Se analiza la argumentación de profesores y estudiantes universitarios de física al resolver un problema de tiro vertical, mediante un marco teórico que articula una adaptación del Enfoque Ontosemiótico a la física escolar con el modelo de Toulmin. El objetivo es valorar este marco como herramienta descriptiva para mapear, en el sistema de prácticas de resolución, cómo se coordinan lenguaje, conceptos, propiedades y procedimientos en la construcción de aseveraciones y justificaciones. Se realizó un estudio de caso exploratorio con dos profesores y cuatro estudiantes, clasificando los argumentos con una tipología EOS–Toulmin y ubicándolos en niveles de argumentación. Los resultados muestran diferencias entre docentes y estudiantes: un profesor alcanza un nivel explicativo-integrado, el otro presenta una argumentación principalmente procedimental con debilidades conceptuales; el estudiantado se distribuye entre niveles relacional, procedimental y explicativo-integrado, con predominio de razonamientos operativos. Se concluye que el marco ofrece criterios para evaluar y retroalimentar en clase la articulación teoría–fenómeno–formalismo, orientando intervenciones didácticas que fortalezcan la argumentación en mecánica.
The argumentation of university physics teachers and students is analyzed while they solve a vertical motion problem, using a theoretical framework that articulates an adaptation of the Onto-Semiotic Approach to school physics with Toulmin’s model. The aim is to assess this framework as a descriptive tool for mapping, within the system of problem-solving practices, how language, concepts, properties, and procedures are coordinated in the construction of claims and justifications. An exploratory case study was conducted with two teachers and four students, classifying arguments through an EOS–Toulmin typology and locating them across levels of argumentation. The results reveal differences between teachers and students: one teacher reaches an explanatory-integrated level, while the other exhibits predominantly procedural argumentation with conceptual weaknesses; students are distributed across relational, procedural, and explanatory-integrated levels, with a predominance of operational reasoning. It is concluded that the framework provides criteria for evaluating and giving feedback in physics classes on the articulation of theory, phenomenon, and formalism, guiding instructional interventions that strengthen argumentation in mechanics.

We review rotations in space including aspects of group theory and topology. We introduce the parameter space and the rotation spaces and emphasize the need for a proper map between them. We present the Euler parameterization in the context of the Cartan decomposition, and signal that the geometry described by Euler decomposition is not in one-to-one correspondence with that of the space of rotations. We highlight the origin of the gimbal lock arising in the rotation of a rigid body, the topological nature of the phenomenon, and outline the generalization of this result to other Lie groups.

El objetivo de este estudio es fortalecer el aprendizaje de la Ley Cero y la Primera Ley de la Termodinámica en estudiantes de nivel medio superior mediante la implementación del Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos (ABP). La estrategia consistió en que los alumnos diseñaran, construyeran y analizaran prototipos de máquinas térmicas, empleando materiales reciclados, con el fin de relacionar los conceptos teóricos con su aplicación práctica. El proyecto promovió la indagación científica, el razonamiento crítico, el trabajo colaborativo y la comunicación de resultados mediante exposiciones y elaboración de materiales de apoyo. Los hallazgos evidencian una mejora significativa en la comprensión de los fenómenos de transferencia y conservación de energía, así como un incremento en la motivación y el interés por la física. Como resultado de la consolidación de competencias científicas, los estudiantes participaron en el Concurso Estatal de Aparatos y Experimentos de Física, obteniendo el primer lugar con el prototipo “Barquito a vapor”. En conclusión, la aplicación del ABP en la enseñanza de la termodinámica representa una estrategia efectiva para promover un aprendizaje profundo y contextualizado, además de ser replicable en otros escenarios educativos.
The objective of this study is to strengthen the learning of the Zeroth and First Laws of Thermodynamics in high school students through the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL). The strategy consisted of having students design, build and analyze prototypes of heat engines using recycled materials, in order to connect theoretical concepts with their practical application. The project promoted scientific information, critical thinking, collaborative work, and the communication of results through presentations and the creation of supporting materials. The findings demonstrate a significant improvement in the understanding of energy transfer and conservation phenomena, as well as an increase in motivation and interest in physics. As a result of the consolidation of scientific competencies, the students participated in the State Physics Apparatus and Experiments Competition, winning first place with their prototype “Little Steam Boat”. In conclusion, the application of PBL in the teaching of thermodynamics represents an effective strategy for promoting deep and contextualized learning, and it is also replicable in other educational settings.

Projectile motion is one of the most fundamental problems in introductory physics, offering a clear context for connecting algebraic reasoning with conceptual understanding. This work presents a computational and pedagogical framework that combines the analytical formulation of projectile motion with interactive visualizations developed in $\texttt{Python}$. Using reproducible simulations, the dependence of the maximum height and horizontal range on the launch parameters $(v_0,\theta)$ is examined through trajectory plots, parameter-space maps, and iso-curves. These visual representations reveal non-trivial combinations of initial conditions that yield equivalent outcomes, reinforcing physical intuition and providing an accessible open-source tool for teaching and learning classical mechanics.

We present a diagram-led problem set in which two reference mass–spring oscillators generate four composite configurations. Students are asked to express the unknown frequencies only in terms of the two reference frequencies. The revised diagram uses redundant spring labels and explicitly indicates the relative mode of the two-free-mass system, removing an ambiguity that arises in a strictly wordless version. The solutions form two matched pairs: configurations with additive restoring forces and configurations with series stiffness. Within each pair, a change in effective inertia produces the same factor of $sqrt{s}$. The activity is intended to promote structural comparison and representational reasoning in introductory mechanics. Assumptions, the zero-frequency translational mode, classroom use, and limitations are discussed without making empirical claims about learning gains.

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.