http://www.physicstogo.org/ The latest material additions to the Physics To Go. en-US Copyright 2012, ComPADRE.org editor@physicstogo.org editor@physicstogo.org Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:34:12 EST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.compadre.org/portal/services/images/LogoSmallInformal.gif http://www.physicstogo.org/ 125 35 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11856 This Tufts University webpage hosts two photographs that show how the location of a weight fastened to a metal beam affects how the beam bends. Text provides information about torque. Classical Mechanics/Applications of Newton's Laws http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11856 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:34:12 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11856 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11823 In this PhETsimulation, you can investigate how a teeter-totter balances, by moving objects of different masses to various positions. Can you make the teeter-totter balance? This is one of a large number of physics simulations produced at the University of Colorado in the PhET project. Classical Mechanics/Statics of Rigid Bodies/Equilibrium http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11823 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:17:54 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11823 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11794 This site from the University of Tennessee provides an explanation of Newton's third law with text and drawings. Diagrams illustrate the force on an object and the reaction force that the object exerts. The page includes several problems on reaction forces and equilibrium. This page is part of a web-based introductory physics course at the University of Tennessee. Classical Mechanics/Newton's Third Law/Action/Reaction http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11794 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:08:59 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11794 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=4813 This item is a short introduction to the concept of torque and how it influences the rotational motion of an object. It also contains links to more advanced materials involving torque calculation and direction, vector angular quantities, lever action, and angular acceleration. This item is part of a larger base of resources and instructional materials being continually developed by Rod Nave, Georgia State University. Classical Mechanics/Rotational Dynamics http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=4813 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:57:04 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=4813 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11761 This NASA webpage provides a description of three ways that the acceleration of free electrons can produce electromagnetic radiation. Each method is illustrated by a diagram. Numerous links define terms and provide further information. Electricity & Magnetism/Electromagnetic Radiation http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11761 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:16:23 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11761 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11760 This Wikipedia page contains a labeled diagram of an electromagnetic wave showing how the electric and magnetic vectors change as the wave moves through space. Text introduces the physics of the wave. Just above the diagram is a map of related concepts, shown as a network. This page is part of the HyperPhysics Collection, which contains many short, illustrated pages on various areas of physics and astronomy. Electricity & Magnetism/Electromagnetic Radiation http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11760 Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:26:25 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11760 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11759 This Hyperphysics webpage provides an explanation of how an x-ray tube works. An accompanying diagram shows the parts of the tube and how the photons are produced. Two links within Hyperphysics supply further information. This page page is part of the HyperPhysics Collection, which contains many short, illustrated pages on various areas of physics and astronomy. Electricity & Magnetism/Electromagnetic Radiation http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11759 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:04:05 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11759 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11744 This webpage from SnowCrystals.com provides instructions for growing ice spikes in ordinary freezer. The page explains the physics of growing these spikes and concludes useful information on water purity and growing temperature. Related photos and drawings are provided. Modern Physics/Condensed Matter/Crystal Structure http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11744 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:32:16 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11744 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11739 This Rowland Institute at Harvard webpage provides a brief description of right-and left-handed (chiral) organic molecules and how their handedness is critical to their chemistry in living systems (as it is critical for some drugs as well). A diagram shows the two mirror-image forms of an amino acid. Other Sciences/Chemistry http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11739 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:34:07 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11739 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11738 This Exploratorium webpage describes the classic Caro® syrup demonstration of the rotation of the plane of polarized light by an optically active material. The webpage lists the materials, how they are assembled, the observations, and the physics that explains what happens. A photo and drawing are provided. Optics/Polarization http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11738 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:31:13 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11738 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11736 This American Physical Society "Images from Physics" webpage hosts an image of chiral surface patterns produced on surfaces of non-chiral molecules. The page includes a link to the scientific paper reporting this result. Modern Physics/Condensed Matter http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11736 Sun, 26 Feb 2012 10:53:55 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11736 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11735 This webpage from Clackamas Community College explains optical isomerism, primarily through photographs of molecular models. The photo shows an example of mirror image molecules that cannot be superimposed. Related webpages describe applications in chemistry. Other Sciences/Chemistry http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11735 Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:13:55 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11735 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7908 This simulation introduces the search for planets outside of our solar system using the Doppler and transit methods. It includes simulations of the observed radial velocities of singular planetary systems and introduces the concept of noise and detection. In the simulations you can control the stellar and planetary properties and the system orientation. You can then observe how the graph is affected. Instructor resources are available including student manuals, assessment materials, and a list of the assumptions used. This is part of a collection of astronomy applets. Astronomy/Exoplanets/Detection Methods http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=7908 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:10:46 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=7908 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11674 This APOD page features the first confirmed image of an extrasolar planet orbiting a sun-like star. Text and numerous links provide additional information; one link goes to the press release of the confirmation. Astronomy/Exoplanets http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11674 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:30:01 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11674 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11673 This NASA site provides a description of the Kepler observatory, which searches for extrasolar planets. Text describes how these planets are detected, the mission objectives, and how Kepler works. The site also provides information about the Kepler team and the latest extrasolar planets Kepler has detected. Astronomy/Exoplanets http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11673 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:47:43 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11673 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11597 This article by a physicist and an aeronautical engineer explains the physics of how aircraft wings produce lift. It shows how several popular explanations are clearly wrong, and then accounts for lift in terms of Newton's first and third laws without using calculus. The article also discusses power, drag, angle of attack, and wing vortices. Numerous drawings illustrate the ideas. Fluid Mechanics/Dynamics of Fluids http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11597 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:53:29 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11597 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11596 The activity on this site from Australia's national science agency CSIRO enables visitors to connect two plastic bottles so water will flow from one to the other and produce a vortex. An illustration shows how to construct the connector. Fluid Mechanics/Dynamics of Fluids/Vorticies http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11596 Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:34:18 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11596 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11595 This short article from the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission explains how wingtip vortices form by describing the airflow around a wing. Several diagrams illustrate this airflow. The article also describes how these vortices can pose a hazard for other aircraft. Fluid Mechanics/Dynamics of Fluids/Vorticies http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11595 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:34:58 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11595 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11594 This article in the Smithsonian's Air & Space magazine describes how winglets, short, nearly vertical extensions of the wingtip, improve aircraft performance. The article explains what kind of aircraft benefit from winglets and what trade-offs they create. Other Sciences/Engineering http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11594 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:47:40 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11594 http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11573 This article from MIT News describes the surprising patterns that Prof. Markus Zahn and his student Cory Lorentz observed when they placed a ferrofluid sample in a changing magnetic field. The article contained six photographs of these patterns. Electricity & Magnetism/Magnetic Materials http://www.physicstogo.org/bulletinboard/Thread.cfm?ID=11573 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:31:32 EST http://www.physicstogo.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11573