Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2021 Virtual Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics
Friday–Sunday, January 22–24, 2021; Virtual
Session U20: PER, Diversity and Inclusion, OtherInteractive Live
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Chair: Jessica MacFarlane, Johns Hopkins University |
Sunday, January 24, 2021 12:00PM - 12:10PM |
U20.00001: Assessing the impact of IPLS on physical reasoning Maya Tipton, Benjamin Geller, Catherine Crouch In this work we seek to determine whether IPLS courses better prepare life science students to use physical reasoning in contexts that extend beyond those explicitly encountered in IPLS. We designed and administered a task in which students are asked to apply fluid dynamics to analyze a novel biological situation at the conclusion of both traditional and IPLS introductory physics courses. The same fluid dynamics topics were taught in both courses. We report differences in~ the ways IPLS students~ and students in the traditional course approached the task. Overall, IPLS students exhibit greater skill than non-IPLS students~ justifying and flexibly combining physical models to analyze~ an unfamiliar biological situation, despite demonstrating comparable calculation skills. Furthermore, we find that IPLS students are more likely to create coherent explanations when reasoning with newly introduced physical ideas.~ [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, January 24, 2021 12:10PM - 12:20PM |
U20.00002: When the Lightbulb Turns On: Motivation and Collaboration Spark the Creation of Ideas for Theoretical Physicists Molly Griston, Jesús Botello, Mike Verostek, Benjamin Zwickl In this project, we sought to uncover the cognitive processes and skills that are involved in completing a theoretical physics project. We drew upon the foundations of Cognitive Task Analysis and completed semi-structured interviews with eleven theoretical physics faculty members from five different research institutions, in subfields including quantum optics, biophysics, computational astrophysics, and string theory. We analyzed the processes and skills of these physicists, starting with a priori codes for idea origin, collaboration, and motivation. With these excerpts, we next did initial coding and second-round focused coding. Finally, we used concept maps to organize these codes and portray the factors that influence the creation of project ideas. We found that motivation and collaboration are fundamental determinants of project ideas and their origins, which contradicts the “lone genius” stereotype. These findings on cognitive processes and skills will be compared to what undergraduate students are learning in their physics classes in an attempt to determine how we can better prepare students to do physics theory. Finally, the information gathered during this project can be used to improve public understanding of theoretical physics and make it accessible to more students. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, January 24, 2021 12:20PM - 12:30PM |
U20.00003: Understanding Introductory Physics Concepts with Computational Essays Andrea Houck Computational essays utilize a combination of text, input code, and computer output to communicate complex concepts. Due to their interactive nature, computational essays are ideal for investigating, describing, and demonstrating ideas in introductory physics. We use Mathematica as our computational platform to demonstrate concepts such as simple harmonic motion and refraction of light. In this presentation, I will demonstrate how we create and animate a visual representation of a horizontal mass and spring system on a frictionless surface to help visualize a simple harmonic motion. We then plot the position, velocity, and acceleration of the block as functions of time to communicate the physics concepts. In another computational essay, we determine the optical path of light rays through two or three media to visualize the apparent position of a fish in a pond or a tank. This essay helps us understand the ideas behind refraction of light. I will discuss how computational essays further allow us to test the limits of each problem and approach problems too difficult or time consuming to solve by hand. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, January 24, 2021 12:30PM - 12:40PM |
U20.00004: A high precision analysis of a simple helicopter with Tracker Elizabeth Leeser, Amy Kolan Simple systems often play a major role in physics, where the properties of such a system can be extended to complex ones. We have investigated the properties of a simple ``helicopter'' system. Despite its simplicity, this system is not well understood, either experimentally or theoretically.~Our helicopter is similar to paper helicopters which often appear in children's science projects and undergraduate engineering or physics exercises (George Box helicopters). Our work compliments pre-existing engineering exercises using model helicopters, and provides clearer, more physical explanations for helicopter systems than those currently available in popular literature. Inspired and constrained by the pandemic, our exploration has been carried out in ways accessible to non-scientists. We have conducted experiments in public buildings or our homes, and used only commonly available equipment---a stairwell, video from smartphones, free tracking software, and homemade helicopters made of balsa wood.~Currently we are investigating ways in which this rudimentary equipment can produce very precise data. Video analysis often has issues with perspective effects and lens distortion that must be resolved for use in rigorous science. We hope to create methods which make these easily accessible tools viable options for researchers at every level, not only student projects, but also more advanced research. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, January 24, 2021 12:40PM - 12:50PM |
U20.00005: Analyzing chaos in the double pendulum Itzelli Salazar \\ \\ In this presentation, I will show the results of the project that I worked on during the computational physics course I am attending at Universidad de Colima. The goal of the project is to develop a code in Python that solves the equations of motion of the double pendulum and finds the conditions in which this system exhibits chaos. Chaotic behavior in a dynamical system occurs when there exists a significant dependence on initial conditions of the system evolution. In this work, I obtained the equations of motion using Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics and solved them using numerical methods. There are different ways of detecting this type of behavior and, in this project, I used three tools to find chaos in the double pendulum: phase space plots, Lyapunov exponents, and Poincare sections. I found interesting curves for different initial conditions and I made animations comparing the behavior of different pendulums with slightly different initial conditions in order to understand, in a more visual way, how significant is the difference in the behavior of each one. Even though this project addresses a system that is well studied in the literature, it allows us to learn to code in Python and how to use the numerical methods seen during the course. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, January 24, 2021 12:50PM - 1:00PM |
U20.00006: Analyzing the Experience of Riding a Roller Coaster Loop Paula Galvez Molina, Jorge Ballester The goal of this project is to model the acceleration and jerk (first derivative of acceleration) by a rider on a roller coaster loop. The motivation is to enhance the experience as well as the safety of the ride. An adjustable loop was generated using Python and constructed using segments of a clothoid (Cornu spiral) and a circle. The clothoid minimizes the jerk by gradually transitioning from a horizontal straight line to a final target radius by varying the radius of curvature. The parameter for generating the loop was arc length. The velocity along each point of the ride was calculated using the work-energy theorem and then the time was calculated numerically. All vector quantities were calculated using a normal-tangential coordinate system. A weighted average of the forward and backward differentiation methods was used for calculating the acceleration and jerk along each point. The most conclusive result points to an inversely proportional relation of the height and jerk, while relations of the x and y components of the g-force are yet to be further studied. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, January 24, 2021 1:00PM - 1:10PM |
U20.00007: My experience at a national laboratory Sophia Suarez During my undergraduate and graduate education, I made two important decisions about my professional aspirations. The first decision was that I would become a professor of physics. This came about because of the mentoring I received from several professors, and the research in which I took part. The second decision was that I would do my post-doctoral experience at a national laboratory. This came about from my graduate research experience at Los Alamos National Laboratory where I got to see the benefits of having access to various research techniques, skills and knowledge. Upon graduating, I was fortunate enough to receive a National Research Council fellowship to work at the Naval Research Laboratory where I spent two and a half years working on a project that formed the research foundation of my professorship. My project was to develop the high-pressure Nuclear Magnetic Resonance tool and apply it to the study of polymers for naval applications. Due to the complexity of the project, I gained knowledge in designing, contracting, assembling, feasibility determination, and application of the tool. In addition to these benefits, my experience showed me the importance of networking. I will expound upon this experience and the advantages of working at a national laboratory. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, January 24, 2021 1:10PM - 1:20PM |
U20.00008: Double Star Astrometry for Inclusive Science Kelcey Davis A 2011 report by the AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers), an organization for variable star astronomy with a membership basis focused on citizen science, found their membership base to be 92{\%} male, with a mean age of 53 and a tendency to be well educated. Citizen science projects have a great potential for approachable science to target a more diverse audience for the future of variable star astronomy and the larger field. These projects not only create important scientific contributions but allow students opportunities in research experience. BRIEF (Boyce Research Initiative and Education Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which utilizes citizen science projects to create accessible pathways to astronomy research, targeting community college and high school students. Participants in the program are more than half female. This pathway provides access to important research topics and a chance for these students to publish peer-reviewed research. We report on information about the amount of students reached, including the number of peer reviewed papers to come from such projects and an example of student experiences. [Preview Abstract] |
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