From Prompts to Physical Laws: A Generative AI Workflow for Engineering Physics Education

Abstract

This work explores the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a source of synthetic experimental content for introductory physics courses in engineering education. Using PixVerse.ai, Grok Imagine, and Pippit, three video scenarios were generated to represent distinct resistive force regimes: constant friction, linear drag, and quadratic drag. Kinematic data were extracted from the generated videos using Tracker, an open-source video analysis tool, and subsequently fitted to the corresponding analytical models through non-linear least-squares regression in Microsoft Excel. The results show good agreement between the synthetic data and the classical kinematic equations derived from Newton's Second Law. From the fitted parameters, physically meaningful quantities were recovered in each case, with values broadly consistent with those reported in the literature under the assumed conditions. A recurring observation is that the physical plausibility of the generated motion depends on the level of detail included in the text description used to generate the videos. More specific descriptions tend to produce more coherent dynamical behaviour, suggesting that the formulation of input prompts plays a relevant role in shaping the resulting physical consistency and can be regarded as an integral component of the experimental design process. The integration of generative AI, video-based motion tracking, and curve fitting provides a complete workflow that mirrors key stages of experimental practice, from model construction to quantitative validation. The proposed methodology engages students in experimental design, data acquisition, parameter estimation, and model evaluation, promoting key engineering competencies in modelling of physical models using widely available tools. Overall, the proposed methodology demonstrates the potential of generative AI to support physics education