There are many reasons for an instructor to consider using social media, particularly in a large introductory course. Improved communications can lessen the sense of isolation some students feel in large classes, and students may be more likely to respond to faculty announcements in a form that is familiar and comfortable. Furthermore, many…

Educators have found that kinesthetic involvement in an experiment or demonstration can engage students in a powerful way. With that as our goal, we developed three activities that allow students to connect with and quantitatively explore key physics principles from mechanics with three fun physical challenges. By presenting these activities as…

The trebuchet has quickly become a favorite project for physics and engineering teachers seeking to provide students with a simple, but spectacular, hands-on design project that can be applied to the study of projectile motion, rotational motion, and the law of conservation of energy. While there have been free trebuchet simulators and range…

Nowadays, the use of data-acquisition systems in undergraduate laboratories is routine. Many computer-assisted experiments became possible with the PASCO scientific data-acquisition system based on the 750 Interface and DataStudio software. A new data-acquisition system developed by PASCO includes the 850 Universal Interface and Capstone software.…

The value of video analysis in physics education is well established, and both commercial and free educational video analysis programs are readily available. The video format is familiar to students, contains a wealth of spatial and temporal data, and provides a bridge between direct observations and abstract representations of physical phenomena.…

We have developed an easy-to-use online tutorial generator designed to allow instructors to make tutorials quickly and with a minimal learning curve. The motivation was to create a generator that would allow instructors to create tutorials as needed and possibly build up a bank of tutorials over a number of years. A key design feature of the…

Evaluates five courseware packages covering the topics of Newton's laws and seven courseware packages for work, energy, momentum, and conservation laws. Discusses the price, sub-topics, program type, interaction, time, calculus required, graphics, and comments of each courseware. Selects some packages based on the criteria. (YP)

Evaluates 10 courseware packages covering topics for introductory physics. Discusses the price; sub-topics; program type; interaction; possible hardware; time; calculus required; graphics; and comments on each program. Recommends two packages in projectile and circular motion, and three packages in statics and rotational dynamics. (YP)

Compares the features of the sonic rangers available from HRM Software, MICROMEASUREMENTS, NAGAWTIS Software Research, and PASCO Scientific for demonstrations and experiments in mechanics. Presents the advantages of the sonic rangers and the typical graphics displayed by each software package. (YP)

Reviews a computer courseware package for mechanics at the high school and introductory college level. Discusses one-dimensional collisions, two-dimensional collisions, and simple harmonic motion programs. Shows two typical monitor displays. Rates this program as good overall. (YP)

Reviews the computer software, "Science Toolkit," made by Broderbund Software. The software covers experiments on light, temperature, timing, motion, speed, and frequency by using interfacing equipment. Provides an evaluation and four typical monitor displays. Concludes that it is an excellent software package. (YP)

Reviews "Vernier Software: Precision Timer II" for high school through college mechanics. Introduces 14 different modes including pulse time, pendulum timer, bouncer timer, gate timer, collision timers, and stroke calibration. Provides two typical displays and ratings of the software. (YP)

Reviews "Thermodynamics" (Cross Educational Software) and "Calorimetry and Thermodynamics" (Educational Materials and Equipment Company). The first package has seven programs (briefly described) while the second package contains virtually an identical subset of the Cross package. (JN)

Evaluates the technical efficacy of the V-Scope in measuring motion produced by a phonograph turntable, a template furnished by the manufacturer, a free-fall apparatus, some pendula, a gyroscope, and three air tables. Concludes that the V-Scope gives excellent results and is easy to use. (MDH)

Evaluates seven courseware packages covering the topics of fluid dynamics, kinetic theory, and thermal properties. Discusses the price range, sub-topics, program type, interaction, time, calculus required, graphics, and comments of each courseware. Selects some packages based on the criteria. (YP)