http://www.thephysicsfront.org/ The latest material additions to the Physics Front. en-US Copyright 2008, ComPADRE.org managingEditor@compadre.org editor@thephysicsfront.org Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:43:32 EST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.compadre.org/portal/services/images/LogoSmallPrecollege.gif http://www.thephysicsfront.org/ 125 35 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6862 This web page is an animation of a simple pendulum consisting of a mass on a string. It displays changes in potential and kinetic energy, allowing students to observe that they are conserved and sum to a constant throughout the entire oscillation. This item is part of a collection of similar simulation-based activities for introductory physics students. Oscillations & Waves/Oscillations/Pendula http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=6862 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:43:32 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6862 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=4784 "Inside the ALS" is a poster aimed at sharing with students the wonder and excitement of one of the world's brightest sources of light, the Advanced Light Source (ALS). The poster can be used as a classroom resource for a variety of topics, such as light, magnets, electricity, optics, technology, and powers of ten (to list just a few), over a broad range of grade levels. Electricity & Magnetism/General http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=4784 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:41:13 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=4784 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7746 This EJS based applet simulates a Vernier Caliper. The user can perform all measurements that are typically done with a caliper. The simulation is embedded in a forum for teachers and is therefore supplemented by various useful comments and links to similar simulations. General Physics/Measurement/Units http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7746 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:46:03 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7746 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6194 In this applet a ball rolls up an object on a frictionless surface. There is no friction between the objects or between the object and the ground. The total momentum in the horizontal direction must be conserved. The user can try different initial velocities and masses to see how the motion changes. The total energy of the system is always conserved. Classical Mechanics/Motion in Two Dimensions/2D Velocity http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=6194 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:42:18 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6194 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=4387 Difficulty of physics concepts in 11th and 12th grade physics was examined using a questionnaire survey addressed to physics teachers in British Columbia. Teachers were asked to rate each concept using a 5-point index of difficulty. In Physics 11 the most difficult concepts appear to be "vectors in three-dimensions," "projectile motion," and "diffraction of light"; while in Physics 12 the most difficult concepts are "the center-of-mass reference frame," and "simple harmonic motion." In specifying sources of difficulty, 40% of the responses were related to the text materials. Education Foundations/Teacher Content Knowledge http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=4387 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:37:52 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=4387 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7629 This interactive java application allows you to investigate the properties of converging lenses. You can change the index of refraction and the radius of curvature of the lens. The lens and object can be moved in two dimensions. This is part of a large collection of simulations freely available from the Physics Education Technology group at the University of Colorado. Optics/Geometrical Optics/Thin Lens http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7629 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:34:33 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7629 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6115 This applet allows the user to explore size estimation in one, two and three dimensions. Multiple levels of difficulty allow for progressive skill improvement. Teaching ideas and activities are included. The direct link to the simulation is given as a mirror URL. This is part of a larger collection developed by the Physics Education Technology project (PhET). General Physics/Mathematical Physics http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=6115 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:35:49 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6115 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7911 A Physlet-based simulation providing three electrical charges and showing the force acting on each charge. The user has to identify each of the charges. Electricity & Magnetism/Electrostatics/Coulomb's Law http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7911 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:03:33 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7911 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7909 A Physlet-based simulation demonstrating the forces acting on a crate being pushed while remaining in static equilibrium. The user has to visually identify each of the forces acting on the crate. Classical Mechanics/Newton's Second Law/Force, Acceleration http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7909 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:01:57 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7909 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7877 This simulation reviews some of the material from Basic Coordinates and Seasons Module and The Rotating Sky Module and adds information to put all the pieces together for a more complete description of the motions of the sun culminating in the the Paths of the Sun Simulator. Computation of meridional altitude and stellar visibility are also introduced. The user can change the date, latitiude and speed of the orbit. Instructor resources are available including student manuals, assessment materials, and a list of the assumptions used. This is part of a collection of astronomy applets. Astronomy/Solar System http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7877 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:06:34 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7877 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7905 This simulation explores the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and those areas necessary to understand the diagram such as the different kinds of spectrum, spectral classification, and luminosity class. In short, this module provides a fairly in-depth tutorial in reading HR diagrams. The user can change the temperature and lumonisity of the star and see how its position changes on the HR diagram. Instructor resources are available including student manuals, assessment materials, and a list of the assumptions used. This is part of a collection of astronomy applets. Astronomy/Stars/Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7905 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:03:31 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7905 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7910 A Physlet-based simulation demonstrating the forces acting on a crate being pushed up an incline while remaining in static equilibrium. The user has to visually identify each of the forces acting on the crate. Classical Mechanics/Newton's Second Law/Force, Acceleration http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7910 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:56:19 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7910 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7908 This simulation introduces the search for planets outside of our solar system using the Doppler and transit methods. It includes simulations of the observed radial velocities of singular planetary systems and introduces the concept of noise and detection. In the simulations the user can control the stellar and planetary properties and the system orientation. They can then observe how the graph is affected. Instructor resources are available including student manuals, assessment materials, and a list of the assumptions used. This is part of a collection of astronomy applets. Astronomy/Exoplanets/Detection Methods http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7908 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:49:56 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7908 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7906 This simulation demonstrates how information about stars which can not be directly observed can be inferred from a special class of binary stars – eclipsing binaries. The simulation shows two stars orbiting each other. As one star is eclipsed the corresponding decrease in flux is displayed on a graph. The user can control the system orientation, stellar properties and the speed of the simulation. Instructor resources are available including student manuals, assessment materials, and a list of the assumptions used. This is part of a collection of astronomy applets. Astronomy/Stars/Binary Stars http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7906 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:45:18 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7906 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6710 This web page provides an elementary introduction and overview of spaceflight. Related pages are also linked to this page. This is part of an extensive web site, "From Stargazers to Starships", that uses the topics of space exploration and space science to introduce topics in physics and astronomy. Translations in French, Italian and Spanish are available. Astronomy/Space Exploration http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=6710 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:22:50 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6710 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6834 This web page is an interactive physics problem on rotational friction. The user can control whether friction is present, and see how it affects the motion of a car attempting to accelerate. This is part of a collection of similar simulation-based student activities. Classical Mechanics/Applications of Newton's Laws/Friction http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=6834 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:19:34 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6834 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=157 This page deals with significant figures and rounding rules. It's primary audience is teachers of high-school and college-level science classes like Physics and Chemistry, but there are links to sites for students as well. For educators, this page describes recent research into the accuracy and safety of the standard rounding rule for multiplication and division and discusses the implicationsfor science education. Other Sciences/Mathematics http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=157 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:47:44 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=157 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6288 This simulation illustrates the physics of planetary orbits. The user can control the size and eccentricity of the orbit. Each of Kepler's three laws and aspects of Newton's Law are each demonstrated. The user can view velocity and acceleration vectors as well as the axes of the orbit. Instructor resources are available including student manuals, assessment materials, and a list of the assumptions used. This is part of a collection of astronomy applets. Astronomy/Fundamentals/Kepler's Laws http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=6288 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:45:22 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6288 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=4924 Interactive educational modules are the heart of "Live from Earth and Mars." The modules feature data and concepts from meteorology and space science. The modules are intended to supplement teachers' current curricula and are written to exploit the connectivity of the Internet and the immediacy of the World Wide Web. Astronomy/Solar System http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=4924 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:57:36 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=4924 http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6866 This item is a lessson plan for grades 3-5 on the topic of boyancy. Students will design and construct boats and test their boyancy. Students will begin to understand the scientific laws required for boat design including buoyancy and Archimedes Principle. Included is a printable student activity for testing and comparing the boyancy of boats. This is part of a larger collection of lessons, all of which are aligned with specific AAAS Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy. Fluid Mechanics/Statics of Fluids/Density and Buoyancy http://www.thephysicsfront.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=6866 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:30:47 EST http://www.thephysicsfront.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=6866