States of matter and phase changes are important topics in the teaching and learning of physical science. It is a common fact that learners find it difficult to understand the states of matter and phase changes. One of the main reasons is that learners do not abandon their own naive perceptions when the scientific concepts are taught. They do not connect their experiences outside the laboratory / classroom with their experience in science lessons. Learners consequently hold their own views even after instruction. According to the constructivist view on teaching and learning educators need to take learners' perceptions into account in the teaching of these topics. The first aim with this study was to determine learners' alterative conceptions about the states of matter and phase changes from a literature study. The second was to determine by means of an empirical study the alterative conceptions Grade 11 learners still hold after instruction of the topics. The empirical survey was conducted amongst a group of 110 Grade 11 learners studying physical science. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on this group of learners' knowledge on the states of matter and of phase changes after instruction of these topics. From the results of the questionnaire alternative conceptions could be identified. The results of the empirical study indicate that learners still have alternative conceptions about the states of matter and phase changes after instruction. Alternative conceptions were identified and recommendations on how to teach the states of matter and phase changes more effectively were made. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

States of matter and phase changes are important topics in the teaching and learning of physical science. It is a common fact that learners find it difficult to understand the states of matter and phase changes. One of the main reasons is that learners do not abandon their own naive perceptions when the scientific concepts are taught. They do not connect their experiences outside the laboratory / classroom with their experience in science lessons. Learners consequently hold their own views even after instruction. According to the constructivist view on teaching and learning educators need to take learners' perceptions into account in the teaching of these topics. The first aim with this study was to determine learners' alterative conceptions about the states of matter and phase changes from a literature study. The second was to determine by means of an empirical study the alterative conceptions Grade 11 learners still hold after instruction of the topics. The empirical survey was conducted amongst a group of 110 Grade 11 learners studying physical science. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on this group of learners' knowledge on the states of matter and of phase changes after instruction of these topics. From the results of the questionnaire alternative conceptions could be identified. The results of the empirical study indicate that learners still have alternative conceptions about the states of matter and phase changes after instruction. Alternative conceptions were identified and recommendations on how to teach the states of matter and phase changes more effectively were made. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

This work is complementary theoretical part of my practical art project on "Path of Water". Introductory chapter is devoted to the water. I'm investigating physical properties of the water in different states of matter and particularly its movement. I even consider its place in the art. The second chapter is devoted to the development of the landscape and its changes caused by the nature and human. The third chapter deals with the meaning, origin and history of land art in the world and in Bohemia. The fourth chapter describes the most interesting places and history surrounding the village Staré Dobrkovice in which the chosen place can be found. Intentions and descriptions of implementations are dealt with in fifth chapter. In the end I summarize the development of entire project and individual parts and I evaluate individual achievements and meeting of determined criteria.

Recent advances in experimental condensed matter physics suggest a powerful new paradigm for the realization of exotic phases of quantum matter in the laboratory. Rather than conducting an exhaustive search for materials that realize these phases at low temperatures, it may be possible to design quantum systems that exhibit the desired properties. With the numerous advances made recently in the fields of cold atomic gases, superconducting qubits, trapped ions, and nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, it appears that we will soon have a host of platforms that can be used to put exotic theoretical predictions to the test. In this dissertation, I will highlight two ways in which theorists can interact productively with this fast-emerging field. First, there is a growing interest in driving quantum systems out of equilibrium in order to induce novel topological phases where they would otherwise never appear. In particular, systems driven by time-periodic perturbations—known as “Floquet systems”—offer fertile ground for theoretical investigation. This approach to designer quantum matter brings its own unique set of challenges. In particular, Floquet systems explicitly violate conservation of energy, providing no notion of a ground state. In the first part of my dissertation, I will present research that addresses this problem in two ways. First, I will present studies of open Floquet systems, where coupling to an external reservoir drives the system into a steady state at long times. Second, I will discuss examples of isolated quantum systems that exhibit signatures of topological properties in their finite-time dynamics. The second part of this dissertation presents another way in which theorists can benefit from the designer approach to quantum matter; in particular, one can design analytically tractable theories of exotic phases. I will present an exemplar of this philosophy in the form of coupled-wire constructions. In this approach, one builds a topological state of matter from the ground up by coupling together an array of one-dimensional quantum wires with local interactions. I will demonstrate the power of this technique by showing how to build both Abelian and non-Abelian topological phases in three dimensions by coupling together an array of quantum wires.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of Metaconceptual Teaching Instruction (MTI) compared to Traditional Instruction (TI) on 10th grade students&rsquo / understanding and durability of states of matter concepts, self-efficacy toward chemistry, and to portray the nature of students&rsquo / metaconceptual processes and the change in students&rsquo / ideas of states of matter. There were 53 students in the experimental group instructed by the MTI and 49 students in the control group instructed by the TI. Three students from the experimental group were selected for case study to explore their metaconceptual processes and conceptual understanding. To examine the effect of treatment, States of Matter Diagnostic Test (SMDT) and Self-efficacy toward Chemistry (SETC) were administered to the students before and after the treatment. Treatment implementation continued for seven weeks. The instruments were also given eight weeks after the treatment. In case study design, the data were collected through video recordings of classroom discussions, audio recordings of group discussions, journal writings, and interviews. Quantitative data analysis was conducted using MANCOVA. It was found that there was a significant difference between groups on the posttest and retention-test scores of the SMDT and retention-test scores of the SETC on behalf of the experimental group. However, there was no significant difference between groups on the posttest scores of the SETC. In terms of the nature of metaconceptual processes, it was documented that the students who had few alternative conceptions mostly engaged in metaconceptual evaluation. Also, the students changed their ideas of states of matter.