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Dec 2002

Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 516-560

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Running Starts

Don Wilke

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 516

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus

Work, Energy, and Kinematic Car Data

A. John Mallinckrodt and Harvey S. Leff

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 516 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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45.40.Cc Rigid body and gyroscope motion
06.20.Dk Measurement and error theory
07.05.Rm Data presentation and visualization: algorithms and implementation

Committee of Ten and Astronomy

Jay M. Pasachoff

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 517

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
95.10.-a Fundamental astronomy
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The TPT Refereeing Process

Karl Mamola

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 518

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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01.30.-y Physics literature and publications
01.10.Hx Physics organizational activities
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Hot Water/Steam Radiator

Paul Hewitt

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 520

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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44.10.+i Heat conduction
44.27.+g Forced convection
44.40.+a Thermal radiation
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Sundogs, Ice Crystals, and Bernoulli

Ron Edge

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 522 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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The mechanism is presented whereby “sun dogs” are formed. These are the bright colored spots appearing on either side of the Sun in the presence of atmospheric ice crystals.
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42.25.Gy Edge and boundary effects; reflection and refraction
83.80.Nb Geological materials: Earth, magma, ice, rocks, etc.
42.68.Ge Effects of clouds and water; ice crystal phenomena
47.11.-j Computational methods in fluid dynamics

Optimization Analysis of Projectile Motion Using Spreadsheets

Scott Godsen

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 523 | Cited 3 times

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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This note explores the situation of a projectile being launched from a height h above ground level and determining the optimal angle of launch such that it will reach a maximum horizontal displacement. Using a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel®, the optimum angle for given values of height and initial velocity v can be readily determined.
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45.40.Gj Ballistics (projectiles; rockets)
07.05.Tp Computer modeling and simulation

Work Reworked

R. G. Jordan

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 526 | Cited 4 times

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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Students often encounter some difficulties with work and potential energy using the approaches given in most introductory physics texts. For instance, one difficulty that occurs is associated with the question “What is the work done in lifting a book (of mass m) from the floor onto a table through a vertical distance h?”
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45.40.Cc Rigid body and gyroscope motion

The 14th International Young Physicists Tournament

Don Franklin and Ron Edge

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 528

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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The first U.S. team was sent to the International Young Physicists Tournament in May of 1999. Now, for a second time, the United States fielded a team to participate in the IYPT, held in Espoo, Finland, in May 2001. This tournament differs from the International Physics Olympiad because the team members work together, leading to a presentation, whereas the Olympiad is strictly an examination. The IYPT questions have a reseach flavor, e.g., “When drying a starch solution, you will see cracks forming. Investigate and explain this phenomenon.”
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01.40.E- Science in school
01.55.+b General physics
01.90.+g Other topics of general interest (restricted to new topics in section 01)

Women in Physics: A High School‐College Interaction

Kelly Light, David Todd, Laura DeHart, and Michael Day

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 531

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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In this note we describe a successful interaction between our two high schools and college that addressed, in a local way, the underrepresentation of women in our physics programs.
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01.40.E- Science in school
01.40.Fk Research in physics education
28.70.+y Nuclear explosions
01.90.+g Other topics of general interest (restricted to new topics in section 01)

Foot Beats

Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr.

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 534

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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Recently, when walking along one of the few sidewalks in Gambier, I noticed that the toe of my right foot came down on one of the uniformly spaced dividers in the concrete pavement every twelve double strides. Further, I noticed that my stride seemed to be about five inches longer than the distance between cracks. The distance between cracks was 60 in, based on the fact that a dollar bill is about 1∕8 in longer than six inches.
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06.30.Bp Spatial dimensions (e.g., position, lengths, volume, angles, and displacements)
06.30.Ft Time and frequency
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Enhancing the Student‐Instructor Interaction Frequency

D. W. Bullock, V. P. LaBella, T. Clingan, Z. Ding, G. Stewart, and P. M. Thibado

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 535 | Cited 6 times

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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A 100-fold increase in the frequency of student–teacher interaction has been achieved in a large-enrollment classroom. Students answer in-class questions using personalized hand-held transmitters. Outside the classroom, personalized homework sets are generated and collected via the Internet.
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01.40.Fk Research in physics education
01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
01.50.ht Instructional computer use

Common Concerns About the Force Concept Inventory

Charles Henderson

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 542 | Cited 13 times

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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The Physics Education Research Group at the University of Minnesota routinely administers the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) to large numbers of introductory calculus‐based physics students. This paper addressed three common concerns about the FCI based on data gathered from 2178 students.
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01.40.Fk Research in physics education
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An Improved Archimedes Pump

Resat Akoglu

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 550 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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In this note we propose a slightly improved version of the Archimedes pump which was advertised as a toy model in The Physics Teacher. It consists of a hose wound densely around a tube (or pipe made of metallic or plastic material) which can be rotated mechanically (a hand driven one is the most primitive case as shown in the Picture 1) or electrically.
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47.85.Kn Hydraulic and pneumatic machinery
01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
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A Bright Color Mixer

John Cockman

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 553 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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A perfect trichromatic light mixer can be constructed from an old or obsolete three-panel LCD projector. These projectors use dichroic mirrors to split the light into red, green, and blue beams. The beams are directed through three polysilicon LCDs, recombined by mirrors or a cube-prism, and superimposed on the screen to produce a full-color image.
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
42.72.Bj Visible and ultraviolet sources
42.66.Ne Color vision: color detection, adaptation, and discrimination
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On the derivation of the centripetal acceleration formula

Ernest Zebrowski, Jr.

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 554

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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Abstract Unavailable
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45.10.Na Geometrical and tensorial methods
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How Low Can You Go?

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 556

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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45.40.Cc Rigid body and gyroscope motion
45.40.Gj Ballistics (projectiles; rockets)
06.30.Ft Time and frequency

The Sled that Almost Fled

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 556

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation

Ups and Downs at Work

Boris Korsunsky

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 556

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
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All I Need To Know About Teaching I Learned from My Students

Pam Galus

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 557

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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The term “edutainment” has been coined to describe activities that both educate and entertain. Physics provides many opportunities for this approach and Pamela Galus, an 11-year veteran of the Omaha Nebraska Public Schools system, has a passion for creating situations where students can have fun learning. Pam is currently teaching astronomy, physics, and biology, and has authored two books and approximately 100 educational articles. Share in her lessons learned from students.
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01.40.E- Science in school
01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
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Field-tested Learning Assessment Guide for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Instructors (STEM)

Andrew Graham

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 559

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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Abstract Unavailable
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89.20.Hh World Wide Web, Internet
01.55.+b General physics
95.10.-a Fundamental astronomy

The Exploratorium Institute for Inquiry

Andrew Graham

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 559

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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Abstract Unavailable
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89.20.Hh World Wide Web, Internet
01.55.+b General physics
95.10.-a Fundamental astronomy

Sport Science @ The Exploratorium

Andrew Graham

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 559

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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Abstract Unavailable
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89.20.Hh World Wide Web, Internet
01.55.+b General physics
95.10.-a Fundamental astronomy

Science Snacks Online

Andrew Graham

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 559

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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Abstract Unavailable
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89.20.Hh World Wide Web, Internet
01.55.+b General physics
95.10.-a Fundamental astronomy

Clemson University, Physics Laboratory Tutorials

Andrew Graham

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 559

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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Abstract Unavailable
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89.20.Hh World Wide Web, Internet
01.55.+b General physics
95.10.-a Fundamental astronomy

Interactive Science Activities on the Web

Andrew Graham

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 559

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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89.20.Hh World Wide Web, Internet
01.55.+b General physics
95.10.-a Fundamental astronomy
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To Be or Not To Be: The Question of the Atom: Boltzmann's Atom: The Great Debate that Launched a Revolution in Physics, by David Lindley

Timothy J. Brennan, Reviewer

The Physics Teacher -- December 2002 -- Volume 40, Issue 9, pp. 560

Online Publication Date: Jan 2003

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.30.Vv Book reviews
01.65.+g History of science
65.40.G- Other thermodynamical quantities
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