Bulletin of the American Physical Society
Joint Spring 2010 Meeting of the Texas Sections of the APS, AAPT, and SPS
Volume 55, Number 3
Thursday–Saturday, March 18–20, 2010; Austin, Texas
Session F1: AAPT: SPS, Outreach, Education and Student Research |
Hide Abstracts |
Room: Robert Lee Moore Hall 6.104 |
Friday, March 19, 2010 3:15PM - 3:45PM |
F1.00001: The Physics Circus -- Engaging students through a demo show Invited Speaker: The Physics Circus is a fun and exciting demo show presented by the UT Austin Physics Department at elementary, middle, and high schools in central Texas with the aim of engaging students. I will discuss the goals of this program, its facilitation, and the impact it has on the students who see the presentation as well as the university students who actively do the demonstrations. I will also demonstrate some highlights from the show, including the electric pickle, the flaming dollar, and the exploding trash can. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 3:45PM - 3:57PM |
F1.00002: New Asteroid Discovery Through IASC Adrian Boysselle, David Golynskiy, Deepak Joseph, Mike Broyles We have discovered a Main Belt asteroid which has been named 2010 CK12 under the aegis of the International Asteroid Search Campaign (IASC). We analyzed images from the WISE Telescope using a program called Astrometrica, and results were submitted to the Minor Planet Center (MPC). Our talk will outline the procedure used to discover this asteroid. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 3:57PM - 4:09PM |
F1.00003: Research Projects for Undergraduates Andra Troncalli Physics majors, by enrolling in our research experience in physics course, have the opportunity to work in small groups on independent research projects. Over the last few years, I have directed a few of these research projects; some were closely related to my own research in the field of high temperature superconductivity, and students participated in growing and characterizing samples. Other projects involved nanotechnology, Hall probes, and programming in LabVIEW. For some students, this was their very first research project, while others had more experience. I will talk about the projects and about the particular type of challenges and benefits this type of course brings to both students and instructors. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 4:09PM - 4:21PM |
F1.00004: Archaeometry Using X-Ray Fluorescence Juan Olvera, David Bixler I am currently using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) for analyzing archeological and mineralogical samples and determining their elemental constituents. Although XRF may be applied to many different fields, I am using this technique in the field of archaeometry. For example, with XRF, I can determine what elements make up a chert arrowhead, and, with a database of such information, determine the likely origin of a particular artifact. I am using Amptek's ADMCA software, detector, X-ray source, and electronics to collect data spectra. I will present preliminary data on chert samples (worked and unworked) that have been collected from various nearby sites. This allows me to build up a database of the elemental fingerprint of chert from these regions. Then, chert artifacts can be examined and their ``fingerprints'' compared to the database. With a completely mapped out database we may be able to determine interactions between different groups of people. No conclusions can be made at this time because the database is currently being built. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 4:21PM - 4:33PM |
F1.00005: Experimental Mathematics for Volumes, Centers of Mass, and Moments of Inertia of Flower Vases Nathan Hogg, Timothy Wall, John Woodiel, Ken Taylor Symmetric flower vases and lamp globes are used as objects whose volumes, centers of mass, and moments of inertia are calculated from measured ``shape'' functions. The effort required for producing the results provides an unusual opportunity for students to extend their mathematical and data processing skills. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 4:33PM - 4:45PM |
F1.00006: Standing Waves on Free-End Strips of Metal and Wood Natnael Abate, Ismael Mata, Abiy Tesfaye, Ken Taylor The work described in this paper discusses the results of experiments involving standing waves on long flat strips of wood and metal and on simple tubing. The strips are arranged such that one end is fixed (connected to the driving device) and the other end is free. The resonant behavior of a system with these boundary conditions provides an interesting alternative to that provided by fixed-fixed strings. The data presented show a system with the expected antinode at the free end and node at the fixed end. The ideas and examples discussed in this presentation serve as examples of free-fixed behavior that teachers can easily duplicate in their classrooms. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 4:45PM - 4:57PM |
F1.00007: Acoustic Resonance in School Hallways Elliot Bucki, Matthew Nagle, Pearson Smith, Ken Taylor This paper takes the theory of acoustic standing waves for air columns and applies it to school hallways. By utilizing an audio generator and power amplifier/speaker the authors set up an experiment in a school hallway and studied the resonant patterns created for a range of driving frequencies. Data describing the various mode structures are presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, March 19, 2010 4:57PM - 5:09PM |
F1.00008: Kinematics of a PASCO Motorized Cart Luke Trowbridge, Rachel Peters, Anne Franchek, Ken Taylor A PASCO motorized cart is used to study the kinematic behavior of the cart when driven by a variety of waveforms produced by a PASCO 750 Interface and Power Amplifier II. The various shapes presented by the waveforms determine the time behavior of the driving voltage applied to the cart motor. Since students are typically exposed only to constant acceleration and sinusoidal acceleration (for example, due to simple harmonic motion), these waveforms provide an opportunity for students to study the functional relationships between positions, velocities and accelerations for cases that lie beyond the normal curriculum. [Preview Abstract] |
Follow Us |
Engage
Become an APS Member |
My APS
Renew Membership |
Information for |
About APSThe American Physical Society (APS) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance the knowledge of physics. |
© 2024 American Physical Society
| All rights reserved | Terms of Use
| Contact Us
Headquarters
1 Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844
(301) 209-3200
Editorial Office
100 Motor Pkwy, Suite 110, Hauppauge, NY 11788
(631) 591-4000
Office of Public Affairs
529 14th St NW, Suite 1050, Washington, D.C. 20045-2001
(202) 662-8700