone experiments have described their applications as experimental tools in different physical contexts.1–4 They have established that smartphones facilitate experimental setups, thanks to the small size and diverse functions of mobile devices, in comparison to setups with computer-based measurements. In the experiment described in this article, the experimental setup is reduced to a minimum. The objective of the experiment is to determine the speed of sound with a high degree of accuracy using everyday tools. An article published recently proposes a time-of-flight method where sound or acoustic pulses are reflected at the ends of an open tube.5 In contrast, the following experiment idea is based on the harmonic resonant frequencies of such a tube, simultaneously triggered by a noise signal.

Analyzing the Acoustic Beat with Mobile Devices.

In this column, we have previously presented various examples of how physical relationships can be examined by analyzing acoustic signals using smartphones or tablet PCs.1–3 In this example, we will be exploring the acoustic phenomenon of small beats, which is produced by the overlapping of two tones with a low difference in frequency Δf. The resulting auditory sensation is a tone with a volume that varies periodically. Acoustic beats can be perceived repeatedly in day-to-day life and have some interesting applications. For example, string instruments are still tuned with the help of an acoustic beat, even with modern technology. If a reference tone (e.g., 440 Hz) and, for example, a slightly out-of-tune violin string produce a tone simultaneously, a beat can be perceived. The more similar the frequencies, the longer the duration of the beat. In the extreme case, when the frequencies are identical, a beat no longer arises. The string is therefore correctly tuned. Using the Oscilloscope app,4 it is possibl...

iRadioactivity--Possibilities and Limitations for Using Smartphones and Tablet PCs as Radioactive Counters: Examples for Studying Different Radioactive Principles in Physics Education

A study conducted in 2013 showed that about 70–80% of teens and young adults in the United States own a smartphone.1 Furthermore the number of tablet PC users in the United States will increase up to more than 80% by 2015. 2 As a result, these devices have increasingly become everyday tools, particularly for the younger generation. In recent years, various articles have been published about the use of smartphones and tablet PCs as experimental tools especially in the physics classroom. This is possible because todays smartphones and tablet PCs are equipped with many sensors, which can be used to perform quantitative measurements of sound, acceleration, magnetic flux density, air pressure, light intensity, humidity, angular velocity, temperature, or position on Earth (GPS). While previous articles mainly present experiments on mechanics or acoustics, in which the acceleration sensor or the microphone is used (for a synopsis of different examples, see Ref. 3 ; for recent papers, see Refs. 4–11 ), in this article we focus on experiments for studying radioactivity using the camera sensor.

Experiments Using Cell Phones in Physics Classroom Education: The Computer-Aided "g" Determination

This paper continues the collection of experiments that describe the use of cell phones as experimental tools in physics classroom education.1–4 We describe a computer-aided determination of the free-fall acceleration g using the acoustical Doppler effect. The Doppler shift is a function of the speed of the source. Since a free-falling objects speed is changing linearly with time, the Doppler shift is also changing with time. It is possible to measure this shift using software that is both easy to use and readily available. Students will use the time-dependency of the Doppler shift to experimentally determine the acceleration due to gravity by using a cell phone as a freely falling object emitting a sound with constant frequency.