Teaching the inversion of apparent resistivity curves from vertical electrical soundings (VES) presents a persistent pedagogical challenge: students must understand that the apparent resistivity ρ a measured at the surface is not the true resistivity of any single layer, but an integrated response shaped by subsurface structure and electrode geometry. Conventional instruction based on equations and static representations provides limited opportunities for students to explore this relationship directly, while geoelectric equivalence—the fundamental non-uniqueness of the inverse problem—can remain largely abstract. We present a three-stage active-learning sequence designed to address these conceptual difficulties. In Stage 1, a hand-assembled physical stratigraphic board with color-coded layers and manually activated LED strips represents the progressive involvement of deeper strata as the electrode half-spacing AB/2 increases. In Stage 2, a companion Web application simulates the point-by-point field acquisition process, displaying instrument readings (voltage, current, ρ a ) as each new AB/2 value is introduced and progressively constructing the VES curve. In Stage 3, a second open-source Web application solves the one-dimensional forward problem, students manipulate layer resistivities ρ i and thicknesses h i to fit a synthetic target curve and explore alternative parameter combinations with similar responses. The sequence was piloted with 39 second-semester Civil Engineering students enrolled in a compulsory Geology course at the Instituto Tecnológico de La Paz, Mexico. During the pilot, students showed sustained engagement with the inversion task, while recorded interaction data documented repeated exploration of the model space and the recovery of different parameter combinations with similar curve fits. These observations support the feasibility of integrating physical visualization, simulated acquisition, and interactive model exploration in a single instructional sequence, while the exploratory pilot design does not permit conclusions about measured learning gains. The applications run entirely in a web browser with no local installation required, and the source code is publicly available on GitHub

A bibliometric study of the entire corpus of quantum-physics articles published in Revista Mexicana de Física and indexed in well known scholarly databases is performed in three complementary stages: A descriptive performance of indicators, a keyword analysis and word-cloud visualization and a network analysis and science mapping. Such an approach allow the identification of periods of more prolific production as well as of leaders on this field within Mexico. Our findings document the quantitative and structural history of worldwide quantum-physics contributions to this journal

Este artículo presenta un análisis comparativo de métodos analíticos para resolver ecuaciones diferenciales ordinarias lineales de segundo orden con coeficientes constantes, con énfasis particular en el método de factorización de operadores diferenciales. Se examinan técnicas convencionales como la ecuación característica, coeficientes indeterminados, variación de parámetros y transformadas integrales, contrastándolas sistemáticamente con el enfoque de factorización. Este último descompone el operador diferencial de segundo orden en el producto de dos operadores de primer orden, transformando el problema original en una secuencia de subproblemas más simples. Mediante un ejemplo detallado de un oscilador amortiguado con fuerza externa exponencial decreciente, se demuestra que el método de factorización ofrece ventajas pedagógicas significativas, estableciendo que es una herramienta valiosa en contextos educativos.
This article presents a comparative analysis of analytical methods for solving second-order linear ordinary differential equations with constant coefficients, with particular emphasis on the differential operator factorization method. Conventional techniques such as the characteristic equation, undetermined coefficients, variation of parameters, and integral transforms are examined and systematically contrasted with the factorization approach. The latter decomposes the second-order differential operator into the product of two first-order operators, transforming the original problem into a sequence of simpler subproblems. Through a detailed example of a damped oscillator with a decreasing exponential external force, it is demonstrated that the factorization method offers significant pedagogical advantages, establishing it as a valuable tool in educational contexts.