Lecture method is still need to a part of PBL in order to explain the difficult and abstract concepts in all fields of physics particularly thermodynamics. Introducing and promoting PBL in the lecture method is wise step for innovation in teaching and learning. The objective of this study is to compare the effects of using three methods: problem-based learning (PBL), PBL with lecture method, and conventional teaching on undergraduate physics students’ understanding of thermodynamics. The actual sample size comprises of 122 students, who were selected randomly from the Physics Department, College of Education in Iraq in the academic year 2011-2012. In this study, the pre- and post-test were done and the instruments were administered to the

   Adsorption of o-Nitrophenol (o-Nph), m- Nitrophenol (m-Nph) and p- Nitrophenol (pNph) on the sedimentary sand of the Tigress River which is known locally by “Zemeej” from aqueous solution at 288, 298, 308, 318 and 328 k0 . This study indicates that o-Nph and mNph take multi-layered S type according to Giles classification while p-Nph takes a multilayered L type according to the same classification. The isotherms treated by Freundlich model and show a good response to this model because the heterogeneous nature of the surface. The adsorption for all materials was endothermic as shown from ΔH values and explained through the porous nature of the surface, the remaining thermodynamic functions ΔG and ΔS w

Shallow foundations are usually used for structures with light to moderate loads where the soil underneath can carry them. In some cases, soil strength and/or other properties are not adequate and require improvement using one of the ground improvement techniques. Stone column is one of the common improvement techniques in which a column of stone is installed vertically in clayey soils. Stone columns are usually used to increase soil strength and to accelerate soil consolidation by acting as vertical drains. Many researches have been done to estimate the behavior of the improved soil. However, none of them considered the effect of stone column geometry on the behavior of the circular footing. In this research, finite ele

In this paper, the reliability of the stress-strength model is derived for probability P(Y<X) of a component having its strength X exposed to one independent stress Y, when X and Y are following Gompertz Fréchet distribution with unknown shape parameters and known parameters . Different methods were used to estimate reliability R and Gompertz Fréchet distribution parameters, which are maximum likelihood, least square, weighted least square, regression, and ranked set sampling. Also, a comparison of these estimators was made by a simulation study based on mean square error (MSE) criteria. The comparison confirms that the performance of the maximum likelihood estimator is better than that of the other estimators.

This study aimed at evaluating the torsional capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams externally wrapped with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials. An analytical model was described and used as a new computational procedure based on the softened truss model (STM) to predict the torsional behavior of RC beams strengthened with FRP. The proposed analytical model was validated with the existing experimental data for rectangular sections strengthened with FRP materials and considering torque-twist relationship and crack pattern at failure. The confined concrete behavior, in the case of FRP wrapping, was considered in the constitutive laws of concrete in the model. Then, an efficient algorithm was developed in MATLAB environment t

      This paper deals with estimation of the reliability system in the stress- strength model of the shape parameter for the power distribution. The proposed approach has been including different estimations methods such as Maximum likelihood method, Shrinkage estimation methods, least square method and Moment method. Comparisons process had been carried out between the various employed estimation methods with using the mean square error criteria via Matlab software package.

A potentiostatic study of the behaviour of Inconel (600) in molar sulphuric acid has been carried out over the temperature range 293-313 K. Values have been established for the potentials and current densities of the corrosion, active-passive transition, passivity and transpassive states. For corrosion, the current density (ic) and potential (Ec) have been determined from well-defined Tafel lines. The potential and current density prior to the commencement of passivity have been obtained corresponding respectively to the critical potential (Ecr( and to the current density (icr) for the active-passive transition state. The passive range was defined by the respective potentials and current densities for passive film formation and dissolutio