TPT WebSights column draft for December 2004: rotational motion and thermodynamics.
WebSights offers a selection of sites appropriate for teaching a standard topic year-long introductory physics survey course. This month presents some for teaching momentum conservation and work and energy; next month will feature sites for waves and introductory static electricity. All sites are copyright by the authors. This column is also available as a web page at <http://PhysicsEd.BuffaloState.Edu/pubs/WebSights/>.
If you have successfully used a site to teach physics that you feel is outstanding and appropriate for WebSights, please email me the site and how you use it for possible inclusion in WebSights. The best site monthly will receive a T-shirt. <macisadl@buffalostate.edu>
The Mechanical Universe: 52 half-hour university physics lessons streamed as video-on-demand free of charge. Programs 9, 19 & 20 address rotation; 45 through 48 address thermal physics. A great reference for teachers before teaching a topic, or as enrichment or a makeup assignment for high ability students. http://www.learner.org/progdesc/series42.html.
Rotational motion tutorials and applets: Uniform circular motion was addressed in the 10/04 WebSights column, a recent suggestion for insightful animated UCM vectors for class projection is http://www.physics.brocku.ca/faculty/sternin/120/applets/CircularMotion/ . A very rich set of tutorials and activities associated with the Knight text is at http://wps.aw.com/aw_knight_physics_1/ , (select Part III) and a classic tutorial on torque and the cross product is http://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/tutorials/torque/Q.torque.html .
Physics of sport and dance: Application of physical analysis to student lifestyles, useful as extended readings or for projects. Start with a simple rolling motion applet at http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/ntnujava/viewtopic.php?t=5 . More complex examples are the spinning ping pong ball, http://www.walburgcollege.nl/vakken/natuurkunde/ntnujava/rotateDisk/pingpong.html , and bowling balls at http://mrcla.com/bowling/bowling-pres/sld001.htm . Dance is discussed at http://physics.dickinson.edu/~podance/podance_homepage.html , and http://web.hep.uiuc.edu/home/g-gollin/dance/dance_physics.html , with a skating analysis at http://btc.montana.edu/olympics/physbio/biomechanics/cam-intro.html . Gymnastics are discussed at http://www.angelfire.com/sc2/physics212/ and http://www.geocities.com/bright_effect/physics.html .
Video projector-ready applets conceptually illustrate the use of the ideal gas model in thermodynamics; start at http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/java/idealGas/idealGas.html , with lengthier discussions under 'LINKS TO THIS PAGE.' An equilibrium of gases applet with printable lab manual is http://intro.chem.okstate.edu/1314F00/Laboratory/GLP.htm ; similar are the "virtual laboratory experiments" with online directions at http://jersey.uoregon.edu/vlab/Thermodynamics/index.html (play Maxwell's demon in expt 7).
Engines and Cycles: High efficiency Stirling engines are discussed and sold from http://www.stirlingengine.com/ with string-and-sticky-tape instructions for inexpensive student versions at http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~khirata/english/mk_can.htm . The MERLOT collection of reviewed web resources for instruction is being assembled and welcomes your submissions and reviews; for the thermodynamics topics see http://www.merlot.org/artifact/BrowseArtifacts.po?catcode=64&browsecat=63 e.g. Carnot heat engine simulations and lessons.
Music (Physics Songs and Raps): Students love music and physics teachers love performing them. Some downloadable recordings are freely available online: "Moving Molecules" at http://www.scientificjam.com/scijamsongs/songs.html is an example of the subculture of alternative physics music. For a comprehensive but loosely organized collection of physics songs with suggestions for use worth browsing, see http://www.haverford.edu/physics-astro/songs/ Suggested by K Richelt.
References for Students: A concept mapped overview of
thermodynamics (and much more physics) popular with my students is HyperPhysics
at
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html A historic timeline of events in
statistical mechanics and thermodynamics is http://history.hyperjeff.net/statmech.html Suggested: N. Childs.
Follow up on water rockets from11/04 WebSights: Also consider paper matchstick rockets, aka micro-rockets at http://www.matchstickrockets.com/, or http://physicsed.buffalostate.edu/courses/00/spring/sci420/misc/students/logan_jeffrey/.
Dan M <danmac@att.net>