MTTC Physics (019) case studies

MTTC Physics (019) · Put your knowledge to work in context.

Physics (019) is the subject-matter test in the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) program for candidates who want to teach physics. It is listed with endorsement codes DE and IE, meaning it is the content test tied to those physics endorsements rather than a general science credential. The MTTC Physics (019) case studies are 5 cases and about 3,879 words.

The Pendulum Practical: Is Reaction Time Really the Culprit?

A secondary physics methods class measures g with a simple pendulum. Each group hangs a 2.54 cm steel bob on thin string, clamps the string to a ring stand, and measures length with a meterstick from the clamp to the top of the bob, obtaining L = 0.828 m.

785 words, about 4 min 2

The Loop-the-Loop Marble That Leaves the Track

A physics club builds a loop-the-loop from flexible plastic channel. The loop's inner radius is R = 0.180 m, measured to the inside of the channel, and the bottom of the loop rests on the table.

797 words, about 4 min 3

Resonance Tube: A Mislabeled Fork or an Uncorrected End Effect?

A group measures the speed of sound with a resonance tube: a plastic tube about 1 m long, a reservoir that sets the water level and therefore the air-column length, and a 512 Hz tuning fork held above the open end. The tube's inside diameter is 2.4 cm.

761 words, about 4 min 4

The Voltage Divider That Would Not Split in Half

A student builds a voltage divider from two 10 MΩ, 5% carbon resistors in series across a fresh 9.00 V battery, expecting each resistor to take 4.50 V. The available digital multimeter is specified as having a 10 MΩ input resistance on its DC voltage ranges.

740 words, about 4 min 5

Calorimetry: A Specific Heat That Matches Iron Too Well

Students determine the specific heat of an unknown metal. A 52.3 g sample is heated in boiling water, its temperature measured as 98.5 °C with a digital probe, then transferred with tongs into a coffee-cup calorimeter holding 150.0 g of water at 22.0 °C.

796 words, about 4 min