<![CDATA[Labs, Activities, and Other CoolStuff]]> Mon, 20 May 2013 13:25:51 +0000 hourly 1 <![CDATA[Color Me Excited, Seeing spectra in a whole new light [W/Video]]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 10:06:11 +0000  
Teaching the spectra of visible light can be an engaging classroom activity. But, it’s always been challenging to find ways to go beyond simple passive demonstrations.
 
Hand-held diffraction “rainbow” foil (sometimes mounted in cardboard glasses) can be fun. But students often have difficulty even spotting the spectrum. “I can’t see it!” is the common complaint. And because each student observes their own “private” spectrum, it can be difficult to draw them into a discussion about what they’re seeing.
 
An exciting new way to augment, or even replace, rainbow foil activities is to display a live spectrum on a computer overhead projector. When you use the RSpec-Explorer video spectrometer system, everyone observes the same thing. Having a concrete example in front of the classroom makes teaching the material much easier. And you’ll find that a live video captures the students’ attention far more effectively than any other teaching aid we’ve used for this topic.
 
LED Array Spectra 
LED ArrayMany educators prefer to begin by showing the spectra of individual colored LEDs, The LED colors are pretty – and, yes, that helps! (See accompanying video.) By starting out with familiar LEDs, we help the students connect what they’re seeing to their everyday experiences.
 
Using an LED array allows us to display multiple spectra simultaneously, clearly demonstrating that each individual wavelength is diffracted by a different amount. (See Figure 1) This novel presentation often has students leaning in as they contemplate something so attractive and so different from what they’ve seen before. There’s a lot of opportunity here for you to challenge your students to explain what they’re seeing.
 
The white LED at the top of the column (visible in Figure 1 and video) helps students see how the individual stacked colors are in a rainbow.
 
As the video that accompanies this article shows, we can easily transition from qualitative to quantitative observations using the graphing capability in the RSpec-Explorer system. When students see the intensity graph of each individual color, it helps them see how one moves from raw observations to scientific data.
 
We’ve found that the rapid changes of the live intensity graph as we interact with our light source transforms what was previously a monotonous visual experience into something that really grabs students’ attention.
 
Gas Tube Spectra
Figure-2_gas_tube_linesTraditional gas tubes are an easy next step after the LED array. Once again, a live video display rather than idiosyncratic hand-held “rainbow” foil assures that our students all see the phenomenon being discussed. The live intensity graph alongside the original spectrum is very effective. Students can easily see how the colorful qualitative raw data becomes much more meaningful when graphed. Figure 2 shows the real-time spectrum of a Hydrogen gas tube (red). The blue vertical lines are shown by the software to indicate where we would expect to find Hydrogen Balmer peaks. You can see the red data peaks match up with the blue.
 
We like to click a tool bar button in the software to freeze the Hydrogen spectrum graph. Then we swap the tube out for a Helium tube. Seeing the spectra of both gas tubes on the same x-y axis (Figure 3) helps make it clear that a spectrum is a chemical fingerprint, differing from element to element.
 
The video that accompanies this article shows how we can use a reference library to readily identify the contents of a “mystery gas tube.” This is a great demonstration for your class. Or, you can challenge your students in a hands-on lab to determine the contents of an unidentified gas tube. Of course, using spectroscopy to identify unknown objects is a cornerstone of astronomical research. You might want to tie this activity into an astronomical discussion or about the Curiosity rover that recently landed on Mars – both also use a the same “fingerprint” matching to identify “mystery” objects. 
http://msl-scicorner.jpl.nasa.gov/Instruments/ChemCam/ 
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/spectrometers/chemcam/
 
When is yellow not yellow?
Figure-3_yellowThe availability of a live video spectrum opens up the possibility of all sorts of labs on light and color. For example, the video that accompanies this article shows two yellow spectra: one of a lemon, and one of a yellow cell phone screen. The two “yellows” have very different spectra. The cell phone screen spectrum contains no yellow at all – just green and red. This is a wonderful illustration of how an RGB monitor can “trick” the human eye into seeing yellow.
 
Burning to do Flame Spectroscopy
Figure-4_aAs the accompanying video shows, you can also observe spectra of some common elements by burning them in a Bunsen burner. Using flame salts intended for this purpose, different elements will exhibit different emission lines. This activity is a bit more challenging than gas tube spectroscopy, but can be instructional and rewarding for your students. Seeing the spectrum in real-time makes the process easier. Students can record the live video. And they can capture bitmap/jpg images of the graph for inclusion in their lab reports. Students can also export XY graph points of the intensity graph to a text file for additional analysis at a later time.
 
Astronomical Spectroscopy
The software that comes with the RSpec-Explorer system has advanced features that allow you load astronomical spectra. You can explore on-line Hubble data. Or, open the Mars rover ChemCam data in the system and study their spectra. Although this is a somewhat more advanced activity, it’s a natural one to follow up with after your students understand gas tube spectra.
 
Conclusion
A real-time video spectrometer makes it much easier to teach light and spectra. Your entire class can share the same real-time view of your gas tubes and other light sources. And, at the same time, they can see the resulting intensity graph. Students won’t have to struggle finding a spectrum in a tiny piece of plastic. And you’ll find it’s liberating to know everyone can see the examples you’re discussing. Walk up the screen or use a laser pointer to call out important points. Capture screens and include them in classroom handouts. Or, have your students operate the system in “identify the mystery tube” labs.
 
tom_fieldTom Field
Field Tested Systems, LLC
Seattle, WA USA
 
Tom Field is the founder of Field Tested Systems, and is also a Contributing Editor at Sky & Telescope Magazine. He has been involved in the education field for the past two decades. With a passion for science education, Tom is has been on teams large and small that have developed hardware and software applications in use today by thousands of users on all seven continents.

 

]]> <![CDATA[Tip of the hat to all you teachers]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 09:03:02 +0000 In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, I’d like to thank a teacher who made a difference in my life. So thank you Mr. Kenneth Cole of Newburyport High School (MA)! I still remember so many of the great physics demos, including the time NO ONE in our class could come up with the force that contributed to why the car would stop when you rolled it across your desk. Friction right? : )

I’d also like to offer all our readers $10 off your order through Friday, May 10. Simply use the discount code “taw13” during the checkout process.

]]> <![CDATA[SpillNot: The Physics Behind the Slosh [W/Video]]]> Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:47:16 +0000 Although the problem of why coffee spills might seem trivial, it actually brings together a variety of fundamental scientific issues. These include fluid mechanics, the stability of fluid surfaces, and interactions between fluids and structures (we’ll set aside the biology of walking for now). The SpillNot is a cool tool for getting your students interested in the everyday physics behind why drinks spill while we’re carrying them and what has to happen to prevent spillage.
 
Download James' SpillNot PDF
 
 

 
Why spilling happens: When the rigid cup is accelerated horizontally the low viscosity fluid remains at rest and is left behind to rise up on the cup’s wall. The greater the acceleration is compared to gravity, the more fluid is left behind such that the ratio ahoriz/g is the same as the slope. Later, when the person stops walking forward, the cup is decelerated but the fluid (now in motion) remains in motion toward the other end of the container. In some cases there is an amplifying resonance when the accelerations match the natural frequency of the fluid’s back and forth sloshing. Try it!
 
spillnot-1
 
Why the SpillNot doesn’t spill: Instead of accelerating the cup sideways, the handy lever tilts the base of the apparatus so that the cup’s walls are always perpendicular to the fluid’s surface. The device tips when you accelerate it so that the largest force on the cup comes perpendicularly from the base. Now, even when though the fluid has been sloped compared to the horizontal, the cup has been, too! Simply put, the SpillNot prevents spilling by rotating the bottom of the cup so that the sloshing of the fluid never falls over the edge.
 
spillnot-2
 
Simply put, the SpillNot rotates the bottom of the cup so that the sloshing of the fluid never falls over the edge. Most teachers are familiar with the demonstration of centripetal force that involves a cup or water in the bottom of a bucket is maintained in the bucket even when the bucket is spun in a vertical circle that goes overhead. This is not a difficult demonstration to do, but the SpillNot makes it more fun and students can safely try the experiment themselves. Of course I recommend practicing with clear water first versus using hot coffee. For the most part spilling is nearly impossible unless one goes out of his way to jounce the string. So long as there is tension in the string, spills generally will not happen.
 
spillnot-3
 
The SpillNot is best for qualitative demonstrations of centripetal force. The idea that it can successfully take an object through a vertical circle so long as its acceleration exceeds the acceleration due to gravity is well demonstrated. But quantitative measurements are technically nuanced and not as convenient. The radius of the circle is often hard to measure and is different for every case of spin. Additionally, the normal force N on the object is not the same as the force acting on the strap. Therefore, one will have to account for the added mass of the apparatus itself if one wishes to measure the force directly; for example by using a spring scale hooked to the loop. Otherwise, one can indeed use the SpillNot to make direct verification of Centripetal Force as being mv2/r.
 
spillnot-4
 
B A sample procedure for the horizontal circle.

a) Hold the apparatus (loaded with ½ filled cup) out horizontally at an arm’s length
b) Hook a spring scale into the loop of the SpillNot (this can be used to measure m, the mass of the device and cup, and then later to measure the Tension, T)
c) Spin with the device in hand with a sufficient velocity such that the device raises
d) Have a partner time five full cycles with a stop watch, determine t for one cycle
e) During the spin, note the average value of the force on the scale (T)
f) Measure the horizontal radius (if the velocity is sufficient then Rhoriz = R is nearly true, otherwise Rhoriz = R cos θ)
g) Compute the velocity using the formula vcircle = 2πR/t or, more accurately, 2πRhoriz / t
h) Compare T with mv2/R, determine the percent difference, account for experimental error. (One such error is the assumption that either R or T is horizontal or that the mass of the apparatus is all the way out at R, which it is not!) Diagnosing errors is an important skill in physics. Note, that the centripetal force is only caused by Thoriz = T cos θ.
 
Alternatively, one could use the tilt of the SpillNot to determine the force. This can be accomplished by perhaps taking a picture or still-frame of a person swinging the apparatus. Then, with a protractor, measure the angle at which the rope falls below the horizontal. One can then compare a and v2/R by using tan(Ɵ)=a/g
 
This lab does not have much to offer pedagogically beyond what a ball on a string can teach, however the device itself is the hook that gets kids interested. It is novel and exciting to be spinning a cup ominously out with the plane of the fluid nearly perpendicular to the floor!
 
spillnot-5
 
Another lab idea that you might try is the small vertical circle demonstration. In this case the radius is much easier to measure because, for all practical purposes, it is simply the height of the SpillNot plus the small rope. Assuming the cup has a fairly low level, one can determine the minimum speed required to spin the device without spilling. It may be wise and more fun - to do this lab outside. The slowest speed possible will be noticed when, at the top, the cup looses contact with the base. The free body diagram at the top of the spin generates Fnet = mv2/r = N+mg (down or centripetal taken to be positive). The statement “losing contact” implies that there is normal force coming from the base. Thus setting N=0 results in g=v2/r. Measure vcircle = 2πR/t similar to step g in the horizontal circle lab. In this case however I would recommend frame by frame video analysis of a video in which the students spin the device progressively slow until the cup falls off. By counting frames, t can be determined (frame rates can vary from camera to camera). Be careful however, the velocity changes throughout the circle. It will reduce error to use only the top half of the circle. In that case, vsemicircle= πR/t. Post lab analysis might involve comparing g with v2/r and accounting for error; which is usually about 15%.
 
Despite that the SpillNot does not offer itself easily to quantitative laboratory work, you will be impressed by how easy it is to use. It is not a quantitative demonstration tool. On the contrary, its best use is to demonstrate that the study of physics can be used to solve practical problems in ordinary life. The bonus is that it makes the classic centripetal force demonstrations much easier to perform.
 
In conclusion, the SpillNot’s ability to demonstrate centripetal force is not unprecedented. Many teachers will already be aware of the demonstration of the “Greek Waiter’s Tray” or water in the bottom of a bucket (both vertical and horizontal circles), and of course loop-the-loop rollercoasters. What is unique about the SpillNot is that you don’t spill whereas spilling is quite common among these other demonstrations, especially when a novice handles the apparatus. A novice, however, can successfully handle the SpillNot. Of course there is always the possibility that students will try to push the limits of the apparatus; but this is not a bad thing! In fact, having students learn what it takes to spill is a good lesson in the scientific method.
 

james_lincolnJames Lincoln

Tarbut V’ Torah High School
Irvine, CA, USA

James Lincoln teaches Physics in Southern California and has won several science video contests and worked on various projects in the past few years.  James has consulted on TV’s “The Big Bang Theory” and WebTV’s “This vs. That”  and  the UCLA Physics Video Project.

Contact: James@PhysicsVideos.net
 
 
 

 
 

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Download James' SpillNot PDF
 

]]> <![CDATA[Happy 306th Birthday to Leonhard Euler]]> Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:57:39 +0000 Happy 306th Birthday to Leonhard Euler, Swiss Mathematician with two numbers named after him. Think our Euler’s Disk will spin 306 times? There’s only one way to find out!

 

Eulers Disk

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Product # P2-9800

$29.00

]]> <![CDATA[Top 10 Demonstrations with the Plasma Globe [W/Video]]]> Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:34:57 +0000 The plasma ball is an engaging and safe tool for studying high voltages and the electric field and can be used in middle school, high school, and college level physics courses. A very large voltage is created by a Tesla coil-like circuit and this creates a high electric field between the central electrode and the inner glass. The Field is strong enough to ionize the gases in the ball (it pulls their electrons off) and the freed electrons undergo collisions which liberate more electrons from other gas molecules. This process is known as cascade/avalanche or impact ionization. On first inspection, you will notice that the plasma ball responds to your touch. This is due to the polarization of your body (a decent conductor). As you approach the plasma ball you become polarized by the electric field and this attracts more charge to you.

 1. Demonstrate plasma

Most physical science classes require that students have a cursory understanding of plasma as the “fourth state of matter.” This title is misleading because plasma is the most common state of matter in the universe and plasma was in fact the first state to exist after the big bang. Plasma is a gas-like collection of atoms that have a large number of free electric charges.  This means that newly created plasma has undergone ionization (the phase transition that is after melting and boiling). When the freed electrons are regained by ionized atoms the bonding energy is often released as visible light; therefore glowing is a signature of most plasma. Like a gas, plasma has no fixed volume and like other fluids it does not have a fixed shape.

Moving plasmas can usually be controlled by magnetic fields, but this will not be visible on the plasma of a plasma ball. In order to witness deflections of plasma the charges must move for long enough times. A plasma ball operates on a high frequency alternative voltage, and for this reason the charges do not have much time to move in demonstrably measurable distances and get deflected.

Plasma is also an excellent conductor so, once one filament forms, it becomes generally stable allowing for more current to flow through it (similar to a lightning strike). This is more obvious when you bring a finger to the plasma ball. It is important to remember that plasma is very hot and it will slowly conduct heat through the glass.

2. Touch lightning

The very high voltages of the plasma ball can easily polarize a coin (or piece of aluminum foil) placed on top of the plasma ball.  By bringing your finger only a few millimeters above the penny, you will be able to elicit a spark from the top of the coin. This spark will not cause pain, or electric shock, but will be hot and if you hold your finger their long enough it might begin to hurt. The tip of the finger will now show a few harmless burn marks that will rub off in a day. Let the students touch lightning too and use this sparking technique to explain how lightning forms due to the Electric Field ionizing the air. You can also have fun burning small pieces of paper with the spark.  If you are too shy to touch the spark with your hand, you can touch a metal key (or any conductor) to the coin and the spark will still form while providing additional insulation. You should avoid touching the spark with your fingernail. Fingernails conduct electricity better than the skin and underneath it is a tissue that is dense lined with pain nerves.

 3. Demonstrate convection

The plasma threads are very hot and they will rise due to their buoyancy in the other gases inside the plasma ball. For this reason, it is difficult to get a horizontal streamer to remain unbroken for more than a second – not unlike a Jacob’s Ladder. However, a vertical streamer at the top will be stabilized by the buoyancy. With practice you should be able to get just a single vertical thread. Once again, be cautious because the glass will heat up.

4. Investigate  the oscillating electric field

The Electric Field created by the Tesla coil reaches beyond the glass dome and into the air surrounding the plasma ball. This Electric Field can easily be investigated with a small neon bulb or light emitting diode (LED). Bring either of these near the plasma ball and they will light up when aligned radially, but not circumferentially. This demonstrates that the voltages are decreasing with radial distance or (equivalently) that the Electric Field is radial. You will also notice no directional dependence of the diode because the field is oscillating rapidly.

LED-bulb-far The LED bulb (far right) is not lit at this distance

image: LED bulb close The LED bulb glows brighter as it approaches the plasma globe

The circuit is providing a high frequency alternating voltage which is necessary to “step up” the voltage to the levels needed to operate the plasma globe. Study the voltage directly by simply connecting a probe to one of the channels on an oscilloscope and you can probe the changing voltage spatially. Some experiments include determining how rapidly the voltage decreases with radial distance or whether the voltage differences are established radially or circumferentially (the answer is the former).

For fun or if you don’t own an oscilloscope, you can also use an audio cable as a probe and listen to the frequencies on an amplifier. These will sound louder up close and quieter far away or when probed circumferentially (along an equipotential line). The human body can serve as an excellent antenna for picking up the signal so be sure to touch the tip of the cable.

One last technique is to investigate the voltage differences directly by using a digital voltmeter set to read AC. Through this investigation one can most easily verify the distance dependence of voltage as it decreases with radial distance.

5. Illuminate a fluorescent lamp

This demonstration is normally done with a Van de Graaff generator, but often results in you getting mild shocks. However, there is no pain or danger if you simply use the plasma ball!  Borrow a long fluorescent tube from your overhead lights, or buy one from the hardware store and bring it near the plasma ball. You will notice that once a part of the mercury gas in the tube gets glowing that it can stay glowing even as you extend it. There is essentially no limit to how far you can pull the tube. It also works on the household small tubes.  Emphasize that the fluorescent tube holds ionized mercury (plasma) and that plasma is a conductor (because of the free charges) and for this reason the tube’s light can be drawn with no apparent increase in resistance (no decrease in brightness).

Also, note that the starting point of the tube must be close to the plasma ball where the Electric Field is largest (the voltage is changing the most rapidly). This can be demonstrated by moving the tube closer then further radially to the globe. At certain distances the tube will not glow. There is a minimum Electric Field required to ionize the mercury gas and if the field is not strong enough the tube will not light.

Explain also how the fluorescent light is produced: the low pressure, ionized mercury gas releases mostly UV and violet light when it regains its electrons. This light falls on the fluorescent paint that coats the inside of the tube.  The paint then glows white. The UV light is blocked by glass, so harmful UV light does not escape the glass tubes. Thus, the process does not work in reverse: if you shine UV light on the tube from the outside the paint won’t fluoresce.

 6. Create a human short-circuit

While you have the fluorescent tubes out, demonstrate that the Electric Field can be diverted to a grounded, shorter circuit if a lab-partner grabs part of the tube. This will reinforce the idea of lightning and currents (perhaps later on) taking the path of least resistance. It will also awaken students to the reality that their bodies are paths through which electricity can flow. (A valuable lesson in electrical safety!)

photo: no obstruction Fluorescent tube lights at point of contact, continues with no obstruction

photo: human obstruction Touching the fluorescent tube diverts the current

7. Analyze the spectrum of the gases within globe

When it comes to analyzing the spectrum of the gases in your plasma ball, a good place to start is to analyze the point where your finger touches. Looking straight at the plasma globe, place a finger as far to one side as possible. This should create what looks like a vertical (pink?) stripe. Analyze this with your diffraction grating and compare the spectrum to known inert (noble) gases. Since there is often more than one gas, this can be difficult but is worth the effort.

To analyze the (bluish white) streamer filaments, it is helpful to create the vertical streamer from experiment #3. This vertical column will be ideal for analyzing its spectrum. It is best to have a partner supply a free hand and beware once again of the plasma heating up the glass. This may also be a good time to break out the digital spectrometer or other spectrum-analyzing equipment to get specific wavelengths measured. Different plasma globes use different gases and in different amounts, but they are almost always noble gases.

8. Hold ionized gases in the palm of your hand

Neon gas tube near plasma globe Neon gas tube near plasma globe

Ionizing gases and observing their spectra is normally associated with dangerous, high-voltage equipment that only instructors can handle. But now you can put ionized neon tubes in the hands of eager students because your plasma ball ionizes them safely. No longer is a black box needed to confuse students as to what is happening. The plasma ball’s strong Electric Field rips the electrons off their atoms and unique colors are produced as electrons are reacquired by the various orbitals. Teaching about the emission spectrum of ionized gases can now become a hands-on activity.

9. Power up your cathode ray tube

A plasma ball provides a safe source of high-voltage that can allow you to investigate the properties of cathode rays safely. A typical concern with doing cathode ray tube experiments is that you have to connect your CRT to a dangerous high-voltage source. Teacher and student alike can now safely and easily demonstrate the magnetic deflection of electrons and relive the discoveries of J.J. Thomson thanks to their marvelous plasma globe.

10. Demonstrate an absorption spectrum

A plasma globe provides a rare chance for you to demonstrate  that light is absorbed by ionized gases.  Send a beam of collimated, white light into the plasma housing and you will be able to observe the absorption spectrum. Collimated light is produced by sending a bright beam through two holes on either side of a box; this guarantees that the light that emerges is a narrow column. Note that projectors that mix RGB will not suffice as a white light source – the light has to be a full rainbow.  The best source is a bright incandescent flashlight or an overhead projector.  Focus the beam so it passes through the plasma, then separate it with a diffraction grating or prism and project the rainbow on a screen or wall.  When the plasma globe is off, the white light will split into a full rainbow.  When the globe is on, some of the colors will be missing as thin bands. Most notably will be the yellow and reds observed in the emission spectrum from earlier. This will verify that emission and absorption spectra have the same wavelengths.

conclusion:

In conclusion, the plasma globe is an under-utilized and relatively familiar piece of lab equipment. I strongly recommend that every physics teacher include one in his or her laboratory and use them to make electrostatics as hands-on as possible.

james_lincolnJames Lincoln

Tarbut V’ Torah High School
Irvine, CA, USA

James Lincoln teaches Physics in Southern California and has won several science video contests and worked on various projects in the past few years.  James has consulted on TV’s “The Big Bang Theory” and WebTV’s “This vs. That”  and  the UCLA Physics Video Project.

Contact: James@PhysicsVideos.net

Download James' writeup as a PDF. Download Top 10 Demos with a Plasma Globe PDF

 

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]]> <![CDATA[1 KM = 1 MI?]]> Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:42:17 +0000 Somebody at the Department of Transportation doesn't understand that a kilometer and a mile are NOT the same!

mi-km-sign Hmmmmm...

]]> <![CDATA[60th annual MSTA Conference]]> Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:37:30 +0000 Join us for the 60th annual MSTA Conference this Friday and Saturday at Eastern Michigan University. Stop by booth #204 to test out our newest products or attend a cool tools session presented by some of the best physics teachers from around the state. Sessions will feature a wide variety of products and cover how to effectively use them in the classroom to engage students in learning. Conference and session details listed below:

MSTA 2013 Conference, March 8-9
EMU Student Center & Science Complex, Ypsilanti MI
Arbor Scientific booth # 204
For more details please visit: www.msta-mich.org

Cool Tools for Sound & Waves
Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
EMU Stu-Center - #300
Dale Freeland, Portage Central High School
Physics - High School, Middle Level
Engage students with fun, hands-on activities for teaching sound and waves. Participants will learn how to utilize science-based toys and other cool tools to investigate the characteristics and behavior of waves.

Cool Tools for Electrostatics & Magnetism
Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
EMU Stu-Center - #350
Donald Pata, Grosse Pointe North High School
Physics - High School, Middle Level
Discover science based toys and other cool tools that will enhance your static electricity and magnetism lessons bringing real-life examples into your classroom.This session will be presented by an award winning physics teacher, using a combination of hands-on activities and thought-provoking demos.

Cool Tools for Light & Color
Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m
EMU Stu-Center - #300
Dale Freeland, Portage Central High School
Physics - High School, Middle Level
Engage students with fun, hands-on activities and demos for teaching light and color. Participants will learn how to utilize science-based toys and other cool tools to investigate the behavior and properties of light.

Cool Tools for Projectile Motion
Friday, 11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
EMU Stu-Center - #350
Donald Pata, Grosse Pointe North High School
Physics - High School, Middle Level
Make your class take off with these projectile motion products from Arbor Scientific. Learn to launch air rockets. Explore the effects of gravity. Hit targets and investigate the effect of angle on range. Products include Air Powered Projectile, Horizontal Projectile Ramp, Monkey & Hunter and more.

Cool Tools for Force & Motion
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
EMU Stu-Center - #360
Jim Gell, Plymouth High School
Physics - High School, Middle Level
Motivate your students! Discover science-based toys and other cool tools for Motion, Forces and Newton's Three Laws that will energize your classroom.

]]> <![CDATA[Can the Frictional Force Between Two Interleaved Phone Books Lift A Car? [W/Video]]]> Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:02:13 +0000 Students often underestimate the force of friction, despite the fact that friction is the force that acts every day to bring their school buses and cars to a stop. In this video, two phone books are interwoven page- by-page and the friction between the thin sheets of paper is put to the ultimate test - can the frictional force between two interleaved phone books lift a 3, 500 lb car? Watch the video below to see what happens.

Think of the total area between 2 phone books. That is a lot of friction!

Is It Possible To Pull Them Apart?

Watch Mythbusters try the experiment again using two military tankers.

]]> <![CDATA[Neulog Software updates available]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:08:17 +0000 Neulog has released software updates for the Mac and Windows machines. Visit our neulog page for download links as well as more info about all 40+ probes available.

http://www.arborsci.com/neulog

A more extensive list of downloads including user guides is available from the manufacture:
http://www.neulog.com/Download/SoftwareandApplication.aspx

]]> <![CDATA[Swing set Newtonian]]> Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:09:14 +0000 Funny Physics cartoon, the swing set Newtonian Demonstrator!

physics_fun

]]>