Today's students are increasingly immersed in a landscape of screens and handheld digital devices through which a good deal of their interactions with the world around them are mediated. Physics educators, meanwhile, continue to rely on traditional human interactions with the physical world, such as sliding down a ramp or throwing a baseball, in…

We have developed an online oscilloscope program which allows users to see waveforms by utilizing their computer microphones, selecting from our library of over 30 audio files, and opening any *.mp3 or *.wav file on their computers. The oscilloscope displays real-time signals against time. The oscilloscope has been calibrated so one can make…

Video analysis with a 30 Hz frame rate is the standard tool in physics education. The development of affordable high-speed-cameras has extended the capabilities of the tool for much smaller time scales to the 1 ms range, using frame rates of typically up to 1000 frames s[superscript -1], allowing us to study transient physics phenomena happening…

Smartphones and tablets are packed with sensors that allow us to take experimental data, essentially making them mobile physics labs. Apps exist that make it easy to capture and analyze data from these sensors, allowing users to study diverse phenomena such as free fall acceleration, the speed of sound,radioactivity, and many others. Commonly, the…

The "Measurement Module" is a device which records measurements for microcomputer input. Construction of the device, software, and uses in physics experiments and demonstrations are discussed. (JN)

The use of a microcomputer as the basis of a multichannel analyzer (MCA) system is described. Principles of microcomputer MCA, choice of microcomputer, input-output port, data display, MCA program, and interrupt routine (with flowchart) are the topic areas considered. (JN)

Examines present and future applications of computers in high-energy physics. Areas considered include high-energy physics laboratories, accelerators, detectors, networking, off-line analysis, software guidelines, event sizes and volumes, graphics applications, event simulation, theoretical studies, and future trends. (JN)

Four ways in which microcomputers can be turned into laboratory instruments are discussed. These include adding an analog/digital (A/D) converter on a printed circuit board, adding an external A/D converter using the computer's serial port, attaching transducers to the game paddle ports, or connecting an instrument to the computer. (JN)

Procedures for displaying computer-generated text and graphics to a large audience are inexpensive when a Fresnel-mirror projector is used. Although small liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) can be easily projected, large LCDs require some modification (which is described). Other devices with LCD displays (oscilloscopes, televisions, and pulse-height…

Describes (1) an inexpensive photogate, (2) one use for a "dead" ammeter, (3) photogate addition for visual and audio signal, and (4) a photogate housing constructed from a plastic water pipe. (JN)

Describes apparatus and method used to allow rapid and repeated measurement of acceleration of a ball rolling down an inclined plane. Acceleration measurements can be performed in an hour with the apparatus interfaced to a Commodore PET microcomputer. A copy of the BASIC program is available from the authors. (Author/JN)

Evaluates the Measurement Module (TEL-Atomic, Incorporated), a real time data capture and display instrument which (according to the manufacturer) was designed primarily for use in demonstrations. Includes comments on the module's specifications and features, software, documentation, and student laboratory use. The module is compatible with Apple…

Describes apparatus, computer program (for Apple II), and procedures used in an experiment to determine the velocity of sound in air. In addition, the experiment focuses on the attention required in calibrating equipment and the measuring of both long distances and very short time intervals. (JN)

Describes the Interactive Microcomputer Peripheral (including major features, source, and current cost) and physics experiments using the instrument. The instrument can also be used for such purposes as counting, timing, and frequency measurement as well as for experiments in biology and experimental psychology. (JN)