Presents a laboratory exercise designed to introduce graphical extrapolation. Major advantages of the method are in its simplicity and speed. The only measuring devices are a centimeter ruler and a micrometer caliper to check wall thickness. (JN)

This experiment designed for beginning physics students, is related to postal regulations restricting the size of envelopes. A graph is constructed that allows for testing the mailability of envelopes. (MP)

Explores strategies in the situation of a runner trying to evade a tackler on a football field. Enables the student to test intuitive strategies in a familiar situation using simple graphical and numerical methods or direct experimentation. (JRH)

Described is how the crumpling of paper balls exhibits the concept of a topological dimension similar to fractals. The mass of the crumpled paper ball is found to be proportional to its diameter raised to a nonintegral power. (KR)

An exercise which relates particle scattering and the calculation of cross-sections to answer the following question--"Do you get wetter by walking or running through the rain?"--is described. The calculations used to answer the question are provided. (KR)

Presents an activity in which students draw the decay curve for a medical radioisotope and determine its half-life. (MKR)

Describes an easily-implemented experiment in which a moderately complex relation between dependent and independent variables is involved. (Author/GS)

Described is a situation where students are allowed to enlist the aid of a computer graphing program to produce graphs for their lab reports. (KR)

Describes three computer programs which operate on Apple II+ microcomputers: (1) a menu-driven graph drawing program; (2) a simulation of the Millikan oil drop experiment; and (3) a program used to study the half-life of silver. (Instructions for obtaining the programs from the author are included.) (JN)

Discusses the use of logarithm and reciprocal graphs in the college physics classroom. Provides examples, such as electrical conductivity, reliability function in the Weibull model, and the Clausius-Clapeyron equation for latent heat of vaporation. Shows graphs with weighting of points. (YP)

An activity in which students use a rubber band and flexible straws to pull a dynamics cart so that the cart has a consistent angle and, therefore, a consistent horizontal component of force is described. A copy of the handout for the activity is included. (KR)

Discusses the uses of thermistors in teaching electronics and semiconductors. Describes how to experimentally measure and graph the characteristics of a thermistor. Suggests one possible approach to understand the shapes of the characteristics. (CW)

Plotting a polynomial over the range of real numbers when its derivative contains complex roots is discussed. The polynomials are graphed by calculating the minimums, maximums, and zeros of the function. (MNS)

Presents four examples of physics problems that can be solved with a graphing calculator. Problems included deal with motion, harmonic oscillations, sound waves, and blackbody radiation. (JRH)

A quantitative application of magnetic braking performed with an air track is described. The experimental measurement of the position of the glider as a function of time is calculated. (KR)