New Physics Source collection resources

SEI Clicker and Education Videos

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:50:45 EST

The page houses a suite of short videos giving an inside look at the use of clickers in the classroom and student opinions about their use. The videos are each 5-15 minutes long and are intended to demonstrate effective use of personal response systems ("clickers"). Videos include: - Clickers: Students and Teachers Speak - How to Use Clickers Effectively - The Anatomy of a Clicker Question - The Research: Do Clickers Help Students Learn? - Explain to Your Students Why You're Using Clickers

E&M Tutorial I: Coulomb’s Law, Superposition Principle, and Symmetry

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:49:07 EST

This research-based student tutorial covers the topics of Coulomb’s Law, the superposition principle, and symmetry in electrostatics. The material is appropriate for a calculus-based introductory physics course. The tutorial is designed for use after traditional instruction as an in-class supplement, out-of-class homework, or student self-study tool. The authors recommend that the tutorial be given in-class to students working in groups of 2-3. A majority of student groups can finish the pre-test and tutorial in a 1 hour 50 minute period. A pre-test and post-test are available to assess student learning. If used, the pre-test should be given after traditional instruction and before the tutorial. The post-test should be given the following class so that students that do not finish the tutorial can do so at home before taking the post-test. The pre- and post-tests each require 15-20 minutes to complete. Professors may choose to give the pre-test in-class after traditional instruction, the tutorial as homework, and the post-test in the following class. This work is based on research into students' common difficulties in learning Coulomb's law, the superposition principle, and symmetry in electrostatics. Some of these findings are available in Student Understanding of Symmetry and Gauss's Law of Electricity, Am. J. Phys. 74 (10), 923-936 (2006). Details of the design, construction and testing of the tutorial are available in J. Li, Improving Students' Understanding of Electricity and Magnetism, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, 2012.

Graphs and Tracks Model

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:47:29 EST

The Graphs and Tracks Model allows instructors to create custom models of a ball rolling on a track with a variable shape. This EJS model was inspired by the Graphs and Tracks program by David Trowbridge. Instructors set the heights of the track segments and the model displays the motion of the ball. Optional displays, including position and velocity graphs, energy graphs, and data tables, can be added depending on the learning goals for the activity. Documents can aslo be added to the model to provide student instructions or activities. The customized simulation is then saved as a new jar file that can be redistributed. The Graphs and Tracks Model was created using the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) modeling tool. It is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive. Double clicking the jar file will run the program if Java is installed.

Arkansas Conceptual Electricity and Magnetism: Conceptual Inventory Construction and Self-Testing Site

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:46:20 EST

This web site can be used to access self-tests and build conceptual inventories on topics in electricity and magnetism. The topics covered range from charges and electrostatics to circuits, magnetic fields, and electro-magnetic waves. In self-test mode, a learner can access concept quizzes consisting of 5 multiple choice questions covering a selected topic. Questions are pulled from an extensive question database. These quizzes are graded, solutions provided, and a cumulative score kept for each session. In Concept Inventory mode, an instructor or learner can build concept quizzes from the question database. In building these quizzes, the number of questions, topics covered, and specific questions can all be selected. The resultant quizzes can be printed, solutions created, or downloaded for import into the Blackboard Course Management System.

Using Direct Measurement Video to Teach Physics

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:45:22 EST

This teaching method description outlines the use of videos for active learning in introductory physics classes. Direct Measurement Videos show events that students can analyze using physics concepts. Grids, rulers, frame-counters and other overlays allow students to make measurements from the video. Students use these measurements to answer questions and solve problems. These questions can be used with inquiry-based learning or modeling instruction. This material includes best practices for using these videos, a library of videos, and example class activities. This material is part of Pedagogy in Action, a library of resources for educators provided by SERC, the Science Education Resource Center.

Virtual Microscope

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 03:48:09 EST

The Virtual Microscope project provides cost-free simulated scientific instrumentation for students and researchers worldwide as part of NASA's Virtual Laboratory initiative. This site supports and shares data from three instruments: a scanning electron microscope, a fluorescence light microscope, and an atomic force microscope. The automated data capture software is shared with users via a Java application that provides a simulation of the group's actual microscope interfaces. The magnification controls allow the user to explore any point of interest on the sample. Also included is a set of specimen annotation tools for teachers and learners. In addition to the datasets, the website provides training materials and animated tutorials that explore the basics of each imaging method. The Virtual Microscope is an open source project developed by the Imaging Technology Group, part of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

MIT TechTV: Coupled Air Carts

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:49:51 EST

This video displays normal modes in a vibrating system through the motion of air carts connected by springs on an air track. The normal modes are shown in both driven and undriven cases, and the demonstration is repeated for systems of two, three, and five coupled carts. The video includes a short explanation of the demonstration. See Related Materials for an interactive Java simulation that addresses the same concept. This video is part of a video demonstration collection created by the Physics Department at MIT.

Physics Suite Sample Problems: Modern Physics

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:06:43 EST

This is a collection of introductory physics problems on topics in 20th century physics. The questions are designed for active learning classrooms and are built around research on student acquisition of knowledge. The problems vary in format and include context-based reasoning, multiple choice, estimation, and essay questions. The topics include conservation of mass and energy, nuclear decay, wave-particle duality, and spectroscopy. This item is part of a larger collection of problems, in-class questions, and interactive resources developed by the University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group.

Wiley Simulation Library

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:27:08 EST

This web page contains a collection of interactive simulations of general physics principles and concepts. The topics covered in this collection include classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, oscillations, optics, and thermodynamics. In addition, each individual simulation includes an audio tutorial of the specific concept covered by the simulation. In addition, each individual simulation also includes a notes section, covering the topic, as well as a section with a practice problem utilizing the simulation. This collection of simulations supplement the textbook "Fundamentals of Physics: 6th edition" by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker.

MIT Tech TV: Physics Demos

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:47:19 EST

This online collection provides a wide range of short physics demonstration videos. The videos are designed to help students visualize the physical principles of common physical systems and experiments. Topics include motion, waves, electricity and magnetism, collisions, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics. The videos are 1-4 minutes in length with brief text information about the demonstration, equipment, and physical concepts illustrated. They may be viewed in a browser or downloaded.

In-class Polling for All Learners

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 23:06:41 EST

This resource website for the IPAL project provides a free and open-source Moodle module to support in-class student polling. This module provides a web-based interface for teachers and students engaged in peer instruction or other classroom quizzing and a database of ready-to-use, peer reviewed questions. Students can use cell phones, laptops, other web-enabled devices, and clickers to respond to in-class polling questions. A goal of the IPAL project is to determine if an analysis of student response patterns during polling sessions may allow an early identification of students who are at risk of dropping a course or dropping out of school.

iCircuit

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 09:35:50 EST

iCircuit is the easy to use electronic circuit simulator and editor for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Windows Phone platforms. It is based on Paul Falstad's Circuit Simulator Applet (refer to related items). Its advanced simulation engine can handle both analog and digital circuits and features realtime always-on analysis. Supported circuit simulation elements include: Signal generators, Voltage sources, Current sources, Resistors, Capacitors, inductors, Manual SPST/SPDT Switches, SPST/SPDT relays, Diodes, BJ Transistors, MOSFETs, Speakers, Buzzers, LEDs, ADCs, DACs, Logic gates: AND, OR, NAND, NOR, XOR, JK and D Flip-flops

RC Circuit with Battery Model

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 07:23:38 EST

The RC Circuit with Battery model investigates a circuit involving a resistor R and capacitor C and a battery. The resistor and capacitor are in series with one another and a battery is switched in series with both components or switched out of the circuit. The RC Circuit with Battery model was created using the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) modeling tool. It is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive. Double clicking the ejs_bu_duffy_RC.jar file will run the program if Java is installed.

Modeling a Rocket Launch with Gravity and Air Resistance

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 07:17:56 EST

The Modeling a Rocket Launch with Gravity and Air Resistance text guides the reader through a process of developing, implementing, and validating an EJS model of a rocket being launched. The model that is developed includes thrust as well as altitude-dependent forces of gravity and air resistance. The supplementary documents include a starting template (RocketTemplate.ejs), an executable JAR file in which all three forces have been implemented (RocketLaunch.jar), and a document describing how and why to use “Events” in Ejs. Note, a password will be required in order to access the EJS source code for the completed (RocketLaunch.jar) program. A faculty member wishing to access this may request the password from lengelhardt@fmarion.edu.

Eratosthenes Model

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 07:08:27 EST

The Eratosthenes model displays the shadows cast by two gnomons (sticks) at different locations on Earth. For one gnomon, Sun is directly overhead (as would be the case if the gnomon was on the Tropic of Cancer at the summer solstice). The other gnomon is due north of the first gnomon. The sizes of the gnomons are greatly exaggerated for visibility. This simulation can be used to help illustrate how Eratosthenes was able to measure the diameter of Earth using the shadows cast by two gnomons, one situated due north of the other, on a day when the southerly gnomon cast no shadow at all. The distance between the two gnomons (along Earth's surface) can be adjusted. The length of the shadow is given, and this length can be used to determine the angle between the gnomon lines and from that the circumference (and diameter, radius, etc) of Earth. Earth can be hidden to give a better view of the relevant geometry. Eratosthenes model is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive. Double clicking the ejs_astronomy_Eratosthenes.jar file will run the program if Java is installed. You can modify this simulation if you have EJS installed by right-clicking within the plot and selecting "Open EJS Model" from the pop-up menu item.

Hot and Cold Ideal Gases

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 07:00:51 EST

The EJS Hot and Cold Ideal Gases model simulates the mixing of hot and cold two-dimensional ideal gases in a square box. This simulation can be used as part of the activity described in "The Statistical Interpretation of Entropy: An Activity" by Todd Timberlake, to be published in The Physics Teacher. In the model, one gas is initially confined to the left side of the box while the other gas is confined to the right side. An animation window shows the motion of the particles in the box, while an optional graph window plots the temperature of each side of the box, which is determined by measuring the average KE of the particles on each side. The initial number of particles and temperature on each side of the square can be changed and a button allows the user to reverse the particle velocities at any time. The user can modify this simulation if EJS is installed locally by right-clicking within the plot and selecting "Open Ejs Model" from the pop-up menu item. EJS Hot and Cold Ideal Gases model was created using the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) modeling tool. It is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive. Double clicking the ejs_entropy_HotAndColdIdealGases.jar file will run the program if Java is installed. EJS is a part of the Open Source Physics Project and is designed to make it easier to access, modify, and generate computer models. Additional EJS models are available. They can be found by searching ComPADRE for Open Source Physics, OSP, or EJS.

Tracker Video Analysis: Projectile Motion with Angry Birds

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 06:48:54 EST

The Projectile Motion with Angry Birds lab uses the Tracker video analysis tool to measure and analyze the motion an angry bird projected from a slingshot to hit a pig. The zip file contains the lab handout, a video, and the Tracker file. Credits: The original video came from Rovio, the makers of Angry Birds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-hjAY0XpvE. This exercise was inspired by Rhett Allain's Dot Physics, a physics blog for Wired. To open the Tracker file, download and run Tracker from http://www.cabrillo.edu/~dbrown/tracker/. Tracker is free.

Selected Readings for Physics Education Researchers within and beyond PER

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:56:23 EST

At the 2011 Foundations and Frontiers PER Conference, a subgroup of attendees developed a list of Selected Readings for PER. The Selected Readings are a compilation of publications within and beyond the PER literature relevant to PER, its underlying theories, and its research methodologies. The resource is not meant to include all papers on each topic, but to provide 1-3 papers that may serve as a starting point for learning about each topic.

Web Video for the Classroom: Quick, Appealing, and Engaging Lessons

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:56:30 EST

This webpage includes a list of videos that can be used to supplement introductory physics instruction. Each item has an associated Blog of Phyz entry by the author. Some of the resources include curriculum material. You are welcome to use them for classroom instruction and modify them as you see fit.

EngineerGuy.com

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 09:48:24 EST

This website features a collection of YouTube videos developed by author/engineer Bill Hammack to explain various technological marvels. The site also acts a repository of the radio interviews that the author hosted at Illinois Public Media's morning and afternoon talk shows.