97
July 13–17, 2013
Tuesday afternoon
Session EG: Posters on Apparatus
Location: Pavilion West
Sponsor: Committee on Apparatus
Date: Tuesday, July 16
Time: 4–5 p.m.
Presider: N/A
EG01:
4-5 p.m. A Simple Model of Relativity
Poster – Robert A. Close, Clark College, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancou-
ver, WA 98663;
In the early 1900s many scientists, including Albert Einstein and Louis de
Broglie, studied the possibility that matter consists of soliton (or standing)
waves. Although this model of matter is no longer in vogue, it is a very
good model for teaching special relativity. By modeling matter as waves
propagating in circles, time dilation and length contraction can be simply
measured with a ruler. This demonstration will show you how.
EG02:
4-5 p.m. Action Cameras – New Perspectives in Video
Capture
Poster – Paul M. Nord, Valparaiso University, 1610 Campus Drive E, Val-
paraiso, IN 46383;
The physics lab and classroom have available a new class of video cameras
that are small, lightweight, and record high-resolution images. These “ac-
tion cameras” can be worn on the body, or be mounted to a bicycle, car, or
boat. Manufacturers provide a variety of mounting hardware that allows
the instructor to easily put a camera almost anywhere. Such perspectives
enable new ways of teaching about frames of reference and relative motion.
From the camera’s frame of reference, the rest of the world seems to move,
twist, or spin about. The poster will show measurements of fictitious forces
observed from within a rotating frame of reference, and how observations
of a ball toss seen from a moving car (a different inertial frame) still follow
a parabolic path. If space allows, I will demonstrate some of the mounting
hardware as well as wireless remote viewing and control of the cameras
using an iPad.
EG03:
4-5 p.m. An Eclectic Potpourri of Physics Labs
Poster – Gregory Puskar, West Virginia University, Physics Department, PO
Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506;
Wathiq Abdul-Razzaq, Paul Miller, West Virginia University
Students typically regard physics laboratory as a necessary evil. One
frequently voiced reason for this dissatisfaction is a perceived lack of
relevance. In spite of this, the same experiments with the same methods of
presentation persist, hiding the utility of many interesting and broadly use-
ful concepts from most students. A selection of changes to standard physics
laboratories that aim to improve student attitudes will be presented.
EG04:
4-5 p.m. An Inexpensive Quantitative Demonstration of
Harmonics in Piped Sound Makers
Poster – Stephen A. Minnick, Kent State University, Tuscarawas, 330 Univer-
sity Drive NE, New Philadelphia, OH 44663;
A simple inexpensive activity, which can be included as part of a larger
laboratory experiment, utilizes open-source software and a computer mi-
crophone to display the harmonics of open and closed end pipes. Students
calculate the theoretical frequencies produced by blowing across the top
of short lengths of PVC tubing and compare them to the display of actual
frequencies present.
EG05:
4-5 p.m. An Open Source Physics Laboratory Data
Acquisition System Project
Poster – Zengqiang Liu, Saint Cloud State University, 720 4th Ave. S, WSB
311, Saint Cloud, MN 56301;
Open source physics laboratory (OSPL) project is a collection of labora-
tory data acquisition system (DAQ) hardware and software developed for
laboratory physics teaching, similar to commercially available counter-
parts. However, circuit designs, sensors, and firmware are all open source,
meaning no royalties to produce and modify. This not only drastically
reduces the cost of a DAQ from hundreds of dollars to $60, but also allows
instructors and students to be actively involved in the design, construc-
tion, and customization of their own lab equipment, giving them a sense
of ownership that commercial units do not offer. With the low-cost OSPL,
besides offering regular laboratory curriculum, instructors may now de-
velop new curriculum to extend student experiential learning beyond lab
rooms and lab sessions and offer laboratory experience to students enrolled
in distance education courses. The software and hardware designs of the
OSPL and some curriculum development opportunities are presented.
EG06:
4-5 p.m. Electronics Laboratory Projects with Arduino
Microcontrollers
Poster – Herbert Jaeger, Miami University, Department of Physics, Oxford,
OH 45056;
Arduino is a popular microcontroller that is easily programmed to perform
data acquisition and control functions. We have recently begun to design
electronics lab exercises to be used in our sophomore Electronic Instru-
mentation Laboratory. We will present a number of these experiments to
illustrate the Arduino platform’s utility and versatility.
EG07:
4-5 p.m. Examining Inelastic Collisions
Poster – Mark F. Masters, IPFW, 2101 Coliseum Blvd. E, Fort Wayne, IN
46805;
James Otto, IPFW
In introductory physics, we talk about inelastic and elastic collisions.
Generally, students are quite happy about elastic collisions because they
have conservation of momentum AND conservation of energy. But if we
set up a perfectly inelastic collision, the student’s dilemma is the decrease
in kinetic energy after the collision. The student’s question of “where does
the energy go?” generally relies upon our describing immeasurable loss
mechanisms such as deformation of the object and sound. But that descrip-
tion is a telling rather than the students’ discovery. What if the students
could perform an investigation that allows them to see what happens to
the energy? To this end we built a collision system in which a spring is
compressed during a collision and a ratchet holds the spring at maximum
collision. This allows the students to actually find the “ost” kinetic energy.
EG08:
4-5 p.m. Make and Take FIZMO Style
Poster – Christopher Doscher, 9335 SW 77 AV, APT 158, Miami, FL 33156;
Physics modeling workshops are an intense and powerful way to not
only begin a successful career as a physics teacher, but also to sustain and
recharge after working for a time. As a participant and workshop leader
it is evident that a sustainable professional network can be invaluable. At
Florida International University, physics teachers are invited nationally to
attend modeling workshops and as part of the year-round professional de-
velopment support for attendees in the South Florida area, teachers attend
periodic FIZics MOdelers meetings where best practices are discussed and
laboratory apparatus constructed using the least expensive quality building
materials (and anything we can recycle or scrounge for free) in a “Make
and Take” back to our classrooms. Make and take ideas are borrowed from
past workshops, gleaned from
TPT
, and born from the ideas of new teach-
ers. This poster showcases make and take projects for the introductory
mechanics course.
EG09:
4-5 p.m. On the Road with the University of Maine’s
Mainely Physics
Poster – David E. Sturm, University of Maine, Department of Physics & As-
tronomy, 5709 Bennett Orono, ME 04469-5709
For over eight years (and longer in previous incarnations) the Mainely
Physics Road Show has provided physics outreach across Maine and New
