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Oct 2009

Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 404-480

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Response to John Hubisz, “A ‘Mathematical Background Check’”

David Montalvo

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 404

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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As physics teachers, our first responsibility is to collect and honor the data that the world presents to us—in the physics we teach, in the teaching methods we use, and in the advice we give to students. While there is nothing wrong with the idea of a pre-test for the purpose of advising students in course selection, the method proposed in “A ‘Mathematics Background Check’” in the May 2009 issue of The Physics Teacher is woefully unsupported by the evidence provided in the article.
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01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
01.40.Ha Learning theory and science teaching
01.85.+f Careers in physics and science

Hubisz Replies

John Hubisz

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 404

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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I want to thank Dr. Montalvo for his letter about my paper “A ‘Mathematics Background Check.’” I think I can assume that he is a regular reader of The Physics Teacher and thus realizes that it is not a research journal but one to help teachers in any way possible in their attempts to teach their students.
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01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
01.40.Ha Learning theory and science teaching
01.75.+m Science and society
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Science Educators Can Help Shape Our Debate

Bill Foster, (IL-14)

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 406

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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As a nation, we are facing great challenges—a troubled economy, high rates of unemployment, a dependence on foreign sources of energy, and a health care system in desperate need of reform. The answers to some of these problems will be complex, but to be sure, we are working to enact solutions to build a stronger economy, create more good-paying jobs, decrease our dependence on foreign oil, develop our own sources of clean, renewable energy, and make our health care system more accessible and affordable. To succeed in addressing all those issues, we need science and mathematics to play a greater role in informing and guiding the discussion.
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01.75.+m Science and society
01.78.+p Science and government (funding, politics, etc.)
01.40.-d Education
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2009 Distinguished Service Citations Awarded to Alan Gibson, David Maiullo, Bruce Mason, Mary Winn, and Mel Steinberg

Lila Adair, AAPT Past President

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 408

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Distinguished Service Citations are presented to AAPT members in recognition of their exceptional contributions to physics teaching. These citations were awarded at AAPT's summer meeting in Ann Arbor, MI, July 27,2009:
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01.10.Cr Announcements, news, and awards
01.40.-d Education
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BUCKET ON THE ROOF

Paul Hewitt

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 410

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.50.Kw Techniques of testing
01.40.ek Secondary school
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The Anatomy of a Pitch: Doing Physics with PITCHf/x Data

David Kagan

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 412

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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On Aug. 7, 2007, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants was at bat waiting for a 3-2 pitch from Mike Bacsik of the Washington Nationals. The ball left the pitcher's hand at 84.7 mph and arrived at home plate traveling 77.2 mph. It was within 0.2 in of the center of home plate and 3.213 ft above the ground when Bonds swung and hit his 756th home run, making him the all-time leader for homers in a career. Thanks to a company called Sportvision and Major League Baseball, you can get kinematic data on any pitch thrown. Just think of the interesting and realistic physics problems you can generate from such a rich data set!
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01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
01.55.+b General physics
01.50.H- Computers in education

Are Most People Too Dumb for Physics?

Nathaniel Lasry, Noah Finkelstein, and Eric Mazur

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 418 | Cited 4 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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In last month's issue of TPT, Michael Sobel turns our attention to the increasing number and broader population of students taking physics courses and urges us to reconsider how to better cater to their needs. We applaud the author for focusing our attention on this important issue. However, we find his proposal for teaching physics to nonscience majors problematic.
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01.75.+m Science and society
01.40.Di Course design and evaluation
01.40.Fk Research in physics education

Response to “Are Most People Too Dumb for Physics?”

Michael Sobel

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 422 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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I would like to begin by expressing my appreciation to TPT Editor Karl Mamola for the extra attention he paid to my article, which turned out, unexpectedly for me, to generate considerable controversy, and also to authors Lasry, Finkelstein, and Mazur (LFM) for their thoughtful response.
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01.40.Fk Research in physics education
01.40.Di Course design and evaluation
01.75.+m Science and society
FREE

Why Does the Goldfish Disappear in the Fishbowl?

Yuhua Zhu and Fengliang Shi

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 424 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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You may have observed that a small goldfish swimming in a spherical fishbowl can suddenly disappear. Why does this happen? The effect is due to total internal reflection. In this paper we find the locations of the fish and the observer's eye for which the fish cannot be seen.
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.55.+b General physics

The International Year of Astronomy 2009: New Approaches and Novel Resources for Physics Classrooms

Stephen M. Pompea and Douglas Isbell

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 428 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) was conceived to honor the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei in 1609, and has evolved into an engaging series of worldwide programs. IYA2009 is sponsored by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and endorsed by the U.S. House of Representatives, UNESCO, and the United Nations. During this year, we are making great efforts to stimulate worldwide interest in astronomy and science, especially among young people and underserved populations. More than 145 countries and three dozen agencies are participating in this global effort, with the United States taking command of three large cornerstone projects described in this article, assisted by funding from the National Science Foundation and leadership from the American Astronomical Society and NASA.
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01.10.Hx Physics organizational activities
01.50.F- Audio and visual aids
01.78.+p Science and government (funding, politics, etc.)

Motion-Matching: A Challenge Game to Generate Motion Concepts

David Schuster, Betty Adams, David Brookes, Marina Milner-Bolotin, and Adriana Undreiu

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 434

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Motion is a topic that is taught from elementary grades through to university at various levels of sophistication. It is an area that can be challenging for learning in a conceptually meaningful way, and formal kinematics instruction can sometimes seem dry and boring. Thus, the nature of students' initial introduction to motion is important in sparking their interest, shaping their perspective, and developing conceptual understanding of motion. The kinematic concepts we want students to acquire for basic motions are: position, time, speed, direction, velocity, velocity change, change rate, and acceleration, all with respect to a frame of reference. In this article we describe a challenge game used as an “opener” to motion, in which students themselves essentially generate these concepts, in everyday language, from a perceived need for them.
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01.40.Fk Research in physics education
01.55.+b General physics

Concept Inventories for ASTRO 101

Janelle M. Bailey

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 439 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Throughout science education, instructors are searching for ways to evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction. Over the last decade, one method that has become popular is to use a concept inventory to investigate student learning gains in a particular topic over an instructional intervention such as a specific curriculum, unit, or course.
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01.40.Fk Research in physics education
01.40.Ha Learning theory and science teaching

A More Intuitive Version of the Lorentz Velocity Addition Formula

John F. Devlin

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 442 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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The Lorentz velocity addition formula for one-dimensional motion presents a number of problems for beginning students of special relativity. In this paper we suggest a simple rewrite of the formula that is easier for students to memorize and manipulate, and furthermore is more intuitive in understanding the correction necessary when adding relativistic effects to the Galilean velocity addition formula.
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01.40.Fk Research in physics education
01.40.J- Teacher training

Non-Zero Net Force and Constant Velocity: A Study in Mazur's Peer Instruction

Ronald Newburgh

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 444 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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A problem addressed infrequently in beginning physics courses is that of a moving body with changing mass. Elementary texts often have footnotes referring to jet planes and rockets but rarely do they go further. This omission is understandable because calculations with variable mass generally require the tools of calculus. This paper presents a changing mass problem that can be treated on an elementary level, thereby leading to an understanding of the role of changing mass on Newton's second law. It also illustrates Mazur's technique of Peer Instruction, a technique that demands active student participation.
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01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
01.40.Ha Learning theory and science teaching

Modeling the Compact Disc Read System in Lab

Brad Hinaus and Mick Veum

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 446

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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One of the great, engaging aspects of physics is its application to everyday technology. The compact disc player is an example of one such technology that applies fundamental principles from optics in order to efficiently store and quickly retrieve information. We have created a lab in which students use simple optical components to assemble a large-scale mockup of the compact disc player. In this lab, students are challenged to both “write” and “read” a word of their choice in order to demonstrate the way in which the principles of optics are applied in the design of a CD player. In particular, students actively apply the optics concepts of specular reflection, diffuse reflection, and ray tracing for lenses in building the apparatus. The laboratory also provides a vehicle for learning the fundamental principles of binary data storage.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
FREE

The Real Prize Inside: Learning About Science and Spectra from Cereal Boxes

Mary Bridget Kustusch, Jon D. H. Gaffney, and Robert Beichner

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 450

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Opportunities to learn are everywhere, often in overlooked places, such as in the Universal Product Code (UPC) that is used for barcodes on nearly everything we buy. In this paper, we describe an engaging and meaningful activity in which these barcodes were used in an introductory calculus-based physics class.
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01.40.Fk Research in physics education
01.50.-i Educational aids

A Simple Illustrative Model of a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)

Michael F. Santillo

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 454 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Many students (as well as the general public) use modern technology without an understanding of how these devices actually work. They are what scientists refer to in the laboratory as “black boxes.” Students often wonder how physics relates to the technology used in the real world and are interested in such applications. An example of one such “black box” is the charge-coupled device (CCD), an electronic imaging sensor invented in 1970 by Bell Labs researchers Willard Boyle and George Smith. Astronomers first embraced CCD technology in the early 1980s because CCDs are very light sensitive, consume low amounts of power, and generate digital images quickly. More than three decades later, CCDs have become ubiquitous, as they are found in consumer digital cameras, scanners, photocopiers, medical imaging devices and spectroscopic detectors. This paper presents a model of a CCD “chip” that can be easily adapted as a classroom demonstration.
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01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
01.50.-i Educational aids

Real 3-D: How Does It Work?

H. Schmitzer, D. Tierney, and T. Toepker

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 456 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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The 3-D glasses that are now used with many of the new 3-D movies being released provide an excellent investigative opportunity for physics and mathematics students (and teachers).
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.40.J- Teacher training
FREE

Interacting Compasses

Héctor G. Riveros and Julián Betancourt

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 460

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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The use of multiple compasses to map and visualize magnetic fields is well-known. The magnetic field exerts a torque on the compasses aligning them along the lines of force. Some science museums show the field of a magnet using a table with many compasses in a closely packed arrangement. However, the very interesting interactions that occur between the compasses themselves are frequently neglected. In this paper we describe demonstrations, using arrays of compasses, that show these interactions and model magnetic domains in ferromagnetic materials.
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.55.+b General physics

Motional Mechanisms of Homopolar Motors & Rollers

H. K. Wong

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 463 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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The strong Nd2Fe14B permanent magnet has facilitated development of various fascinating yet simple homopolar motors However, the physics of these devices is often not explained, or is explained incorrectly. A major concern is that Newton's third law was overlooked in some of the earlier articles. In this paper, I will employ this law in explaining the motional mechanisms of these devices.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
85.70.Rp Magnetic levitation, propulsion and control devices
01.40.J- Teacher training

Evaluation Strategies: Teaching Students to Assess Consistency

Aaron Warren

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 466 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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There is a growing consensus that introductory physics courses should help students develop general scientific reasoning abilities that transform them into lifelong learners, preparing them for careers and citizenship in a rapidly evolving world. Despite the sometimes daunting nature of this challenge, activities developed by various physics education researchers have demonstrated that it is, in fact, an achievable goal. Although some of these activities require specific course formats that may not be feasible for every instructor, this is not uniformly true. In this article, I describe the design and use of activities that may be used within an introductory algebra-based physics course of any format to encourage the development of students' evaluation abilities.
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01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
01.40.J- Teacher training
01.50.Kw Techniques of testing
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Broadcasting a Lab Measurement Over Existing Conductor Networks

Peter A. Knipp

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 471

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Students learn about physical laws and the scientific method when they analyze experimental data in a laboratory setting. Three common sources exist for the experimental data that they analyze: (1) “hands-on” measurements by the students themselves, (2) electronic transfer (by downloading a spreadsheet, video, or computer-aided data-acquisition [DAQ] file filled with data that have been measured ahead of time by either the instructor or a third party), or (3) receipt in paper format (e.g, as graphs or tables) of measurements made by either the instructor or a third party. Hands-on experimentation is generally the optimal approach, in that the data's “ownership” by each student or student team makes the student(s) more inclined to appreciate the conclusions drawn from the analysis. However, this method is not always practical, because of the experiment's excessive length, difficulty, delicacy, danger, or expense. Methods (2) and (3) eliminate these technical difficulties, but the students miss out by not experiencing and observing the phenomenon for which they analyze the data. It is not generally appreciated that a solution to this data-procurement problem exists which is intermediate between methods (1) and (2). This hybrid approach involves the generation of data at a single location, in the presence of the students, and the simultaneous broadcast of these data to the students using readily available networks of conducting wires. This hybrid approach combines the experiential benefits of method (1) without its liabilities, and it includes the data-access benefits of methods (1) and (2). This approach is the subject of this paper.
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01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
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Professional Learning Is a Lifelong Process

Patricia Blanton, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 474

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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At a recent conference sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association on Professional Learning Communities in Science, I was reminded how crucial it is for teachers to continually examine their practice. As one new to teaching physics, you may be overwhelmed by the task of helping your students develop accurate understanding of the concepts that are the essence of physics while still maintaining some semblance of order in your classroom. Consider your thoughts about some of the following questions as a way to begin to examine your practice: 1) Have you identified the most important models or ideas you want your students to develop or are you simply following the curriculum outlined in the chapters of your text or those mandated by your state or institution? 2) Have you developed a storyline on which you want the concepts to be built or are you presenting physics as a set of facts, formulas, and problems to be solved? 3) Are you confident in your content knowledge or do you feel that you are just staying one day ahead of your students? 4) Do you have assessment strategies developed to probe for understanding throughout the concept development or do you rely mainly on chapter tests and summative assessments? 5) Do you feel you work in isolation or are you collaborating with colleagues to examine the practices that are most effective for motivating learners while managing the day-to-day requirements of teaching?.
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01.40.Ha Learning theory and science teaching
01.40.J- Teacher training
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Demonstrating Wavelength Dependency on Medium Density

John Welch

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 476

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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An instructor teaching an optics class recently asked me for a demo to show how the wavelength changes as a wave moves between materials of different indices of refraction. I decided to play with standing waves, since they're easier to set up than stable traveling waves. I used our standard PASCO Wave Driver and elastic cord, but I made a cord that changes its linear mass density about halfway along its length. To do this, I bent a section of the cord back on itself and twisted it into a “twine” that has a nice uniform mass density. (See Fig. 1 and also the article by my friend Norm Kidder for tips on how to twist cord into twine: http://www.primitive-ways.com/cordage.html). I glued the loose end to the main cord to hold it in place. When the cord is driven, it can be tuned as usual to get nice standing waves, but in this case the wavelengths will be different in the different sections, varying inversely as the square root of the mass density (see Fig. 2). It's a very nice demo: The standing waves add a bit of extra complexity, but it's worth it to get nice stable measureable wavelengths.
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01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
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Fermi Questions

Larry Weinstein, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 477

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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How much energy could be extracted each year in the United States from the potential energy of water flowing off of roofs and down the gutters (rain spouts)?
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01.50.Rt Physics tournaments and contests
01.55.+b General physics
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A Wedge Issue

Boris Korsunsky, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 477

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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A wedge slides down a frictionless inclined plane that makes angle θ with the horizontal. A small block is placed at the horizontal top side of the wedge. During the slide, the block does not move relative to the wedge. Find the minimum possible coefficient of static friction μs between the block and the wedge.
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01.50.Rt Physics tournaments and contests
01.55.+b General physics
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Why Learn Physics?

Diane Riendeau

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 478

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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In my experience, when students can see an application for knowledge, they are more willing to spend the necessary time to attain it. Certainly your students were motivated at the beginning of the semester. Perhaps now is a good time to get their attention again? One way to motivate our students to learn physics is to show them examples of the way people try to exploit the ignorance of others. Along this vein, I offer these four video clips.
Special thanks to Karl Mamola and the pholks at Physics Northwest for your video suggestions.
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01.50.H- Computers in education
01.30.Xx Publications in electronic media
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Make Magazine Online: No-Battery Remote (Faraday Generator)

Dan MacIsaac, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 479

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Make Magazine (motto: technology on your time) is a technology-hacking magazine dedicated to folk interested in using inexpensive technology in unintended ways, or remanufacturing technology to suit their personal whims. Typically this involves making clever robots, barbeques, model rocket telemetry, autopilots for RC planes, and many electronics projects. The project featured here under the first link describes how to make a Faraday generator to replace batteries for a TV remote control using a plastic tube wrapped in magnet wire containing a Nd magnet that is shaken by hand. I buy my Nd magnets in bulk from Master Magnetics http://www.mastermagnetics.com.
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01.30.Xx Publications in electronic media
01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus

Make Your Own Inexpensive Genecons by Hacking Emergency Hand-Cranked LED Flashlights

Dan MacIsaac, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 479

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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On a Faraday generator-related note, many folk use the commercially available Genecon hand-cranked dc generator (a small dc motor in a plastic gearing package usually purchased for about $50 from scientific supply houses—see http://www.arborsci.com/detail.aspx?ID=543 and http://store.pasco.com/pascostore/showdetl.cfm?&Product_ID=1706 for example. A much less expensive version can be hacked from a $10 hand-cranked LED light by simply opening the handset, removing the LEDs and replacing them with alligator jumpers. The hand-cranked flashlights are less durable, but can be widely found on sale—Google “sale hand-cranked flashlight.” A website demonstrating this hacked flashlight is visible at http://tinyurl.com/l32467 with other hacks at https://sites.google.com/a/flosscience.com/flosscience/Home/clever-hacks. Genecon use is thoroughly described in the teacher's manual of the highly regarded and recommended CASTLE physics curriculum freely downloadable from PASCO at http://www.pasco.com/featured-products/castle/page_3.cfm.
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01.30.Xx Publications in electronic media
01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus

Green Diode Laser Pointers Have Now Dropped in Cost to About $10

Dan MacIsaac, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 479

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Also on the cheap apparatus hunt, handheld green diode laser pointers are now $8–12 each from www.amazon.com or www.ebay.com—search for “green laser pointers.” Because green light is in the center of the sensitivity of our eyes, we see 5 mW of green light MUCH more clearly than the same power red diode laser. Green lasers are preferred for pointing out astronomical objects in the night sky or for those faint wave diffraction experiments. A group of my students worked on green laser pointer diffraction experiments this past summer, and their work can be seen at http://physicsed.buffalostate.edu/eurp09.
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01.30.Xx Publications in electronic media
01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus

More Physics Cheap Apparatus From HarborFreight.com

Dan MacIsaac, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 479

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Finally, I can't talk about cheap physics apparatus without including HarborFreight.com. Worth a visit for the $10 digital multimeter alone ($3 on sale), $20 sound meter, $11 IR thermometer, and many other inexpensive geeky goodies. Every lab group can have cheap durable voltmeters and ammeters as necessary. Our introductory labs stock about four dozen of these meters, and while we blow lots of fuses we have yet to electrically destroy one (though several have met their physical doom for the good of the discipline). http://harborfreight.com, search on the appropriate keyword.
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01.30.Xx Publications in electronic media
01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus
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Success … by Accident or Design? Outliers: The Story of Success: Malcolm Gladwell

Albert Allen Bartlett

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 480

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Success … by Accident or Design? Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell, Little Brown and Company, New York, NY, (2008), 309 pp., $27.99.
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01.30.Vv Book reviews
01.75.+m Science and society
01.60.+q Biographies, tributes, personal notes, and obituaries

MicroReview by the Book Review Editor: Heavenly Errors: Misconceptions about the Real Nature of the Universe: Neil F. Comins

John L. Hubisz, Column Editor

The Physics Teacher -- October 2009 -- Volume 47, Issue 7, pp. 480

Online Publication Date: Sep 2009

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Heavenly Errors: Misconceptions about the Real Nature of the Universe, by Neil F. Comins and published by Columbia University Press, New York, NY, 10023, pp. xi+244 (2001), $27.95, hardback.
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01.30.Vv Book reviews
01.75.+m Science and society
01.55.+b General physics
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