Work in Progress: Resources to be added and grouped
| Topic | Resources |
|---|---|
| Kinematics | Yes ( , ) |
| Projectile motion | |
| Circular motion |
In-Depth resources: Websites with resources across topics
The Physics Classroom: Complete Tool Kits
This Physics Classroom site has Teacher Tool kits on several topics. Each tool kit features background readings, interactive simulations with worksheets, videos and animations, educational research, practical activities including experiments and demonstrations, interactive question modules, problem solving exercises and common misconceptions. There are tool kits on the following topics: kinematics, Newton’s Laws of Motion, terminal velocity, vectors, projectile motion, impulse and momentum, work and energy, circular motion, roller coaster physics, universal gravitation and satellite motion.
Teaching Advanced Physics: Mechanics
‘Teaching Advanced Physics’ is a UK resource for teachers new to teaching physics. It assumes only a limited access to equipment, resources, and advice from experienced colleagues. The section on Fields covers: statics; kinematics, including projectile motion; drag forces; Newton’s laws; work, energy and power; momentum; circular motion and materials. It consists of 29 episodes, each of which is for one or two 60 min lessons. Content of each episode is a lesson plan with a description of the content covered, with points to emphasise in discussion, along with activity or question sheets for the students.
Physclips
‘Physclips’ is a multilevel multimedia resource prepared by the School of Physics at the University of New South Wales. It is an introductory resources package for university students but should useful with secondary students. There are several sections of relevance: Introduction, Constant acceleration, Projectiles, Circular motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Weight and Contact forces, Energy and Power, and Momentum. Each section has a film, and linked animations and graphics which are all very well designed. The derivation of equations uses differentiation or integration, but most of sections focus on conceptual understanding rather than the formulae.
Dark Matter and Uniform Circular Motion
A set of free resources from the Perimeter Institute. Students explore the discovery of dark matter by completing a prac on uniform circular motion to investigate how variables such as mass and radius affect the orbital speed of an object. With the relation they derive, students can calculate the value of an unknown mass. This method is very similar to how astronomers measure the speeds of stars in galaxies, providing some of the most compelling evidence for dark matter. Includes lesson plans, 30 min video, activities and supplementary materials. The teacher supplies the traditional circular motion kit of fishing line, rubber stopper, tube, washers and paper clip.
Worksheets for Unit 3 Motion 485 kB pdf
Worksheets for experiments for Unit 3 Motion
Kinematics: Context
The Geometry of War 1500 – 1750
This exhibition at Oxford University’s Museum of the History of Science shows how mathematical science was used in warfare and illustrates the historical and philosophical contexts in which kinematics developed.
Kinematics: Activities
Unit 2 Motion: Booklet of Practical Activities 396 kB pdf
Worksheets for Unit 2 motion (25 page booklet of practical activities)
Analysis of motion by hand 22kB docx
A short prac by Colin Hopkins.
Distance time graphs 24kB docx
A short prac by Colin Hopkins.
Equations of Motion Derivation Activity 29kB docx
A short prac by Colin Hopkins.
Measuring motion 30kB docx
A short prac by Colin Hopkins.
Ticker timers 21kB docx
A short prac by Colin Hopkins.
Ticker timer solutions 22kB docx
A short prac by Colin Hopkins.
Video Analysis Software
- Tracker: The website has help files, sample experiments and videos and presentations from AAPT conferences. Free and open source.
- Kinovea: It is mostly used by sports coaches and athletes to study a performance, but useful in a school context. You can output the annotated results as an mp4 video file, and the data to a text file for further work in Excel. Free.
- Vernier: For studying two dimensional motion, circular motion, and multiple objects moving in two dimensions. Students can use their mobile devices in the laboratory or out in the field. Site licence is available.
- SPARKvue: PASCO data collection and analysis software. Free
- Cheap High Speed Video recording for Analysis in Physics Experiments. iInstructions on how do build a cheap high speed video recorder, up to 125 frames per second, using the Sony Play Station PS3 eye camera, which can be purchased on eBay for under $30. Prepared by Instructables and offshoot of MIT Squid Labs.
- Case Studies of the video analysis of physics of sporting events a set of 43 case studies of various sporting events generated with Quintic’s video analysis software, designed to promote the product, but useful for teachers. They can show students what can be done with other software such as those above. The topics include a sprint start (Impulse), weight lifting (Power) and bouncing ball (Coefficient of restitution) as well as field events, soccer and cricket. Each topic has a description of the physics, the experimental setup, typical data and graphs as well as downloadable files of the written up case study and in most cases the actual data in an excel spreadsheet and the avi files.
Scienceworks
A great location for an excursion is to Scienceworks, Museum of Victoria, Spotswood. Permanent displays: ‘Sportsworks’ and ‘The Lightning Room’ as well as Planetarium presentations.
A Star Wars VII trailer and using Tracker software
The Article from Wired magazine is an analysis of a motion section from a Star Wars VII trailer by Tracker, the free video motion analysis software. The article is well written and would be accessible to students familiar with Tracker.
Red Bull Stratos Jump analysis
The Red Bull Stratos jump is the jump from space by Felix Baumgartner from a height of 128,000 feet. This article, by Prof Rhett Allain of South Eastern Louisiana University, in Wired magazine is an analysis of Felix’s motion as it relates to variation of the speed of sound with altitude. A very accessible article with useful graphs for kinematics.
Graphing challenge – Kinematics Game
This is a kinematics game in which students are given a position – time or a velocity time graph, depending on level, and they have to set the initial position and velocity, and acceleration if needed and also, if needed, the time and value of any velocity or accel’n change. The game then draws out the graph from their set values and then identifies the sections of that graph that match the original graph. The package provides effective and rewarding feedback. The graphs seem to be all straight line segmented graphs and there is no comparison of s – t, v – t and a – t graphs for the same motion.
Coronal Mass Ejection: A NASA kinematic activity
This NASA Digi Kit on Compadre, blends physics and space science as students analyze authentic data from the NASA SOHO space observatory to measure the speed of a coronal mass ejection (CME).. The task is to plot graphs of position vs. time and velocity vs. time, then determine how long it would take for each CME to reach Earth.
Kinematics: Assessment
Straight Line Motion 75.3 kB rtf
A test on straight line motion.
Tell me a story 14 kB docx
A task by Colin Hopkins.
Tell me a story Assessment 484 kB docx
A task by Colin Hopkins.
Tell me a story Graph in colour 491 kB docx
A task by Colin Hopkins.
Tell me a story 92 kB jpg
A task by Colin Hopkins.
To go or not to go 84 kB docx
A task by Colin Hopkins.
To go or not to go test 29 kB docx
A task by Colin Hopkins.
Kinematics: Websites
Traffic Light system
A sophisticated applet simulating traffic through a series of controlled intersections. You can set the period of each colour of the traffic lights, the delay time between the lights at adjacent intersections as well as the maximum speed and acceleration of the cars.
Applet showing generation of kinematic graphs
The Moving Man: Using a mouse, the student drags a stick figure back and forth across the top of the screen between its home and its school. Below, graphs of the motion appear as the motion progresses. Detailed instructions.
Speed records
A file of speed records compiled by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA) covering all manner of configurations on land, on and under water and in air.
Velocity Dispersion in a Cluster of Stars: How fast could have Usain Bolt run?
This scientific article is from the American Journal of Physics. It contains graphs, photos and tables of data and should be understood by most Year 11 and 12 students. Other useful information is 10 metre split times of seven 100 m runners from Ben Johnson to Bolt
Projectile Motion: Context
Projectile Motion 26.3 MB MPG
An ASPEN video showing a trolley with a small vertical cannon. Video from a stationary position and from moving with the trolley show horizontal and vertical components of projectile motion. 1:25 min mpeg file. ASPEN is the Asian Physics Education Network, a group which operates under the auspices of UNESCO to promote and communicate developments in university physics education in the Asian region.
Projectile Motion: Activities
Projectile Motion: Assessment
Projectile Motion: Websites
Projectile Motion
A Walter Fendt applet. You can vary, the initial height, speed and angle, as well as the mass of the object and the gravitational attraction. Air resistance is ignored. The path of the projectile is progressively drawn on a set of x-y axes. As the object moves along its path you can show, either both velocity components, the acceleration vector or the force vector. There is also the choice of displaying the amount of KE, GPE and Total Energy, as the object moves through its flight. For fast moving objects there is also a slow motion option.
Circular Motion: Context
Twists, turns, thrills and spills: The Physics of Rollercoasters
This feature article in Physics World in the ‘Everyday Science’ section gives an excellent overview of the topic. It discusses some of the most thrilling rides the world. It features Anne-Marie Pendrill, the amusement park physics guru. There is also information on trends in roller coaster design, teardrop loops and virtual reality.
Circular Motion: Activities
Circular Motion: Assessment
Assessment Task: Data Analysis for Motion Area of Study 46.6 kB doc
An assessment task that is an extension of the analysis of three experiments: centripetal acceleration, potential energy in a spring, and kinetic energy and momentum in a collision.
Circular Motion: Websites
3D real time tracking of satellites
This new software uploads the current positions of satellites and display them around a 3D image of the earth. The image can be tilted and rotated. Individual orbits can be shown by selecting a dot. Enter the name of a satellite and ts orbital data is displayed. It is not as powerful as the old J-Track from NASA which is not available anymore, but it is still impressive and shows the ring of geostationary satellites. This website does not include the mass of the satellites to enable calculation of energies, but this website, Gunter’s Space Page does.
Carousel (Centripetal force)
This applet by Walter Fendt shows a spinning carousel with masses hanging from the edge. They are at an angle as the carousel rotates. You have four choices for the display i) the carousel itself, ii) the carousel with weight, tension and net forces shown on the each of the masses, iii) a force diagram for the mass, and iv) calculated values for frequency, angular velocity, radius, velocity, angle, weight, centripetal force and tension. The aspects you can vary are: the period, the distance out of the suspension points for the masses, the length of the string supporting the masses and the masses themselves
A human loop the loop: The analysis
From skating rink to physics assignment
An article in Physics Education by Anne-Marie Pendrill analysing the motion of a connected line of ice skaters moving a circle. The video is available here.