Bulletin of the American Physical Society
Joint Fall 2009 Meeting of the New England Section of the APS and AAPT
Volume 54, Number 11
Friday–Saturday, October 16–17, 2009; Durham, New Hampshire
Session E3: Contributed Papers - AAPT |
Hide Abstracts |
Chair: Scott Goelzer, Coe Brown Academy Room: DeMeritt Hall 112 |
Saturday, October 17, 2009 8:00AM - 8:12AM |
E3.00001: Using Galileo's Own Words in the Physics Classroom Gary Garber After years of discussing Galileo using secondary sources, I decided to have my students use Galileo's writings as a primary source of information in their lab reports. The advancements of Google Books and the internet has made it possible for all students to read Aristotle, Galileo, and Newton when exploring the nature of free fall kinematics. I will present links and suggested passages from several sources including Galileo's Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 17, 2009 8:12AM - 8:24AM |
E3.00002: Exploring Pendulums; Recreating Galileo's Drama Elizabeth Cavicchi What goes on as a pendulum swings? As undergraduates in my science class observed pendulums closely, their explorations exposed questions with no quick answers. While exploring pendulums in class, students researched Galileo, his trial, and its aftermath. Galileo came to life both in their presentations about him, and in the context of lab investigations by the emerging class community. Questions and experiments evolved continually; differing perspectives on science and authority were exchanged respectfully. In rediscovering their own capacity for wonder, students developed as critical explorers of the world. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 17, 2009 8:24AM - 8:36AM |
E3.00003: Some Interesting Behavior in a Non-Inertial Oscillator Richard Hyde A well-known result from classical mechanics indicates that as the velocity-dependent damping applied to an unforced oscillator increases, the transient behavior passes from under-damped oscillations to over-damped decay. The differential equation describing this phenomenon is studied by all undergraduate physics, mathematics and electrical engineering majors. A surprising outcome occurs when the oscillator is placed in a purely rotating reference frame and allowed to execute two-dimensional motion. There, the fictitious centrifugal and Coriolis forces lead to a counter-intuitive result as the damping is increased: first (as in the non-rotating case), the motion passes from under-damped to over-damped but then (unlike the non-rotating case) under-damped oscillations reappear at higher values of damping. An analysis of the time-dependence of the differential equation system describing the non-inertial oscillator will show that the eigenvalues of system lapse from complex (under-damped) to real (over-damped) to complex (under-damped) as the damping parameter increases. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 17, 2009 8:36AM - 8:48AM |
E3.00004: Strategies for Teaching Physics to Undergraduate Biologists Dawn Meredith, Jessica Bolker, Christopher Shubert, James Vesenka, Getrud Kraut Most undergraduate students in the life sciences are required to take physics; few understand why, or realize much benefit. We are transforming a traditional one -year algebra-based college physics course populated primarily by such students, by integrating biological examples that both exemplify and motivate the physics. We describe several strategies: emphasizing topics of particular importance to biologists; including examples of physics-rich biological research; developing homework and exam problems built around biological phenomena; and designing concept questions that encourage students to think about biological in a physical frame. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 17, 2009 8:48AM - 9:00AM |
E3.00005: Multiple Representations of Buoyancy Jessica Oliviera, Meredith Weglarz, James Vesenka For many students the concept of buoyancy falls under a category that can be loosely described as ``knowing it when they see it.'' Unfortunately some of the misconceptions this generates are that ``objects float because they are light'' and ``objects float because they are full of air'' [1]. Those these can some times be true, these descriptions are vague at best, and frequently can be wrong. Part of these misconceptions may stem from incomplete immersion of the object in the fluid and the vector nature of forces. We describe a demonstration/lab activity to help students make sense about relationship between the tension on and weight of an object immersed in water. The activity is in rich in multiple representations, graphical, diagrammatical as well as mathematical. A simple four question multiple choice pre/post test survey has been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the lab activity.\\[4pt] [1] Bruce Harlan ``Diving Science'', www.stmatthewsschool.com/deep/pdfs/Diving\%20Science.pdf [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 17, 2009 9:00AM - 9:12AM |
E3.00006: Emulating a Fish Swim Bladder James Vesenka, Dawn Meredith, Jessica Bolker, Christopher Schubert, Gertrud Kraut The University of New Hampshire and the University of New England are developing biologically relevant physics laboratories for their predominantly health science audiences. Buoyancy plays an important role in a variety of biological processes. We describe an inexpensive laboratory activity based on the Cartesian Diver that allows students to quantitatively emulate the swim bladder of a fish. Inflation of the ``bladder'' is externally controlled through an external gas syringe or squeezing on the plastic water containment vessel (a 2L soda bottle). The students can accurately determine the volume of a ``fish'' at the point of neutral buoyancy by visual measurement of the trapped air pocket. A simple electronic gas pressure sensor allows the hydrostatic pressure on the fish to be analyzed simultaneously. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 17, 2009 9:12AM - 9:24AM |
E3.00007: Thinking Like a Physicist: Transforming Upper-Division Electricity \& Magnetism (E\&M) Stephanie Chasteen, Steven Pollock, Michael Dubson, Ed Kinney, Paul Beale, Katherine Perkins We are often disappointed in physics students' skills -- such as the ability to justify problem-solving strategies, choose and apply problem-solving techniques, and recognize the interconnectedness of ideas in physics. We use research-based methods to transform junior E\&M to explicitly define and address these learning goals and help students become more sophisticated thinkers through active engagement. We used the principles of learning theory to guide teaching practices, and student observations and interviews to identify common student difficulties with the course content. The transformed course included consensus learning goals, interactive lecture with ``clicker'' questions and small group activities, weekly tutorials, homework study groups, and a conceptual diagnostic assessment. We will highlight key results regarding course effectiveness. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 17, 2009 9:24AM - 9:36AM |
E3.00008: A ``Spacetime Trigonometry'' approach to Relativity Rob Salgado Inspired by Yaglom and Taylor \& Wheeler, we use familiar techniques from the analytic geometry and trigonometry of Euclidean space to develop the corresponding analogues for Galilean and Minkowski spacetimes and immediately provide them with physical interpretations. Upon defining a ``unit circle'', we define the notions of ``angle'', ``circular functions'', and related constructions [including visualizations of tensor algebra]. A feature of this ormalism is the ability to clarify the analogies among the three geometries, especially the Galilean limits of results from Special Relativity. In addition, the formalism has a natural extension to the deSitter spacetimes of General Relativity. We describe how this approach can be used to introduce Galilean and Special Relativistic concepts at the introductory level (with minimal mathematical prerequisites), followed by a systematic development to modern presentations of Special and General Relativity at the advanced-undergraduate level. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 17, 2009 9:36AM - 9:48AM |
E3.00009: Anthropogenic ``Global Warming'' Alarmism: Illuminating some Scientific and Methodological Flaws Larry Gould There continues to be an increasing number of scientists and public figures around the world who are challenging the dominant political- and mediadriven claims that have been bolstered by so-called ``consensus'' scientific views -- that dangerous ``global warming/climate change'' is caused primarily by human-produced carbon dioxide. This general talk will show that the weight of scientific evidence strongly contradicts the alarmist claims. It will also explain what are some of the methodological flaws that continue to threaten the scientific method. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 17, 2009 9:48AM - 10:00AM |
E3.00010: Is Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Causing Global Warming? Peter Glanz Every knowledgeable scientist will stipulate that global temperatures are rising (0.7$^{\circ}$ the last century). There are those that see a universal scientific consensus that atmospheric CO$_2$ is the culprit; they have put in place a cap-and-trade system to forcibly reduce anthropogenic CO$_2$ in the USA. What is the scientific evidence behind this volatile issue? [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