MTEL Physics (69) case studies
MTEL Physics (69) · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The MTEL Physics (69) is the subject-matter licensure test that Massachusetts uses to evaluate whether a candidate commands the physics content expected of a beginning physics teacher. It is generally taken by people seeking an academic (subject-matter) license to teach physics in Massachusetts public schools, usually alongside the Communication and Literacy Skills test and whatever pedagogy requirements their particular license pathway adds. The test samples the undergraduate physics curriculum: mechanics and the properties of matter, waves and optics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics, with an emphasis on quantitative problem solving, representations, and laboratory reasoning rather than isolated recall. The test is computer delivered. The MTEL Physics (69) case studies are 5 cases and about 3,118 words.
1Spring Scale in a Moving Elevator
A 2.0 kg mass hangs from a calibrated spring scale inside an elevator. Starting from rest, a student records the scale reading as the elevator moves.
722 words, about 4 min2Rolling Cylinder Versus Hoop on a Ramp
A solid cylinder and a thin hoop have the same mass, 0.250 kg, and the same outer radius, 2.5 cm. Each is released from rest at the top of a 0.80 m long ramp inclined at 8.0° above horizontal.
629 words, about 3 min3Standing Wave on a Driven String
A string of length 0.650 m between two fixed supports has a linear density of 3.2 g/m and is under 80 N of tension. A student drives the string with a mechanical oscillator and searches only from 300 Hz to 450 Hz.
626 words, about 3 min4Battery Internal Resistance and Load Prediction
A battery of unknown emf and internal resistance is connected across a 10.0 Ω resistor, and an ideal voltmeter reads 8.40 V across the resistor. The resistor is replaced by a 4.70 Ω resistor, and the voltmeter reads 7.90 V.
600 words, about 3 min5Photoelectric Effect With Two Wavelengths
A photoelectric tube is illuminated by monochromatic light. With 400 nm light, the stopping potential is 0.62 V.
541 words, about 3 min