Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations

Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations

Richard E. Berg

Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742

This Resource Letter provides a guide to physics demonstrations, computer simulations of

physics demonstrations, and physics education research regarding use and effectiveness of

demonstrations and simulations. Articles, books, and materials on the internet are cited for the

following: professional journals dealing with demonstrations, web sites of professional

organizations, workshops including use of demonstrations and simulations, books dealing with

demonstrations in classroom teaching as well as informal settings, web sites for physics

demonstrations, videos of physics demonstrations, demonstration simulations, and physics

education research regarding use of demonstrations in teaching.

INTRODUCTION

Use of physics demonstrations is important in several major areas: (1) physics classes in

college/university and pre-college, (2) demonstration shows and/or programs, (3) hands-on and

museum settings, (4) hallway or corridor demonstrations, and (5) home or other informal use.

Although there is a substantial overlap in the equipment and materials for these activities, there

are significant differences in both the sophistication of the apparatus and the approach toward

the demonstrations. This document will attempt to provide some information regarding all of

these areas, with emphasis on use of demonstrations in lectures.

During the past fifteen years, web sites have come on line with virtually all the information

necessary to construct and teach using almost any demonstration. More recently, using high-

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quality digital video cameras and computer-based editors, many sites have created large

collections of videos showing their demonstrations in use. Another recent development is the

availability on the web of a large variety of computer simulations of demonstrations. Physics

education research is currently studying these teaching materials and provides us with well

documented data on how they may be effectively used. Important related information can be

obtained from many University web sites, including sources of equipment and materials, lists

of demonstrations used in various classes, and suggested demonstrations for elementary

physics classes to guide the less experienced teacher.

A. Journals

A number of Journals include information regarding physics lecture demonstrations and their

use, and several have included (at various times in their history) columns dealing with

demonstrations. The American Journal of Physics (AJP) regularly discusses demonstrations,

often at a relatively advanced level, while The Physics Teacher (TPT) is aimed at both high

school and college education. The Physics Teacher includes papers on demonstrations in every

issue, usually at a lower technical level than the AJP. Over the years several columns in these

periodicals have been featured dealing largely with demonstrations, sometimes appearing

regularly and sometimes appearing irregularly. Many of these columns have been incorporated

into book form and published by the AAPT; see the list of demonstration books for additional

information.

The indexes for papers in the AJP and TPT, found yearly in the December issues, are

organized using the Physics and Astronomy Classification Scheme (PACS). The primary

topics of interest here are:

01.50.M Demonstration experiments and apparatus

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01.50.P Laboratory experiments and apparatus

01.40.F Research in physics education

02.70 Computational techniques; simulations

The primary journals in which relevant literature will be found are those published by the

American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Physical Society:

The American Journal of Physics

The Physics Teacher

The Journal of Physics Education Research

Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research

Other journals in which articles of interest may be found include:

Physics Education, a journal published in Great Britain, regularly includes interesting

papers on demonstrations and other topics of current interest.

The Journal of Chemistry Education regularly includes articles dealing with

demonstrations common to both physics and chemistry.

Journal of College Science Teaching, published by the National Science Teachers

Association, includes articles in Education Research having common interest

among the sciences.

Journal of the National Science Teachers Association contains mostly articles of more

general interest.

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The Science Teacher, published by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA),

deals with high school level science in general, so physics is a smaller component

than in the above journals.

The Scientific American including Jearl Walker “Amateur Scientist” columns (also

available on CD; see below).

B. Professional web sites and conferences

Web sites of interest are provided by a variety of professional and commercial concerns. The

AAPT web site now has direct web links to virtually all articles in the history of the American

Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher, available to all members of the AAPT.

1. http://www.aapt.org/, The American Association of Physics Teachers web site. Access

journal archives for the American Journal of Physics, The Physics Teacher, and Physics

Education Research. (E,I,A)

2. http://www.aapt.org/aboutaapt/ennouncer/, The AAPT Announcer and eNNOUNCER,

pamphlets for notification of conferences sponsored by the American Association of

Physics Teachers and its affiliates. Web site includes published archives. (E,I,A)

3. http://scitation.aip.org/proceedings/confproceed/720.jsp, Physics Education Research,

Conference Proceedings. See list of available proceedings. Some articles from these

conferences will be found on various web sites; see section on Physics Education

Research. (A)

4. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291098-2736, Journal of

Research in Science Teaching, Wiley Online Library. (A)

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C. Workshops for teachers

5. http://www.aapt.org/Conferences/newfaculty/nfw.cfm, AAPT New Faculty Workshop.

Quoting from the AAPT Workshop announcement: “Since 1996, the American

Association of Physics Teachers has sponsored workshops designed to help new faculty at

research and four-year institutions understand how to become more effective educators

and support their quest to gain tenure.” These workshops, available to tenure track faculty

at research an four-year institutions at the nomination of your department chair, cover

material that is important in development of teaching techniques for younger faculty.

Summaries of the materials covered in the workshops will be found on the web site,

including recent developments in Physics Education Research. (A)

6. “AAPT Summer Meeting Lecture Demonstrations Workshop.” In the two days prior to the

Summer Meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the Physics

Instructional Resource Association (PIRA) presents a workshop on lecture

demonstrations, open to all interested individuals attending the meeting. The workshop

generally presents the “PIRA 200,” a collection of 200 of the most important

demonstrations used in the teaching of physics. In addition to showing the actual

demonstrations as used by the presenters at their institutions, the workshop provides lots

of ancillary material for use with the demonstrations as well as information regarding how

to obtain or construct your own demonstrations. These workshops are very informational,

especially for the beginning teacher or demonstration professional, and are highly

recommended. (I)

7. http://www.aapt.org/Conferences/sm2011/?gclid=CPyRx-7h2agCFcTd4AodnXnsiQ,

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At the AAPT Summer Meeting, held in a different American city each summer, many

workshops are held in the two days preceding the meeting. The range of workshops

offered is different each year; generally a group of workshops covering the more

important topics to physics high school and/or college teachers, such as modeling,

interactive physics lecture demonstrations, or tutorials, may be offered. See the AAPT

Conferences web page for details. Workshops are often available at sectional AAPT

meetings, but the selection may be more limited. (I)

8. http://modeling.asu.edu/modeling-HS.html, Modeling Instruction in High School

Physics, Physical Science, Chemistry, and Biology, Arizona State University. This is an

annual workshop, originally designed and led by Professor Hestenes at ASU for high

school teachers. Materials for the workshop have been expanded to include physical

science and chemistry, and will include biology beginning in 2011. (I)

9. http://www.exploratorium.edu/IFI/workshops/fundamentals/index.html, Fundamentals of

Inquiry: workshops designed to introduce teachers to inquiry. These workshops often

include work with demonstrations; some of the materials in the Exploratorium

Snackbooks, as well as some materials on the Exploratorium web site, was produced in

these workshops. (E)

D. Books and articles primarily regarding formal classroom lecture demonstrations.

Over the years, the topic of physics demonstrations has attracted a large number of

authors. Lamentably, many of the excellent early publications are no longer in print. In

listing some of these publications here, I wish to recognize that they are worthy of

inclusion in any complete Physics Demonstration Facility library, and hope that they will

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be considered for re-publication by the AAPT, or at least duplicated inexpensively so that

they may be available to more interested people. One notable exception is the classic

book by Sutton, published in 1938, which has, with urging and support from the Physics

Instructional Resource Association, been reprinted by the American Association of

Physics Teachers.

Included in this collection are a number of books with experiments primarily aimed at the

student laboratory. Over the years I have used these books as both reference materials and

models for how to construct and/or present the experiment as a lecture demonstration.

10. “Resource Letter PhD-1: Physics Demonstrations,” John A. Davis and Bruce G. Eaton,

Am. J. Phys. 47, 835-840 (1979). This is the original Resource Letter on Physics

Demonstrations. Many of the publications listed in this Resource Letter are still of great

current interest, and may be included in the current version. Items that may be less current

or unavailable may be left out of the current list, so individuals interested in some of this

earlier work should peruse Resource Letter PhD-1 for completeness.

11. Demonstration Experiments in Physics, Richard Manliffe Sutton (American Association

of Physics Teachers, College Park, MD 20741-3845, 2003). In addition to being an

excellent source of physics demonstration ideas, this is one of the earliest and most

important English books on physics demonstrations, and remains a classic. The original,

sponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers and published by McGraw-

Hill in 1938, was at long last reprinted in 2008 by the AAPT, and is available once again.

The textual material is accompanied by a limited number of very helpful drawings and

photographs; this book is an excellent source of ideas and inspiration. Over the years I

have obtained much inspiration and many excellent ideas from Sutton. I very strongly

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recommend that every demonstration facility and physics teacher have a copy in their

library. (I)

12. Physics Demonstration Experiments, Volumes 1 and 2, Edited by Harry F. Meiners,

sponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers (The Ronald Press Co. for

the AAPT, New York, 1970). This set of two excellent reference books remains a

necessity for all physics demonstration libraries. It includes over 1100 demonstrations,

with over 2200 photographs and drawings. Much of the equipment for these

demonstrations is described in great detail, along with circuits and some machine shop

sketches. Although some of the electronics has become outdated, the book remains

among the most complete guides to construction of physics demonstrations. I have

obtained many useful ideas from Meiners, and have found it immensely helpful for both

conceptual and construction ideas. (E,I)

13. A Demonstration Handbook for Physics, Second Edition, George D. Freier and

Frances J. Anderson (American Association of Physics Teachers, Stony Brook, New

York, 1971, 1981). This is one of the basic manuals that should be found in every physics

demonstration facility library and on every physics teacher’s bookshelf. It contains a large

number of demonstrations in outline form, using stick figures and simple drawings to

illustrate the principal features of the demonstration. Although the discussions are very

brief, one can quickly leaf through the information and easily get lots of good ideas. (E)

14. Selective Experiments in Physics: General Instructions, Mechanics, Heat, Light,

Electricity, Sound, and Nuclear Physics, authored by various combinations of: C. J.

Overbeck, R. R. Palmer, R. J. Stephenson, and Marsh W. White, V. E. Eaton, Miles J.

Martin, and Ralph S. Minor (Central Scientific Company, Chicago, 1940-1964) This is a

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collection of almost 300 classic demonstrations using equipment available up through the

1970s from CENCO, consisting of individual sheets that occupy three large binders.

Some of this equipment is now unavailable, and some is outdated, but the discussions in

much of this work remain both classic and helpful. Each demonstration listed has a

discussion of the apparatus and the object of the demonstration; most include drawings

and equations at the engineering physics level. (E)

Although it is long out of print, many demonstration descriptions are now available in

PDF format on the CENCO web site:

http://www.cencophysics.com/cencos-selective-experiments-in-physics-seps/a/279/

Links to the individual demonstration descriptions are preceded by this introduction:

From the 1940s through the 1970s, Cenco (later known as Central Scientific)

published 298 selective science experiments geared to college physics courses. Of

course, the firm hoped instructors would purchase Cenco lab equipment to conduct

the experiments, but the directions, diagrams, and photographs provided invaluable

assistance to any physics instructor.

Topics include Mechanics, Heat, Light, Electricity, Sound, Nuclear Physics, and

General Instructions. From the photocopies foreword: Clearly written with diagrams,

illustrations and mathematical formulas.

15. Exploratorium Cookbook, Volume One: A Construction Manual for Exploratorium

Exhibits, Raymond Bruman and the Staff of the Exploratorium (The Exporatorium, San

Francisco, California, 1991). This book includes instructions for building 82 exhibits

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related to light and images; vision; sound and hearing; electricity and magnetism; color;

mechanics; and patterns. (E)

16. Exploratorium Cookbook, Volume Two: A Construction Manual for Exploratorium

Exhibits, Ron Hipschman and the Staff of the Exploratorium (The Exporatorium, San

Francisco, California, 1990). This book includes instructions for building 52 exhibits

related to light and images; plant and animal behavior; electricity and magnetism; heat and

temperature; the physics of sound; mechanics; exponentials; patterns; and vision. (E)

17. Exploratorium Cookbook, Volume Three: A Construction Manual for

Exploratorium Exhibits, Ron Hipschman and the Staff of the Exploratorium (The

Exporatorium, San Francisco, California, 1993). This book includes instructions for

building 67 exhibits related to electricity and magnetism; light; sound, speech, and

hearing; vision; heat and temperature; mathematics and patterns; mechanics; and

neurophysiology. (E)

The above three “cookbooks” describe demonstration experiments that have been

constructed and used as hands-on materials at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. I have

used these plans to construct demonstrations that are useful both for hands-on activities as

well as actual classroom and lecture hall demonstrations. They provide a wealth of

excellent practical advice, and are strongly recommended. (E)

18. The Exploratorium Science Snackbook (Exploratorium Teacher Institute, San

Francisco, California, 2011). This book was created as a collection of work of attendees

at the Exploratorium Teacher Institute. It contains over 100 science activities of a slightly

simpler and less formal nature than the cookbooks, covering many basic areas of physics.

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This one is particularly good for make-and-take projects and demonstrations that can be

made more easily by less experienced teachers with more readily available materials. (E)

19. HANDS-ON SCIENCE: A Teacher's Guide to Student-Built Experiments and the

Exploratorium Science Snackbook: The Exploratorium Science Snackbook: what it

is and how you can use it, Paul Doherty (The Exploratorium, San Francisco, California,

1993, 1994, 1995, 1996). Several articles on how to use the Exploratorium Snackbook

along with some nice examples of “snacks.” Samples of the book contents will be found

on the web site: http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/Hands-On_Science/index.html. (E)

20. Exploratorium Snacks. (The Exploratorium, San Francisco, California, 2011). This site

is a “book” containing direct links to over 110 “snacks,” each of which includes complete

information about their construction and use, along with lots of related comments. For

quick information about simple demonstrations, you can’t beat this page:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/. Also given is a link to the page where you can

order a hard copy of the book. (E)

21. Apparatus for Teaching Physics: Reprints of Articles from THE PHYSICS

TEACHER April 1963 – December 1971, Committee on Apparatus for Educational

Institutions (American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland 1972).

This compilation includes almost 300 titled segments, with each segment containing at

least one classroom demonstration. Although all of the ideas in the book can be found as

articles or notes in Apparatus for Teaching Physics columns in THE PHYSICS

TEACHER, the convenience of finding them in a single source with an excellent index is

very helpful. Many of the demonstrations have photographs or drawings, and in some

cases they are accompanied by letters regarding the demonstrations submitted after

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publication, detailing some of the issues in the demonstrations and allowing correction of

errors. This is a nice book, if you can get it. (E)

22. A Potpourri of Physics Teaching Ideas, Edited by Donna Berry Conner (The American

Association of Physics Teachers Publications Department, 1987). This book contains

reprints of articles regarding demonstrations taken from THE PHYSICS TEACHER over

the period April 1963 to December 1986. Many physics demonstration topics are

included; in addition a large number of other articles describe various aspects of

construction and use of demonstrations. The book is a convenient way to have lots of

ideas regarding demonstrations and their use readily at hand. (E)

23. Apparatus for Teaching Physics, Edited by Karl C. Mamola (American Association of

Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 1999). This is a collection of reprints of

articles from Apparatus for Teaching Physics columns from THE PHYSICS TEACHER

over the period from 1987-1998. This book continues the helpful and convenient tradition

of having selected sets of articles on demonstrations such as those contained in this book

and the previous two entries. (E)

24. Interactive Physics Demonstrations, Joe Pizzo (American Association of Physics

Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 2001). This book contains 46 physics demonstration

experiments first published in Deck the Halls columns of THE PHYSICS TEACHER

from 1972 to 2001. These demonstrations are not only useful for your class, but also as

hands-on experiments in the classroom or hallway exhibits. (E)

25. Physics Demonstration Experiments at William Jewell College, Wallace A. Hilton

(William Jewell College, Liberty, Missouri, 1971). During the 1960s and 1970s, Wallace

Hilton was one of the great early proponents for high quality physics lecture

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demonstration and laboratory equipment. He authored many articles in physics journals as

well as several books published by William Jewell College regarding his work. I have

found the materials that he describes in his publications of the highest quality, and very

helpful in the development of University of Maryland Lecture-Demonstration Facility

materials. This book includes about 300 demonstrations with lots of photographs and

drawings, along with a collection of journal reprints. I strongly recommend this book as

well as several others that Professor Hilton produced. (E,I)

26. Physics Demonstrations: A Sourcebook for Teachers of Physics, Julien Clinton Sprott

(University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, 2006). This is an excellent

book, with a collection of 85 demonstrations, covering most areas of physics, ideal for use

in either the classroom or public programs. Professor Sprott has used these

demonstrations as the basis for a series of very successful public programs, The Wonders

of Physics, which has run continuously since 1984. The book includes details about the

construction of the demonstrations, concise explanations of the ideas that the

demonstrations illustrate, information about sources of materials, comments about the

possible pitfalls and dangers that may arise during their use, and insight into Professor

Sprott’s unique staging and humor. A DVD set showing all of the demonstrations is

included with the book, and additional DVDs of all of the Wonders of Physics programs

are also available from the University of Wisconsin (See section on demonstration

videos.). (E)

27. The Dick and Rae Physics Demo Notebook, D. Rae Carpenter, Jr. and Richard B.

Minnix (DICK and RAE, Inc., Lexington, Virginia, 1993). This is a collection of around

600 demonstrations made popular by Dick and Rae through a long-standing series of

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summer demonstration workshops held at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington,

Virginia. It contains good experiments, good explanations, and clear drawings and

photographs, and should be on every demonstrator’s bookshelf. (E)

28. String and Sticky Tape Experiments, Rodney D. Edge (American Association of

Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 1987). This book contains instructions for

construction of physics demonstrations using almost no materials – at least not expensive

materials. There is a great deal of charm in actually using common items to illustrate the

great concepts of physics. I used this book in teaching a seminar on demonstrations to

perspective high school physics teachers, and was very surprised and pleased that how

many physics toys and experiments could be clearly demonstrated using these basic

materials. Neat book, especially for the high school teacher with little or no equipment

budget who needs a quick and inexpensive demonstration on regular occasion. (E)

29. A Demo A Day: A Year of Physics Demonstrations, Borislaw Bilash II and David P.

Maiullo (Flinn Scientific, Inc., Batavia, IL 60510, 2009). This is a very nice, recent

contribution to the demonstration profession, aimed at the high school physics teacher

who is “a first-year novice, full of enthusiasm and seeking to become the best physics

teacher possible,” and who has lots of ambition, but “limited experience in building

equipment and performing demonstrations.” As such, the book provides lots of

demonstrations, lots of information regarding how they are constructed or otherwise put

together, and very helpful hints, unique to each demonstration, regarding use of the

demonstration in class. The authors have substantial experience with use of

demonstrations; I would recommend this book for any teacher, including those with some

experience. (E)

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30. How Things Work, H. Richard Crane (American Association of Physics Teachers,

College Park, Maryland, 1992). This book is a collection of “How Things Work” columns

from The Physics Teacher over the period 1983-1991. It includes explanations for over 65

devices from that period that use physics or technology in a neat way, along with

suggested experiments using the apparatus being discussed or that illustrate the physics

concepts involved. Although it is twenty years old, it contains lots of good ideas for class

discussion and for individual homework assignments. (E)

31. How Things Work, Louis A. Bloomfield (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1997).

This is the excellent book written for use in the general education physics course How

Things Work by Professor Bloomfield at the University of Virginia. It includes enough

topics to keep you busy for a few years; most topics are accompanied by suggestions for

classroom demonstrations and other activities for classroom discussion. If you do not

offer the class How Things Work at your University, you should consider it, and then

develop neat demonstrations to enhance your interest and the excitement of the students.

An Instructor’s Manual is available from the publisher. (E)

32. How Everything Works: Making Physics Out Of the Ordinary, Louis Bloomfield

(John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 2008). This is a 720 page extension – from things

to everything - of Bloomfield’s earlier book, How Things Work. It seems to be written as

much for more informal physics reading as for physics classes, and it adds a large number

of topics. It covers a huge number of topics, with lots of figures and an informal yet very

informative approach. This book is an excellent supplement to the previous text. (E)

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33. Chemical Demonstrations : A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 1,

Bassam Z. Shakhashiri (University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, first edition,

1983)

34. Chemical Demonstrations : A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 2,

Bassam Z. Shakhashiri (University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, first edition,

1985)

35. Chemical Demonstrations : A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 3,

Bassam Z. Shakhashiri (University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, first edition,

1989)

36. Chemical Demonstrations : A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 4,

Bassam Z. Shakhashiri (University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, first edition,

1992)

37. Chemical Demonstrations : A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 5,

Bassam Z. Shakhashiri with Rodney Schreiner and Jerry Bell (University of Wisconsin

Press, Madison, Wisconsin, first edition, 2011).

These five volumes, containing a total of about 2000 demonstrations, are the most

extensive set of books of chemistry demonstrations. Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, Professor of

Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, was Assistant Director of the National Science

Foundation for Science and Engineering Education from 1984 to 1990. The first four

volumes are written more for chemistry teachers, while the fifth volume, with its focus

largely light and color, is also aimed more at the general population of chemistry

demonstration lovers. It has sections on the eye and chemical processes in the human

visual system. I have found this series very useful in helping to explain many physics

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demonstrations that are also used in chemistry, in offering alternate ways to present and to

discuss the demonstrations. Educational Innovations sells these Shakhashiri books as well

as eleven videos of his annual chemistry demonstration program, “Once Upon a Christmas

Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri.” I recommend these books as part of your

demonstration library. (E)

38. Physical Principles of Electricity and Magnetism, R. W. Pohl, translated into English

by Winifred M. Deans (Glasgow, Blackie, and Son, London, 1930).

39. Physical Principles of Mechanics and Acoustics, R. W. Pohl, translated into English by

Winifred M. Deans (Glasgow, Blackie, and Son, London, 1932).

40. Einführung in die Physik, Robert Wichard Pohl (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1930-present).

These books, in the original German, comprise a three-volume series that describes many

of the demonstrations using the classic equipment available from Klinger Educational

Equipment up through the 1980s. Although this equipment is largely no longer available,

the quality of the equipment and the related literature is so substantial that the books are

well worth reading if you have reasonable familiarity with German. At least two of the

books have been translated into English, as listed above. (E,I)

41. Novel Experiments in Physics – a selection of laboratory notes now used in colleges

and universities, Walter R. French, Jr., John G. King, Harry F. Meiners, W. C. Kelly, H.

V. Neher, Alan M. Portis, Howard P. Stabler, Allan M. Sachs (Sponsored by the

Committee on Apparatus for Educational Institutions of the American Association of

Physics Teachers, Published by the American institute of Physics, New York, 1964). This

450 page book contains reprints and preprints of articles from the American Journal of

Physics as well as less formal laboratories used at a number of universities in the U.S.

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While this book describes use of equipment in laboratories at the level of engineering

physics, much of the equipment is useful at this time as classroom demonstrations. About

eighty experiments are included, each including drawings or pictures, circuit diagrams

where appropriate, and excellent information and analysis of the experiment. (I)

42. Novel Experiments in Physics II – a selection of laboratory notes now used in colleges

and universities, F. E. Christensen, Ronald Bergsten, Sabinus H. Christensen, Ernest

Coleman, Harold A. Daw, Robert H. Johns, and John H. Miller III (Sponsored by the

Committee on Apparatus, American Association of Physics Teachers, Stony Brook, New

York, 1975). This is a continuation, by popular demand, of the first Novel Experiments in

Physics, published in 1964. The second book is about 500 pages in length and contains an

additional 45 experiments. (I)

43. Experiments in Physics, second edition, Wallace A. Hilton (William Jewell College,

Liberty, Missouri, first edition, 1967, second edition, 1971). This book contains

descriptions of about forty experiments useful in laboratories at William Jewell College;

many of the experiments are very useful as lecture demonstrations in either engineering or

non-calculus physics classes. Each experiment includes photographs of the apparatus

(some of which use outdated equipment) as well as nice analyses, which are useful in

preparing lectures in which the experiment would be carried out as a demonstration.

Experiments include mechanics, heat, sound, electricity and magnetism, optics, and

atomic and nuclear physics. (I)

44. Physics Experiments and Projects: Volume 1. Properties of Materials, W. Bolton

(Pergamon Press, Ltd., Oxford, England, 1968).

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45. Physics Experiments and Projects: Volume 2. Waves and Particles, W. Bolton

(Pergamon Press, Ltd., Oxford, England, 1968).

46. Physics Experiments and Projects: Volume 3. Atomic Physics, W. Bolton (Pergamon

Press, Ltd., Oxford, England, 1968).

47. Physics Experiments and Projects: Volume 4. Electricity, W. Bolton (Pergamon Press,

Ltd., Oxford, England, 1968).

The above set of four small books was written to guide students at the High Wycombe

College of Technology and Art in a discovery type physics laboratory course: After going

through the experiments, the theory evolves as a discussion of the results. The

descriptions are short and sketchy, with the student laboratories preceded by a brief

classroom discussion of the physical concept. The experiments are neat, and the format is

similar to but less detailed than the physics “inquiry” manuals now being used in many

laboratories. These labs would certainly serve as a good set of ideas for inquiry learning

laboratories at the intermediate level, and would also be useful in suggesting inquiry

learning ideas for classroom demonstrations. (E)

48. Demonstrations and Experiments for Physics, John M. Fowler (Washington University,

St. Louis, Missouri, 1964). This is a very thoughtfully done summary of materials used for

a new two-year general physics course at Washington University, carried out with an NSF

grant by John M. Fowler and E. D. Lambe from 1962-1964. It includes a number of nice

demonstrations, including a relatively inexpensive phase-locked six-harmonic Fourier

synthesizer, along with labs and other areas for discussion. Professor Fowler was

important in the early development of the American Association of Physics Teachers and

the Commission on College Physics. (E)

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49. The Lloyd William Taylor Manual of Advanced undergraduate Experiments in

Physics, Thomas Benjamin Brown, Editor-in-Chief (Addison-Wesley Publishing

Company, Reading Massachusetts, 1959). This book includes experiments in virtually all

areas of physics at the upper undergraduate level. Many of the experiments are readily

adopted to demonstrations, and can be used in lower level physics courses, and the book is

also very useful in understanding the experiment in depth without going to a graduate or

post-graduate text. Explanations include lots of drawings, with equations when

appropriate. (I)

50. Experiments in Physics, sixth edition, Leonard Rose Ingersoll, Miles Jay Martin, and

Theodore Alton Rouse (McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1953). This book

includes discussions of about 80 upper level physics experiments, along with an

informative section on physics apparatus in general. Areas covered are A. mechanics, B.

Heat, C. Electricity and Magnetism, D. Wave Motion and Sound, and E. Light. Many of

these experiments are useful as lecture demonstrations, and the book provides helpful

insight into the background and uses of the devices, generally at the level of engineering

physics. (I)

51. Apparatus Drawings Project, Robert G. Marcle, Sponsored jointly by the American

Association of Physics Teachers and the American Institute of Physics (Plenum Press,

New York, 1962). This is an excellent, but dated, book with drawings and suggestions for

construction of thirty experiments. Although the tube type electronics is now virtually

obsolete, this book does illustrate the care and thought process that must go into the design

and fabrication of a demonstration to achieve its greatest impact. Many of the

demonstrations remain basics for a well rounded demonstration facility. This book

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provides a good template for development of quality demonstrations, so a modern version

of this book would be an excellent contribution to the demonstration community. (I)

52. Building Scientific Apparatus, John H. Moore, Christopher C. Davis, and Michael A.

Coplan (Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Massachusetts, 1983). This

book contains a large number of basic hints about parts and materials with which you must

be familiar if you build demonstration apparatus from scratch. Included in its 480 plus

pages are sections on virtually every technique required to construct demonstrations,

which would be especially helpful for those with limited access to experienced machinists

and technicians. Also included are hints about how to get the most out of your apparatus

once it is built, including noise and electrical issues. These topics are discussed as part of

a more general discussion of several issues, such as vacuum technology, optical systems,

and data acquisition, with a lot of physics thrown in. If you are developing

demonstrations in one of the areas discussed, it is worth reviewing. (I,A)

53. The Overhead Projector in the Physics Lecture, Walter Eppstein (Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, 1962) This short booklet, an internal publication

of RPI, was written by a professor obviously very adept at the using the overhead

projector and very clever at developing some of the early demonstrations using it.

Although it is largely out of date, small demonstrations sold by some of the current

Japanese manufactures are bringing back use of the overhead projector. In some

demonstration facilities it is actually emerging as a more useful and less expensive device

to provide simple demonstrations in large lecture halls. (E)

54. Optics Demonstrations with the Overhead Projector, Douglas S. Goodman (Optical

Society of America, 2000). This is a substantial spiral-bound book with 350 pages,

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showing that use of the overhead projector in physics teaching is still alive and well. It

contains a large number of interesting demonstrations covering most areas of classical

optics; because the equipment can be small compared with lecture-size apparatus, cost and

storage can be minimized. The Optical Society of America and SPIE, an international

society advancing light-based research and education, sponsor a number of efforts in

teaching of optics, including workshops and publications at all levels. (E,I)

55. “Science and Fun in a ‘Magic Show of Light,’” in Optical Demonstrations on an

Overhead Projector for elementary school students, Joe J. Lones, Nadezhda K.

Maltseva, and Kurt N. Peterson, (SPIE, 2007). This is a very detailed and informative

article describing use of the book Optics Demonstrations with the Overhead Projector in

presenting a program for elementary school students. On the web at:

http://spie.org/etop/2007/etop07workshopsI.pdf (E)

56. Experiments and Demonstrations in Physics: Bar-ilan Physics Laboratory, Yaakov

Kraftmakher (World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., Singapore, 2006). The author

describes demonstrations and laboratories at the Bar-ilan University. With over 500

pages, this is a relatively complete book, using mostly Pasco Scientific equipment for both

lecture demonstrations and laboratories. Also included is a section on student projects. A

paperback is available. (E,I)

57. Physics in 700 Experiments, Michael J. Higatsberger, Translated from the original

German by Peter D. Potter (Blick in die Welt, Frankfurt, Germany, 1981). This book

includes 713 physics experiments covering most areas of physics. It is unique in that it

provides interesting variants of the experiments, such as determination of the caloric value

of nutrients, and applications that are generally left out of most texts of this type, but make

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the concepts really relevant and very interesting. If you want mainstream concepts, with

interesting asides and some different ideas for illustrating these concepts, both for the

demonstrations that you use in your teaching and in your physics demonstration programs,

you will get lots of ideas from this book. (I)

58. 700 Science Experiments for Everyone – Revised and Enlarged Edition, compiled by

the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Doubleday &

Company, Inc., Garden City, New York, 1956, 1962). This book contains 700 experiments

in science, many of which deal with physics. The expressed purposes of the book include

teacher training, sourcebook for science teachers, basis for workshop study in science

teaching, and ideas for assembling a collection of science materials and kits. As such, it

contains a substantial section on sources of materials, and a section on the psychology of

science teaching and learning. The demonstration descriptions are short, and explanations

of the science are generally not included. (E)

59. Turning the World Inside Out and 174 Other Simple Physics Demonstrations, Robert

Erlich (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1990). This book describes

classroom demonstrations that can be developed and performed in class, even at the

University level, with a minimum of effort and expense. Many of these are ways to do

classic demonstrations in a simpler way, or adding some interesting sidebar to the

demonstration. Erlich discusses his philosophy of demonstrations, gives an extensive

table showing how you can keep down the cost of the equipment, and generally provides

commentary on the experiments. Lots of reference material is presented, along with tips

for use of the demonstrations in class. (E)

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60. Why Toast Lands Jelly-Side Down: Zen and the Art of Physics Demonstrations,

Robert Erlich (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1997). This book

describes how to design and build your own physics demonstrations equipment, the Erlich

provides a large section on his philosophy of what makes a good (or bad) demonstration

and how demonstrations can be used most effectively in class. After a thorough 20-page

discussion of philosophy, Erlich uses the next 170 pages to describe demonstrations that

he has constructed and used following his philosophy. He also provides a nice

bibliography of physics demonstration books. Both of Professor Erlich’s books are well

worth having available for teaching ideas. (E)

61. Clouds in a Glass of Beer: Simple Experiments in Atmospheric Physics, Craig F.

Bohren (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1987). This book is a compilation of

demonstrations that Professor Bohren developed while teaching a university course in

meteorology, and was revised from various publications that he wrote with a co-author

between 1981 and 1987. While the demonstrations are generally useful at the elementary

physics level, the depth into which the explanations go and the sophistication of some of

the concepts involved make the book useful for discussions even at the graduate physics

level. No matter the level, you will find this book very interesting and challenging. (I)

62. The Complete Collection of THE AMATEUR SCIENTIST on CD-ROM: Science

Fair Edition (Bright Science; CDR edition, 2006). This outstanding CD-ROM contains

all of the Amateur Scientist articles from the 1950s through 1999, including articles by

Albert Ingalls, C. L. Stong, Jearl Walker, and Forrest Mims, and the complete Amateur

Scientist article index from 1928 to 1999. If you are interested in possible science fair

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projects, or just interested in reading about interesting physics, this is an excellent place to

start. (E)

63. The Flying Circus of Physics With Answers, Jearl Walker (John Wiley & Sons, New

York, 1977). Note: an earlier version without answers was published in 1975. This is a

collection of over 600 “questions” regarding the application of physics concepts to things

that most of us experience at one time or another in our daily lives. Although many of the

questions are rather complicated, important physical laws and ideas can be identified as

relevant or critical in their explanation; this book guides us in our inquiry regarding these

phenomena. It includes short answers for each problem, backed up by over 1600

references from physics and other journals. This is an excellent source of ideas for

discussion, among parents and children, curious people of all ages, and teachers trying to

interest their students in physics and show how physics is relevant to the real world. This

book should be in every physicist’s library. (E, I)

64. Ink Sandwiches, Electric Worms, and 37 Other Experiments for Saturday Science,

Neil A. Downie (The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 2003). This

unusual book contains 39 unusual, perhaps even off-beat physics and engineering

demonstrations, organized into twelve sections that the author has used in an educational

outreach program called the Saturday Activity Centre. Each demonstration discussion

contains nice sketches and/or electrical circuit drawings, along with a description of the

demonstration, explanation of the science involved, hints for using it successfully,

references, and a clever quote that you can use in your accompanying PowerPoint slide

show. This book is worth having for the uniqueness of its ideas. You will have to read

the book to find out what an ink sandwich is. (I)

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65. Physics Can Be Fun, Y. Perelman, translated from the Russian by Arthur Shkarovsky

(Mir Publishers, 1986). This unique book has many experiments that you can carry out

without lots of equipment, with lots of very interesting applications of the basic ideas to

historical issues, with chapters on a variety of physics concepts that we meet in everyday

life. Some of these topics include extrapolations of the basic concepts to include illusions,

perpetual motion machines, and tricks that were used to verify religious “miracles” in

bygone ages. (I)

66. 101 Classroom Demonstrations and Experiments for Teaching Physics, David

Kutliroff (Parker Publishing Company, Inc., West Nyack New York, 1975) David

Kutliroff has collected the most effective and reliable physics demonstrations from his

experience as a high school physics teacher and his work on the staff of the Summer

Institutes for High School Physics Teachers at Rutgers University, making use of

equipment normally found in the average high school physics supply room. He includes

hints on how to use the demonstrations most effectively and some of the issues that might

arise in their use. The book is well illustrated and includes a nice index. (E)

67. Invitations to Science Inquiry, Second Edition, Tik L. Liem (Science Inquiry Enterprise,

1990). This is a large book, containing over 350 demonstrations of physics as well as

other sciences that are appropriate for middle school and high school. The demonstrations

are accompanied by clear instructions and suggested teacher questions. It is a good book

to have as a reference for quick and solid ideas. (E)

68. Hands-On Physics Activities with Real-Life Applications: Easy-to-Use Labs and

Demonstrations for Grades 8 – 12, James Cunningham and Norman Herr (The Center

for Applied Research in Education, 1994). One of the two-part PHYSICAL SCIENCE

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CURRICULUM LIBRARY, along with a similar book on chemistry. Contains over 200

demonstrations and experiments with detailed descriptions. (E)

69. Physics Demonstrations, Edited by Shoma Kutasov (Penn Books, Los Angeles, 1978).

This book includes over 300 demonstrations covering most areas of physics; each

demonstration includes a sketch or drawing and a very brief statement of what it does; no

detailed discussion of the demonstration in action or explanation of why it works is

included. While these demonstrations formed the nucleus of the demonstration experience

for Soviet high school physics students in the time period around 1960-1970, more

explanation is necessary for this book to achieve optimum usefulness for many current

physics teachers. It assumes that the teacher has a significant amount of physics

demonstration equipment at his or her disposal. (E)

70. Optics Experiments and Demonstrations, C. Harvey Palmer (The Johns Hopkins

University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 1962). This 320 page book contains about 59

demonstration experiments along with information on their construction and use, with

appropriate use of mathematics when it is helpful. Basic areas include ray optics, wave

optics, polarization and crystal optics, and spectroscopy. The discussion with each

demonstration is well chosen. (I)

71. Experiments in Optical Physics third edition, Wallace A. Hilton (William Jewell

College, Liberty, Missouri, first edition, 168, second edition, 1969, third edition, 1974).

This book contains about 70 experiments in all areas of optics, used in laboratories and

independent study projects at William Jewell College, but many of which are imminently

usable as demonstrations in general physics as well as intermediate optics classes. There

are lots of apparatus photographs, hints about how to successfully set up the apparatus,

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and guides to their analysis. A very nice feature of this book is the list of about 240

references covering optics, teaching of optics, and sources of optics equipment (many of

which still exist). (I)

72. Teaching light & Color, Edited by Thomas D. Rossing and Christopher J. Chiaverina

(American Association of Physics Teachers, College park, Maryland, 2001). This book is

an outstanding source of ideas for teaching courses in light and color, containing a large

number of papers reprinted from the The Physics Teacher, Physics Today, Jearl Walker’s

The Amateur Scientist column in The Scientific American, and others. Also included are

the American Journal of Physics Resource Letter TLC-1: Teaching light and color and

an extensive set of color prints. This is an excellent source of ideas to use in a light and

color course. (E)

73. Exploring Laser light, T. Kallard (Optosonic Press, New York, 1977). This book

includes nearly 300 pages, with about 150 titles in the table of contents. It covers literally

any imaginable optics demonstration that can be done with a laser, with excellent

sketches, photographs where helpful in visualizing many optical phenomena, and lots of

helpful information on a range of topics in geometrical optics, physical optics, and

holography. It also includes a list of vendors for optical equipment, a very inclusive

bibliography, and an excellent index. This is another book that can be very helpful in

setting up demonstrations for classroom or lecture use. (I)

74. Science Fun Experiments in Optics, Logix Enterprises Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, Canada,

1972). This is a very nice book, at the high school or amateur scientist level, with 136

optical activities, many of which involve a good bit of sophistication; the book originally

came with a kit of optical components, but is of interest on its own. It describes a large

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number of optical illusions and tricks, lenses, photography, eyesight and correction with

eyeglasses, and other optical instruments. This book contains lots of neat stuff! The

company still exists; one of their items is a working model of an early computer that they

call the “Old Computer Museum.” (I)

75. Liquid Crystal Devices, Edited by Thomas Kallard (Optosonic Press, New York, 1973).

If you are interested in liquid crystals and liquid crystal devices, this is the book for you.

Included are papers on virtually any liquid crystal application at the time, a list of patents

and patent holders, and a bibliography with over 1100 entries. An excellent set of indexes

is also provided. (A)

76. Experiments in the hearing and Speech Sciences, Barry Voroba, Ph. D. (Starkey

Laboratories, Inc., Eden prairie, Minnesota, 1978). This book provides background

information and about 66 demonstrations providing a thorough experimental basis for the

study of audiology at the undergraduate level. The book is written for use with the

Starkey laboratories Hearing Science Laboratory, a piece of demonstration equipment that

is very useful in a class such as introductory Physics of Sound. However, many of the

experiments can be done without the basic Starkey equipment, and perusal of this book

gives an instructor a significant background in some of the important issues in the

psychophysics of sound. I have used the Hearing Science Laboratory device and this

manual for years in a class on the Physics of Music at the University of Maryland, and

strongly recommend it to other instructors. (E)

77. Experiments on an Air Track, T. Walley Williams, III (The Ealing Corporation,

Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969). Contains eleven demonstration experiments, with

information on their setup and analysis. (E)

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78. Experiments on an Air Table, George Marousek and T. Walley Williams, III (The

Ealing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969). Contains a nice section on

experimental techniques, with twelve demonstration experiments and hints for

performance and analysis. This should be a helpful book for those using interactive

demonstration techniques. (E)

79. An Experimental Introduction To kinetic Theory, Harold Daw (The Ealing

Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1974). This is the original booklet that came

with the air table to describe its set of kinetic theory demonstrations. It includes

discussion of the photographic techniques (basically the same today but with better, digital

cameras), analysis of the photography, and a large number of photographs taken with the

apparatus described. This could be helpful in developing the equipment for use as a

classroom demonstration. (E)

80. Similarities in Wave Behavior, Dr. John N. Shive (Bell Telephone laboratories,

Incorporated, 1961-1973). Dr. Shive was the inventor of the Shive Wave Machine while

he was the Director of Education and Training at Bell Telephone Laboratories. This is

truly and outstanding book: I have used it regularly as a source of ideas in explaining

wave concepts, and as a source of ideas for demonstrations using the Shive Wave Machine.

The wave machine itself is now manufactured by several companies dealing with physics

equipment, and has become a staple in demonstrating a large variety of wave phenomena.

If you can get a copy, I would strongly suggest that you do so. (E)

81. The Physics of Technology, Bill G. Aldridge, Philip DiLavore, Bruce B. Marsh, John W.

McWane, Carl R. Stannard, and Homer Wilkins, Produced by the Tech Physics Project

(McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1975). This book contains the set of 27

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Physics of Technology units, written largely at the high school or introductory college

physics level. Each unit has a description of the system, experiments that can be done to

understand some of the physics involved, the design and construction of the apparatus, and

questions that can form the basis of further discussion. (E)

82. Hands-On Physics Activities with Real-Life Applications: Easy-to-Use Labs and

Demonstrations for Grades 8-12, James Cunningham and Norman Herr (The Center for

Applied Research in Education, 1994). This book has about 200 individual activities

using everyday examples to illustrate important ideas in physics. Investigations include

some problems, with answers, and explanations for the experiments and observations,

some of which use mathematics. The principal author has also written a companion book,

“Hands-On Physics Activities with Real-Life Applications,” as well as the paperback “The

Sourcebook for Teaching Science, Grades 6-12: Strategies, Activities, and Instructional

Resources.” (E)

83. Preconceptions in Mechanics: Lessons Dealing with Students’ Conceptual

Difficulties, second edition, Charles Camp and John J. Clement (American Association

of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 2010). This book contains 24 lessons in

mechanics with the goal of reducing preconceptions and physics myths in favor of

experimentally based learning. It includes activities, experiments and quizzes, plus

homework assignments with answers, and has an appendix of teaching suggestions. Many

of the ideas are useful in a more standard curriculum as well. (E)

The following books were written as workshop manuals for the AAPT sub-group of high

school physics teachers known as Physics Teaching Resource Agents, or PTRAs. All of

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the books are currently available from the American Association of Physics Teachers. As

such, they are written for teachers who wish to introduce this material using lots of

demonstrations and experimental laboratories at the high school level. All of these books

include the following materials: interactive activities, background materials and

bibliographies, media resources, applications, events for use in physics Olympiads or

other competitions, and test questions with answers. After reviewing them, I strongly

believe that as a series they should be part of every high school physics teacher’s library;

they are useful either as a curriculum on their own or as supplementary material for class

built on other texts. Both these books and other books in the PTRA Series section of the

AAPT Physics Store may be found at the web page:

http://iweb.aapt.org/iweb/Purchase/CatalogSearchResults.aspx?

Option=2&Topic=Physics+Teaching+Resource+Agents

84. Teaching About Color and Color Vision: an AAPT/PTRA Workshop Manual, Bill

Franklin (American Association of Physics Teachers, 1997). This book includes

information, labs, and demonstrations emphasizing the topics of color vision, thin films,

and optical activity. It includes a good materials list, bibliography, and assessment

questions with answers. (E)

85. Teaching About D.C. Electric Circuits: an AAPT/PTRA Workshop Manual, Earl

Feltyberger, James Mallmann, Judy Schmidt and Thomas Senior (American Association

of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 1995). Included are sections with

introductory materials and equipment, ideas for presentation, experiment background

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information, lots of questions in the form of hands-on experiments, and Olympiad events.

(E)

86. Teaching About Electrostatics: an AAPT/PTRA Workshop Manual, Robert A Morse

(American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 1992). This book

describes how to build and use electrostatic demonstration equipment, including some of

the original Franklin devices. It also includes a good bibliography with technology

references, and additional activities for students. (E)

87. Teaching About Impulse and Momentum: an AAPT/PTRA Workshop Manual , Bill

Franklin (American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 2004).

This book holds a number of hands-on activities and demonstrations of impulse and

momentum, and discusses important applications such as automobile safety, rocketry, and

gravity “slingshots.” It includes a large section of background material, about a dozen lab

activities, and a number of relevant demonstrations with explanations. Several Olympiad

events are described, and a nice collection of questions with answers is provided. (E)

88. Teaching About Kinematics: an AAPT/PTRA Resource, Jane Bray Nelson and Jim

Nelson (American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 2000). This

book uses interactive demonstrations in a thorough experiment-based study of kinematics.

Included are 48 activities, each with analysis, calculations, and questions with answers.

(E)

89. Teaching About Lightwave Communications: an AAPT/PTRA Workshop Manual,

Mark Davids, R. Stephen Rea and Paul Zitzewitz (American Association of Physics

Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 1994). This book includes a nice section on

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demonstrations and displays, lots of references using technology media, ideas for

Olympiad events, and a light wave communication quiz. (E)

90. Teaching About Magnetism: an AAPT/PTRA Workshop Manual, Robert Reiland

(American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 1996). This book

covers lots of demonstration experiments in the areas of magnetostatics and

electromagnets.

91. Teaching About Energy: an AAPT/PTRA Resource, John L. Roeder (American

Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland, 2008). This book includes lots

of interesting and relevant demonstrations and experiments, activities, and problems, and

should inform the student about some of the technical aspects of our current world energy

issues. Emphasis is on forms of energy and energy transfer, ending with some of the

issues that will face the world in the near future. (E)

92. The Role of Toys in Teaching Physics: an AAPT/PTRA Workshop Manual, Jodi and

Roy McCullough (American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland,

2009). This is a book of nearly 300 pages that includes a large number of toys that can be

used as demonstrations and questions to initiate class discussion. I have found in teaching

several courses that using toys to demonstrate any physical principle is not only an

effective teaching tool, but also acts as a great attention-getter, and I recommend this book

as a good source of ideas. (E)

93. Teaching for the First Time: an AAPT/PTRA Resource for the beginning physics

teacher, Jan Mader and Mary Winn (American Association of Physics Teachers, College

Park, Maryland, 2008). Among other materials, this book provides helpful information

regarding use of interactive demonstrations in all areas of the high school physics

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curriculum, and provides lots of classroom demonstration experiments and suggestions for

their use. (E)

94. Exploring Physics in the Classroom: an AAPT/PTRA Manual, George Amann, Jon E.

Barber, and Hank J. Ryan (American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park,

Maryland, 2005). This book has two major parts: Section 1 is “exploratory,” where

classroom demonstrations are used to explore the laws of physics. Section 2 is

“practicum,” where laws of physics are applied to real life situations. Nine exploratory

units and 12 practicum challenges are presented in the book. Discussion and sample

calculations are given for each. (E)

95. The Role of the Laboratory in Teaching Introductory Physics: an AAPT/PTRA

Resource, Jim Nelson and Jane Bray Nelson (American Association of Physics Teachers,

College Park, Maryland, 1995).this book presents about 30 lab activities with data sheets,

including questions for the students to answer during the labs. There are lots of interesting

activities; the labs cover statics, mechanics, optics, electricity, magnetism, and more. (E)

E. Inspiration Regarding Teaching with Demonstrations

96. The Art and Science of Lecture Demonstration, Charles Taylor (Taylor & Francis

Group, New York and London, 1988). This book discusses how to present physics lecture

demonstrations, based on the experiences of the author as a distinguished Professor of

Physics at University College, Cardiff, Wales. Professor Taylor described his experiences

using demonstrations in teaching in the Gregynog Lectures at the University College of

Wales, Aberystwyth, during the 1987-1988 academic session, and packaged the content of

these lectures into this book. He describes some of the history of demonstration lectures

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in England at the Royal Institution, discusses in detail what he means by the term

“demonstration,” and proceeds to illustrate techniques for use of demonstrations. He

includes chapters on topics such as “Controversy about the value of demonstrations” and

“The use of drama.” This book is excellent; anyone who wishes to be an outstanding

physics lecture demonstrator should be familiar with both the issues and techniques that

Professor Taylor discusses. (E,I,A)

97. “Best Practices in Physics Demonstrations,” or “Oh, I thought this was just for

entertainment.” Brian A. Pyper, AAPT UT/ID section meeting, Boise, ID, March 2008.

Interesting and entertaining slide show with some helpful comments:

http://emp.byui.edu/PyperB/Best%20Practices%20in%20Physics%20Demonstrations.pdf

(I)

98. “The Lecture Demonstration: Try It, They’ll Like It,” D. Rae Carpenter and Richard B.

Minnix, Phys. Teach. 19, 391-392 (1981). Encouragement for every physics teacher to

use demonstrations as an integral part of their teaching. (I)

99. “Demonstrations as an aid in the teaching of physics,” Wallace A. Hilton, Phys. Teach. 19,

389-390 (1981). A great teacher and demonstrator seeks to inspire other physics teachers.

(I)

100. “The lecture demonstrations: A Developing Crisis,” John B. Johnston, Phys. Teach. 19,

393-394 (1981). The author asks for greater support of demonstrations as an integral

component of a physics course. (I)

101. “Confessions of a converted Lecturer,” 90-minute recorded seminar by Professor Eric

Mazur, as presented to the Perimeter Institute, pirsa.org/10110081, Phys. Teach. 49, 254

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(2011). This item in The Physics Teacher “websights” column discusses the presentation

and gives links to a text file and a PDF download. (A)

102. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwslBPj8GgI, A YouTube version of the previous

Mazur lecture presented at University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus. (A)

103. “Millikan Award Lecture (1998): Building a Science of Teaching Physics,” Edward F.

Redish, University of Maryland, College Park Am. J. Phys. 67, 562-573 (1999).

Inspirational summary of the state of science education with lots of provocative examples.

http://www.physics.umd.edu/perg/papers/redish/millikan.htm. (A)

104. Physics Lecture Demonstrations, with some problems and puzzles, too, compiled and

annotated by Donald Simanek. Discussion of demonstration presentations with lots of

helpful suggestions and demonstration examples.

http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/scenario/demos.htm, (A)

105. How Does A Thing Like That Work?, David G. Willey. This is the home page for

Willey, a physics professor at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Pennsylvania and

very popular lecturer. He regularly appears at a large number of public forums, such as

the Tonight Show. (http://www.pitt.edu/~dwilley/Welcome.html) Four of his most

dangerous demonstrations are explained in an article in the Skeptical Inquirer (Volume

23.6, November/December 1999):

http://www.csicop.org/si/show/physics_behind_four_amazing_demonstrations/

Further information is linked to his home page.

F. Books of demonstrations primarily for informal and pre-high school use.

106. Bet You Can!, Vicky Cobb and Kathy Darling (Avon Books, 1983).

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107. Bet You Can't!, Vicky Cobb and Kathy Darling (Avon Books, 1983).

These two wonderful books are very appropriate for elementary school students. Bet You

Can! includes 62 tricks that, surprisingly, you can do because of the laws of physics; Bet

You Can't! includes 82 tricks that, surprisingly, you can’t do because of the laws of

physics. We use some of these activities at our yearly University spring open house to

entertain small children who came with their parents. I also gave this set of books to my

elementary school grandchildren.

108. Demonstrations in Physics, Julius Sumner Miller (Ure Smith, Sidney, Australia, 1969).

Julius Sumner Miller was a very popular demonstrator of physics during the 1950s and

1960s. In the 1970s he regularly appeared on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show; I

remember staying up late for the Tonight Show so that I could see Professor Miller’s neat

demonstrations. His demonstrations are quick, simple, and compelling, and the

explanations short and sweet. Lamentably, this book is out of print, but it is available

every now and then at used book stores. (E)

109. Millergrams: Some Enchanting Questions for Enquiring Minds, Julius Sumner Miller

(Ure Smith, Sydney, Australia, 1966; Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New

York, 1970).

110. The Second Book of Millergrams: Some More Enchanting Questions for Enquiring

Minds, Julius Sumner Miller (Ure Smith, Sydney, Australia, 1966; Doubleday &

Company, Inc. Garden City, New York, 1970).

These two books contain interesting “physics in real life” questions that originally

appeared as a daily column in The Australian newspaper; each day would have the answer

for the previous day’s question along with a new question for the current day. The

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questions are interestingly phrased, accompanied by a handwritten “blackboard lecture”

type line drawings, and mostly were the sort of thing that inquisitive people had pondered

at some time in their lives. These books include some very interesting and well-phrased

questions that can be used to enhance a physics lecture at almost any level. (E)

111. Physics Fun and Demonstrations with Professor Julius Sumner Miller, Rocco Blasi

(Central Scientific, Chicago, Illinois, 1968). I found this book on Amazon, with no other

information than price. It may have other demonstrations than the previous books, or it

may be available if the others are not. If you are looking for a book about interesting

informal demonstrations, anything about Professor Miller will be a winner. (E)

112. Secrets of 123 Science Tricks and Experiments, Edi Lanners (Tab Books Inc., Blue

Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, 1981). This book emphasizes the type of counterintuitive

tricks that are often used as physics demonstrations to get the attention of the class. Most

experiments are accompanied by classic drawings that remind me of those in magic trick

books in the early twentieth century. It is a fun book, with lots of ideas to keep motivated

upper elementary and middle school students well occupied, and provide neat

demonstrations to physics and science teachers at the middle school or even high school

level. (E)

113. 333 Science Tricks & Experiments, Robert J. Brown (Tab Books Inc., Blue Ridge

Summit, Pennsylvania, 1984).

114. 333 More Science Tricks and Experiments, Robert J. Brown (Tab Books, Inc., Blue

Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, 1984).

These two books contain science experiments that formed the newspaper column “Science

for You” that ran in the L. A. Times Syndicate. The author suggests that the experiments,

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many of which he created, should be challenging for ages up to middle school, and can be

both a learning process and provide interesting and fun activities for parents to do with

their children. The experiments are interesting and compelling; many are accompanied by

short explanations. If you are looking for quick and easy experiments for all occasions,

these books should be in your library. (E)

115. 200 Illustrated Science Experiments for Children, Robert J. Brown (Tab Books, Blue

Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, 1987). This is a thoughtfully prepared book containing

several chapters of experiments in physics, including tricks, projects to build from many

areas of interest, and additional chapters on chemistry and biology. Each experiment has

an equipment list, a procedure, and a brief explanation of what is happening. Many of

these experiments were run in the “Science for You” column of the L. A. Times

Syndicate. (E)

116. More Science for You: 112 Illustrated Experiments, Robert J. Brown (Tab Books, Blue

Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, 1998). This is a continuation of the science demonstrations

prepared for the “Science for You” L. A. Times column. (E)

117. Physics for Kids - 49 Easy Experiments with Optics, Robert W. Wood (Tab Books,

Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, 1990). The author suggest using this book as a sort of

individual optics course, by doing the experiments in order, the earlier being the simpler.

There are lots of nice line drawings, good explanations of the experiments, and even some

more general history and philosophy about light. Each experiment includes a materials

list, suggestions for how to set up the experiment, and a brief explanation. This would

make a nice book for an upper elementary student who is interested in light. (E)

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118. Gadgeteer's Goldmine! 55 Space-Age Projects, McComb, Gordon, (TAB Books,

McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1990) This is a manual with instructions for how to build a collection

of electronic devices, including such items as a Tesla coil, Van de Graaff, a zenon strobe,

and several laser systems. It is written for the knowledgeable amateur, but contains

circuitry that may involve danger as well as ambiguities due to obsolete parts. According

to reviewers, these projects should only be undertaken by a mature student who has some

familiarity with high-voltage circuitry. (I)

119. Janice VanCleave’s Physics for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments in Motion, Heat,

Light, Machines, and Sound, Janice Pratt VanCleave, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New

York, 1981).

120. Janice VanCleave's Magnets: Mind-boggling Experiments You Can Turn Into

Science Fair Projects, Janice Pratt VanCleave, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York,

1993).

121. Janice VanCleave's Energy for Every Kid: Easy Activities That Make Learning

Science Fun, Janice Pratt VanCleave, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey,

2006).

These are three of about ten books constituting the “Janice VanCleave Science for Every

Kid” Series. The experiments are relatively simple, generally requiring materials that are

found around the house or are easily purchased. Most experiments are accompanied with

a motivation, suggestions for performing the experiment, and a brief explanation of the

physics involved. The experiments are appropriate for upper elementary school students

with guidance from a parent; some make use of simple algebra. (E)

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122. Mr. Wizard’s Supermarket Science: More than 100 fascinating and fun experiments

using easy-to-find everyday items. Don Herbert, illustrated by Roy McKie (Random

House, New York, 1980). Lots of “classic” science experiments, including many

involving physics, with brief explanation of the science. These are particularly

appropriate for upper elementary school students with their parents! (E)

123. Entertaining Science Experiments with Everyday Objects, Martin Gardner, Illustrated

by Anthony Ravelli (Dover Publications, Inc, New York, 1960, 1981). This book contains

about 100 simple and compelling physics experiments that can be done with materials

commonly available in the home. It includes a number of classic tricks and illusions, and

surprising experiments designed to get the attention of an observer. If you want good

ideas to use with your middle school student or as quickies for your physics class, this

book is a good choice. (E)

124. Science experiments and amusements for children, Charles Vivian (Dover

Publications, Inc., New York, 1963). This book includes about 75 physics demonstrations

that can be done with materials that are generally found in most homes. It includes nice

photographs of the demonstrations as constructed, and sketches showing how to construct

the demonstrations or analyze the situations. The ideas are very usable at the upper

elementary school level. (E)

125. Fizz Factor: 50 Amazing Experiments with Soda Pop, Steve Spangler (Wren

Publishing, Englewood, Colorado, 2003). The experiments in this book are best done at

home and outside, to keep from getting in trouble with your janitorial staff (or your wife

or mother, whatever the case may be). Steve Spangler is probably best known for his

large set of demonstration videos done on a television station in Denver (listed in the

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section on videos). He describes compelling, if rather messy, demonstrations, with lots of

interesting facts, and brief explanations. The book also includes some interesting reading

at the beginning, including the “story” of soda pop, chemicals normally found in the

drinks, and perhaps a few reasons to never drink it. Many of the experiments have safety

warnings, and he suggests use of goggles, along with a good dose of common sense. (E)

126. Tons of Scientifically Provocative and Socially Acceptable Thins to Do with Balloons

under the Guise of Teaching Science, Glenn McGlathery and Larry Malone (Teacher

Ideas Press, A Division of Libraries Unlimited, Inc., Englewood, Colorado, 1991). The

title sort of says it all here; this book is certainly useful if you want your elementary

school students to pay attention, and probably for things like scouting merit badges,

birthday parties and University Open Houses that attract elementary school children. It

does in fact contain 83 interesting and compelling physics experiments, along with simple

explanations and comments calling attention to the actual physics principles involved.

The authors provide correlation tables with the appropriate grade level (K-6) for each

experiment, provide lists of the concepts involved, and relate the experiment to the chapter

in several of the more popular school science textbooks. (E)

127. Science on a Shoestring, Herb Strongin (Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading,

Massachusetts, 1985, 1976). This book contains nearly 50 elementary science

experiments covering several areas of science, including physics. The range of grade

levels for each activity is provided at the heading of each experiment description.

Drawings of setups are includes where appropriate, along with many photographs of

actively engaged students. An appendix provides a list of materials with their sources,

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mostly supermarkets or hardware stores; all materials are available from a single source in

the form of a kit discussed in the book. (E)

128. Taking Charge: An Introduction to Electricity, Larry E. Schafer (National Science

Teachers Association, Washington, DC, 1992). This book includes 14 activities on static

electricity and 11 activities on current electricity at the middle school level. Each activity

includes some background, an objective, suggested activities and/or challenges, and

possible additional activities that extend the activity’s study. A Guide for Teachers at the

end of the book provides the list of necessary materials and some suggested sources. (E)

129. Safe and Simple Electrical Experiments, Rudolf F. Graf (Dover Publications, Inc., New

York, 1964). This book contains 101 simple and safe experiments on the topics of Static

Electricity, Magnetism, and Current Electricity and Electromagnetism, written in an

informal manner for mainly non-school use. Each experiment includes a list of materials

– usually very simple - along with simple instructions and lots of drawings (The title page

advertises “164 illustrations.”). This book is particularly nice for groups like scouting

dens, cub scout merit badges, or other informal groups where an interest in group

intellectual activities is appropriate. At the beginning of the book the author provides “A

Brief Chronological History of Great Discoveries in Electricity” between 2637 B.C. and

1895. (E)

130. Flying Tinsel: An Unusual Approach to Teaching Electricity, Grant Mellor (Cuisenaire

Company of America, Inc., White Plains, New York, 1993). This book includes 29

experiments, divided roughly equally between three units: Static Electricity, Current

Electricity, and Electromagnetism. The book suggests grade levels 5-8, but the

development took place with 5th and 6th graders at the school where the author taught.

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Some of the activities might be challenging to average 5th graders; for example, the author

discusses Ohm’s law and solves problems with the aid of the equation. Each experiment

is accompanied by a list of materials, an overview, and a brief discussion of necessary

teacher background. Other issues are discussed as necessary; many helpful drawings are

included where appropriate. A nice glossary is included, and some discussion is presented

regarding obtaining materials: some of the materials needed are more sophisticated than

those of the average “kitchen physics” book. (E)

131. Simple Physics Experiments With Everyday Materials, Judy Breckenridge,

Illustrations by Frances W. Zweifel (Sterling Publishing Co. Inc., 1993). This book,

replete with cartoon animals, is written for children in grades 3-6. I thought it rather fun,

but some of the explanations are too oversimplified for the editorial reviewer. (E)

132. Electronics for Kids (http://users.stargate.net/~eit/kidspage.htm) This material is a

class project at the Erie Institute of Technology. It describes twelve experiments with

electronics that are safe for elementary school children. Also included are a list of seven

additional science experiment reference books and several good science web sites. Take a

look. (E)

F. Demonstration web sites

The Physics Instructional Resource Association (PIRA) first met informally at the 1984

Summer Meeting of the AAPT at the University of Maryland. In 1986 the group began

meeting formally, and in 1987 adopted the name “Physics Instructional Resource

Association.” Since that time PIRA has taken the lead in developing a large number of

demonstration based resources for physics teachers, demonstrations technicians,

laboratory technicians, and other people interested generally in physics teaching

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equipment. PIRA also offers a demonstration workshop prior to the yearly AAPT

Summer Meeting.

Much of the work done by PIRA has been in the area of organizing demonstrations into a

universal topical arrangement, called the PIRA Demonstration Classification Scheme

(DCS), linked below. The DCS organization includes the major areas of physics, sub-

topics of these major areas, individual demonstrations, and demonstration references.

This allows interested individuals to communicate quickly with each other and to find

information about any specific demonstration or demonstration topic. PIRA has collected

this information in an enormous data base of on demonstrations and their use, called the

PIRA Demonstration Bibliography, which is also linked below. This compilation

identifies about 2,500 basic demonstrations, and includes over 10,500 entries: basic

physics demonstrations and variants, listings of the demonstration in each of the important

reference manuals identified by the group, and reference papers in various scientific

journals. The DCS can be viewed on-line, or can be downloaded from the PIRA

Demonstration Bibliography page linked below. Many of the members of PIRA have

organized their physics demonstration laboratories around the PIRA DCS numbering

system. PIRA has also compiled lists of the 200 and 500 most popular demonstrations, so

that any teacher or demonstration technician may be guided in developing new

demonstrations that are of the greatest general interest. The PIRA Demonstration

Workshop generally features the PIRA 200 demonstrations. The web sites below are

associated with the efforts of PIRA and the individual members of that group.

133. http://physicslearning.colorado.edu/PiraHome or http://www.pira-online.org,

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The PIRA Home Page.

134. http://physicslearning.colorado.edu/PiraHome/dcs/PIRADCS.html,

The PIRA Demonstration Classification Scheme.

135. http://physicslearning.colorado.edu/PiraHome/pira200/pira200.htm,

The PIRA 200 Demonstration List.

136. http://physicslearning.colorado.edu/Pira.asp,

The full PIRA Demonstration Bibliography.

Michael Thomason, the Physics Learning Labs Director for the University of Colorado

Physics Department and host for the PIRA web site, has provided a Global Demonstration

Web Spider that can search more than 60 University Physics Demonstration web sites for

information regarding any demonstration using the name, the PIRA number, or key words.

This system has become an enormous aid in teaching: finding new demonstrations,

looking at alternative explanations for any physics demonstration, surveying photographs

and plans for a demonstration that you may wish to duplicate, or finding reference

materials that may be helpful for any of the above.

137. http://physicslearning.colorado.edu/QuerySp.html?x=70&y=15,

The Global Demo Web Spider.

The first University physics demonstration web site was created by Keith Warren at North

Carolina State University in early 1995; ten years later there were over seventy-five such

sites. The PIRA Global Demonstration Web Spider includes over 60 University physics

demonstration web sites, listed at the web site. Below, I have selected a smaller number

of these sites, along with a few others, and comment very briefly on the features included

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on these sites which demonstration devotees or teachers might find of interest. Hopefully

this information can be used to aid the development and use of demonstrations as well as

to compare demonstration use and availability among peer institutions. Criteria for

inclusion in the list below include: (1) photographs and videos of demonstrations that

might be useful in understanding and/or duplicating the apparatus, (2) a significant

number of original demonstrations, including physics and astronomy, on the site, or (3)

other information that may be helpful in the development and use demonstrations, such as

finding the most popular demonstrations for use in basic physics courses or information on

procurement. The last two entries include lists of University traveling physics

demonstration programs; two university museums of antique physics equipment will also

be found near the end of the list.

138. http://pirt.asu.edu/

Arizona State University, Department of Physics, Physics Instructional Resource

Team.

 About 800 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.

 Links to lots of interesting physics pedagogy web pages.

139. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/cosam/departments/physics/intro-courses/

demonstrations/

Auburn University Physics Demonstration Web Site.

 Almost 300 demonstrations with photographs and brief explanations.

140. http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/

Physics lecture demonstrations at Boston University.

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 Almost 450 listed demonstrations, about 60 with pictures and detailed descriptions.

 List of demonstrations used in about 20 different courses.

 Section on interactive demonstrations.

 Other interesting links, including simulations.

141. http://www.physics.brown.edu/physics/demopages/demo/

Brown University Department of Physics Lecture Demonstrations.

 Descriptions for over 450 demonstrations, with photographs.

 Suggestions for use of classroom demonstrations for a variety of courses.

 Detailed daily list of demonstrations used in thirty courses over twelve years.

 Page of links to providers of demonstration equipment.

 Summaries of the material covered in several important physics video productions.

(including The Mechanical Universe, The Complete Cosmos, The Feynman series, Carl

Sagan’s Cosmos, and The Astronomers).

142. http://parallax.sci.csupomona.edu/demo

Physics Demonstrations at Cal Poly Pomona.

 Over 650 demonstrations, most with pictures and brief descriptions.

 Page with lots of video links.

143. http://physdemo.phys.cmu.edu/

Carnegie Mellon University Physics Demonstrations.

 About 150 demonstrations with pictures and short descriptions.

144. http://phoenix.phys.clemson.edu/Demo_Web/Demos/lecdem.htm

Clemson University Department of Physics and Astronomy Lecture-Demonstration

Facility.

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 About 500 demonstrations with pictures and brief descriptions.

 Suggested demonstrations for eight basic physics and astronomy courses.

 List of about 40 equipment vendors with detailed contact information.

145. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/physics/rce/main/demo/

Columbia University Department of Physics Lecture Demonstrations.

 Almost 250 demonstrations, many with color photographs.

146. http://www.de-monstrare.nl/

Department of Applied Physics of the Delft University of Technology Demonstration

Database.

 About 230 demonstrations with photographs, descriptions and detailed explanations

with equations, and references.

147. http://sciencedemonstrations.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do

Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations.

 Almost 1000 demonstrations listed, over half with detailed descriptions and

photographs.

 Over 40 demonstration videos and many simulations linked to demonstrations.

 Search engine to locate demos, videos, and simulations using key words.

148. http://www.hmc.edu/academicsclinicresearch/academicdepartments/physics/kiosk1/

demos.html

Harvey Mudd College Physics Lecture Demonstrations.

 Almost 200 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.

149. http://www.physics.isu.edu/physdemos/

Physics Demonstrations at Idaho State University.

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 Over 400 demonstrations listed, about one-third with pictures and descriptions.

150. http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~demos/

Indiana University, Bloomington, Physics Lecture Demonstrations.

 Nearly 275 demonstrations with brief descriptions.

151. http://learning.physics.iastate.edu/DemoRoom/Demos.htm

Iowa State University List of Lecture Demonstrations.

 About 375 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.

152. http://www.pha.jhu.edu/dept/lecdemo/

Johns Hopkins University Physics Lecture Demonstration Resources.

 About 650 demonstrations with short descriptions and color photographs.

 Suggested demonstrations for seven physics courses.

153. http://www.pa.msu.edu/educ/lectdemo/

Lecture Demonstrations at Michigan State University Department of Physics and

Astronomy.

 Almost 400 demonstrations with brief descriptions.

154. http://www.phys.lsu.edu/newwebsite/lecturedemo/

Louisiana State University Physics and Astronomy Lecture Demonstrations.

 Over 100 demonstrations with pictures and short descriptions.

155. http://scripts.mit.edu/~tsg/www/

MIT Department of Physics Technical Services Group.

 Almost 450 demonstrations with pictures, descriptions and links to similars.

 Over 50 films, including several classic 1960s films, converted to electronic format.

156. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/phydemo/

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Michigan Technological University Physics Lecture-Demonstration Facility

 About 200 demonstrations, mostly with pictures and descriptions.

157. http://physics.msstate.edu/demos/

Mississippi State University Physics and Astronomy Lecture Demonstrations

 About 325 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions with some detail.

158. http://www.physics.montana.edu/demonstrations/home.html

Montana State University: Welcome to the Demo Room.

 Almost 600 demonstrations with pictures and brief descriptions.

159. http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/demoroom/

North Carolina State University Physics Demonstrations.

 Descriptions of over 500 demonstrations with photographs.

 About 100 short videos of the demonstrations.

 Running summary of the “Top 50” demonstrations used over the past twelve years.

 List of suggested demonstrations by chapter for eight popular textbooks.

 Nice list of demonstration equipment suppliers.

 “Isaac & Albert's Excellent Adventure” public programs.

160. http://physics.okstate.edu/ackerson/Physics_demos/

Ohio State University Physics Demonstrations

 About 175 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.

161. https://www.physics.purdue.edu/demos/

Purdue University College of Science Department of Physics Demonstrations

 About 350 demonstrations with brief descriptions and photographs.

162. http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/physics/

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University of California Berkeley Physics Lecture Demonstrations.

 About 700 demonstrations with line drawings and short explanations.

 Links to simulations and videos.

163. http://www.physics.ucla.edu/demoweb/

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

 Over 300 demonstrations with short descriptions and photographs or sketches.

 Nice sections on Unique UCLA Demos and Unusual Physics.

164. http://www-physics.ucsd.edu/dept/facilities/labs/demos/

University of California, San Diego, Physics Lecture Equipment and Demonstrations

 Over 150 demonstrations with pictures and brief descriptions.

165. http://homepages.uc.edu/physics/resources/demoweb/

University of Cincinnati Department of Physics Lecture Demonstration Home Page.

 Almost 200 demonstrations, most with pictures and descriptions.

166. http://physicslearning.colorado.edu/Website_new/Common/ldl.asp

University of Colorado Lecture Demonstration Laboratory.

 Site includes about 425 demonstration write-ups covering all areas of basic physics,

with color photographs, list of equipment, brief description, and history of use.

 Running lists of the demonstrations used by all physics and astronomy classes.

167. http://www.phys.ufl.edu/demo/index.html

University of Florida Physics Department Demonstration Page.

 About 425 demonstrations listed, some with pictures and brief descriptions.

 Over 100 short demonstration videos.

168. http://physicsweb.phy.uic.edu/demo/tableofcontents.asp

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University of Illinois at Chicago Physics Demo Home Page.

 Over 200 demonstrations, some with pictures and videos, with short descriptions.

169. http://demo.physics.uiuc.edu/LectDemo/

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physics Lecture Demonstrations.

 About 750 demonstrations with short descriptions.

170. http://faraday.physics.uiowa.edu/

University of Iowa Physics and Astronomy Lecture Demonstrations.

 Descriptions of over 1325 demonstrations with photographs.

 Over 250 short videos of demonstrations.

 Extensive listings of teacher resources, Java applets, science related listservs,

manufacturers of science equipment, and science equipment catalogs.

 Listings of links to science humor and physics songs.

 Links to science museums, libraries, archives, and history.

 “Hawk-Eyes on Science” outreach program with descriptions, pictures, and videos.

171. http://www2.ku.edu/~physics/dept/pademo.shtml

University of Kansas Physics and Astronomy Demos

 About 235 demonstrations with relatively detailed explanations.

172. http://www.physics.umd.edu/lecdem/

University of Maryland Physics Lecture-Demonstration Facility.

 Descriptions of over 1550 demonstrations with photographs, many with videos.

 About 500 short videos of demonstrations on line.

 Suggested demonstrations for courses, including Acoustics and Optics core courses.

 Summaries of demonstration use over a nine year period in 15 lower level courses.

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 Summaries of demonstrations used in all courses for a nine year period.

 The Physics Question of the Week.

 Physics is Phun local demonstration programs and traveling programs.

173. http://lecturedemo.ph.unimelb.edu.au/

University of Melbourne Physics Lecture Demonstration

 Almost 300 demonstrations with pictures and brief descriptions.

174. https://webapps.lsa.umich.edu/physics/demolab/

University of Michigan Physics Demonstration Home Page

 Over 800 demonstrations with nice pictures and short descriptions (over 25

Astronomy).

 Over 50 short videos of demonstrations.

 Lists of (1) simple, (2) hands-on, and (3) inexpensive demonstrations.

175. http://groups.physics.umn.edu/demo/

University of Minnesota Physics Lecture Demonstrations.

 Over 1000 demonstrations with about 700 attached videos.

 Separate list of available videos.

176. http://physics.unl.edu/undergrad/demonstrations.html,

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Physics and Astronomy Lecture Demonstration

Catalogs

 About 685 demonstrations with pictures and brief descriptions.

 Outreach for elementary students, both traveling and local programs.

 Summer astronomy workshop for teachers.

 New demo facility with compact shelving and inventory system.

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177. http://panda.unm.edu/pandaweb/demos/index.php

University of New Mexico Department of Physics and Astronomy Regener Hall

Lecture Demonstrations

 About 350 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.

 Set of “predictive demonstrations.”

178. http://www.physics.unc.edu/demos/

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Physics and Astronomy

Lecture Demonstrations.

 Over 180 demonstrations with photographs and short descriptions.

179. http://www.phys.unt.edu/~klittler/demoroomindex.htm

University of North Texas Physics Lecture Demonstration Home Page

 Over 175 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.

 Suggested demonstrations for several basic physics courses.

180. http://physics.uoregon.edu/~demo/Demo/demo.html

University of Oregon Physics Demonstration Catalog.

 Over 350 demonstrations with sketches and short descriptions.

181. http://physics.usc.edu/demolab/index.html

University of Southern California, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Physics

Demo Lab

 About 270 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.

182. http://www.phys.utk.edu/demoroom/

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Physics Demonstration Room Webpage

 About 130 demonstrations with pictures and creative descriptions.

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183. http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~phy-demo/

University of Texas at Austin Physics Lecture Demonstration Office.

 Over 250 demonstrations with pictures and brief descriptions.

184. http://demolab.phys.virginia.edu/demos/demolab.asp

University of Virginia Physics Lecture Demonstrations Laboratory.

 About 250 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.

 Thorough lists of demos used for over ten years in about a dozen basic physics classes,

including How Things Work, the class originated by Louis Bloomfield at Virginia.

185. http://www.phys.washington.edu/facilities/lectdemo/toc.html

University of Washington Physics Department Lecture Demonstrations

 Approximately 750 demonstrations with brief descriptions.

Note: Demonstrations at the University of Washington Physics Department were used

to video about 570 of the 600 demonstrations in the Video Encyclopedia of Physics

Demonstrations (The other 30 were videotaped at the University of Maryland.).

186. http://www.physics.wisc.edu/facultywiki/Demonstrations

University of Wisconsin Physics Lecture Demonstrations

 Over 1000 demonstrations, some have descriptions and nice photographs.

 WIKI system to obtain information on demonstrations. (Search by subject, course, or

storage location.)

 Nice pictures of 50 exhibits in the "L.R. Ingersoll Physics Museum" Established in

1918: http://www.physics.wisc.edu/museum/

187. http://www.vuw.ac.nz/scps-demos/

Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Physics Teachers’ Resource Bank

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 Large collection of demonstrations that can be loaned for use at schools in New

Zealand.

188. http://www.phys.vt.edu/~demo/

Virginia Tech University Department of Physics Demonstration List

 Over 200 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.

189. http://www.wfu.edu/physics/demolabs/demos/

Wake Forest University Physics Department Online Demonstration List

 Over 230 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.

 Over 150 videos, linked to demos and separately indexed.

190. http://www.physics.wsu.edu/demos/

Washington State University Department of Physics and Astronomy Lecture

Demonstrations.

 Over 500 demonstrations with short descriptions, some with photos and videos.

191. http://www.as.wvu.edu/phys/demobook/demo_menu.htm

West Virginia University Physics Department: Physics Demonstrations.

 About 180 demonstrations with short descriptions.

192. http://ris-systech2.its.yale.edu/physics/demos/demomain.asp,

Yale Physics Labs: Lecture Demonstrations.

 Over 300 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions; approximately 30 with videos.

193. http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/

SCIENCE HOBBYIST: Top Page, Bill Beaty. While this web site is not exactly what

you would call a university physics demonstration page, it does have information about

lots of physics demonstrations as well as a mind-numbing collection of other information,

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as can be seen by viewing the top page. Through the years I have had a lot of fun and

learned a lot of things that helped me in understanding my work better by perusing this

web site. The highlights include: demonstration lists, physics toys, physics and electronics

projects, a large textbook errors, science fair information and projects, and a collection of

other unusual topics. It is worth knowing what is in this site if you are in the business and

need good ideas or answers to weird questions from time to time. Nice site! (E)

194. http://www.uvm.edu/~dahammon/museum/

University of Vermont Physics Department Antique Demonstrations and Apparatus.

This is a very nice pictorial catalog, including a large amount of historical equipment,

catalogued by maker, device, topic and date. (I)

195. http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyApparatus/index.html

Instruments for Natural Philosophy, Thomas Greenslade, Kenyon College. This is an

outstanding collection of historical physics demonstration equipment, collected and

organized by Thomas Greenslade, the world expert on antique physics equipment. The

site displays pictures, descriptions, documentation, and references for about 1850 pieces

of apparatus. This is an incredible treasure, well worth any time taken to browse through

the site. (I)

196. http://littleshop.physics.colostate.edu/index.html, The Little Shop of Physics, Brian

Jones, Colorado State University. This group has a collection of more than 100 physics

demonstrations that are used in several excellent programs aimed at pre-college students

and teachers. They hold an annual demonstration open house at the University, and

present a variety of demonstration workshops for teachers. (I)

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197. http://van.physics.illinois.edu/k12/, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at

Urbana-Champaign SCIENCE 2 SCHOOLS. This is the home page of the University

of Illinois Physics Van. On the page is a map of the United States with indicators linked

to all of the known traveling physics programs in the states. Click on the geographical

indicator or on the state to get contact information for the program in which you are

interested. The site seems up-to-date. According to the director, Mats Selen, anyone who

wants to have something added to the map can email [email protected]. Very nice

site! (E)

198. http://www.aps.org/programs/outreach/guide/road/programs.cfm, American Physical

Society: Physics on the Road Programs. This is the formal listing of 22 traveling

physics programs known to the American Physical Society. This is not a complete list,

compared with the UIUC list above, so people interested in advertisement for their physics

road shows should contact the webmaster and send in their information. (E)

G. Demonstration videos

199. http://www.edgroup.org/, The Video Encyclopedia of Physics Demonstrations, John A.

Davis, Brett Carroll, Richard E. Berg, and Jearl Walker, Spanish translations by Adelaida

Lopez-Mejia, Josip Slisko, and Raul A. Brito Orta (The Education Group, Inc., 2011)

This is a professionally produced set of 600 physics demonstrations, covering all areas of

physics. Accompanying written literature discusses the demonstrations in some depth,

provides reference material, and gives further information regarding their use. These

videos are very appropriate for use in high schools and college/university basic physics

courses, especially where demonstrations are not readily available. The Education Group

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has made many of these films available to students and faculty at certain schools and

universities by a special licensing agreement; talk with the company representative to see

if your school can make such an arrangement. A full set of 25 DVDs with both English

and Spanish narrative is now available from The Education Group; other language

narratives are being prepared. (E)

200. http://www.physicscurriculum.com/video.htm, Physics Curriculum & Instruction,

Physics DVD Titles. Twenty videos of approximately 30 minute length are available,

covering the following areas of physics: mechanics (6 films), heat (3 films), sound and

waves (3 films), light (2 films), electricity and magnetism (3 films), space flight (3 films)

and high-speed photography (1 film). Each individual film includes about eight of the

popular physics demonstrations. These films are very professionally done. (E)

201. http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm, Wonders of Physics, Julien Clinton Sprott

(University of Wisconsin, 1986-2010). The Wonders of Physics is the title given to the

yearly series of public demonstration lectures that Professor Sprott had presented at the

University of Wisconsin since 1986. All 27 of these lectures have been videotaped, and

are available from the University of Wisconsin in DVD format. Two additional DVDs,

with individual demonstration segments for about 85 of the demonstrations which

Professor Sprott discusses in his book, Physics Demonstrations: A Sourcebook for

Teachers of Physics, are available with the book. Professor Sprott is a highly respected

researcher and outstanding teacher, and his Wonders of Physics programs are immensely

popular. Information regarding the purchase of these materials is found at the above URL.

(E)

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202. http://www.ovguide.com/tv/the_kinetic_karnival_of_jearl_walker.htm, The Kinetic

Karnival Of Jearl Walker, Jearl Walker (WVIZ/PBS Ideastream®, Cleveland, Ohio,

2011). This is a set of six 30-minute videos created by Professor Walker in the 1970s.

Titles include: 1. Forces and Collisions, 2. Rotation, 3. Fluid Flow and Friction, 4.

Viscosity, 5. The Leidenfrost Effect, and 6. The Science of Cooking. They are all very

creatively done, with nice short explanations of the phenomena demonstrated.

Video orders can be placed with the WVIZ/PBS Ideastream® Idea Center®:

http://www.wviz.org/index.php/education/itv_order/13283/.

If you are contemplating doing the “finger in molten lead” or the “walking on red-hot

coals” demonstrations, you should probably watch the video entitled The Leidenfrost

Effect. These experiments can be very dangerous; serious injury can occur if something

goes wrong, even when you believe that you are doing the demonstrations properly. (E)

203. http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/video?viewall=1, Steve Spangler’s Science, Steve

Spangler (Steve Spangler’s Science, 2011). This web site contains over 300 short videos

of physics demonstration experiments as performed by Steve Spangler on his weekly

Science Mondays segments on KUSA-TV 9 News in Denver. The production is

professional and the explanations are brief. These videos can be nicely used in a number

of classroom situations, so are well worth reviewing. (E)

204. http://www.physics.umd.edu/lecdem/services/refs/DIAdescrip.htm Demonstrations in

Acoustics, Richard E. Berg and David G. Stork (Physics Department, University of

Maryland, 1979, 2004). This is a set of two 2-hour DVDs with over 75 individual

demonstrations in 29 titled segments; topics include vibrations, waves, and sound, at the

level of an introductory non-major college course; a complete listing with further

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descriptions will be found on the web site. The material was recorded in 1979, and re-

issued in DVD format in 2004. These demonstrations, along with large number of others,

are used in the Physics of Sound course at the University of Maryland. (E)

205. http://courses2.cit.cornell.edu/physicsdemos/, The Physics Video Demonstration

Database, Cornell University (Matthias Liepe, 2008-2011). The Database includes about

180 films produced at Cornell as well as a number of films submitted by other institutions.

(E,I)

206. http://demo1.physics.wisc.edu/Shortfilms/1960sFilmLoops.html

University of Wisconsin. About 113 short films (most originally 8mm film loops) have

been converted to Quicktime movie format and can be seen on this web site. Many of

these films can be purchased in DVD format in the Physics Single-concept Films

described below. (E)

207. http://www.wfu.edu/physics/demolabs/demos/avimov/bychptr/bychptr.htm Wake Forest

University Physics Demonstration Videos. This web site includes over 150 short videos

of demonstrations covering many topics of the general physics curriculum. (E)

208. http://video_demos.colostate.edu/, Engineering and Physics Video Demonstrations,

Dave Hall (Colorado State University, 2011). This site contains a very large number of

demonstration videos, along with simulations, covering a large number of physics and

engineering topics. These materials are short and to the point, and are of excellent

technical quality and carefully designed for clarity, both in the videography and in the

physics explanations provided. This is one place that you should always look if you need

high-quality short films. A short list of other physics film sources is also given. (E,I,A)

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209. http://alfredleitner.com/ Alfred Leitner's Old Physics Stories. This page includes links

to five movies, in the areas of low temperature physics (at Michigan State University) and

classical optics (at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), produced by Professor Alfred

Leitner. As an MSU physics graduate student in the 1960s, my laboratory was across the

hall from Professor Leitner’s production studio, and I found his experiments and videos on

superconductivity and superfluid He3 to be immensely interesting and insightful. At this

site you will be able to view and download any of the five excellent movies that Professor

Leitner has produced. (I)

210. http://home.messiah.edu/~barrett/mpg/mpg.html, Physics Movies [mpg’s], Robert

Barrett, Messiah College. This web page contains short film loops on wave motion

produced by Professor Barrett in the 1960s era, as well as some films that he produced in

later years. I have used several of these in teaching elementary physics as well as sound

and light courses for non-physics students, and found them very helpful. You may

download the films from this site. (E)

The six DVD set shown below was originally compiled in videodisc format as a project of

the American Association of Physics Teachers to collect a number of classic physics 8mm

film loops and 16mm films into a single set using DVD format (originally videodisc

format), to make them more accessible to physics teachers, most specifically for middle

schools and high schools; the commercial advertising material suggests that they are for

grade 7 and above. The original films contain a large number of interesting and very well

done demonstrations and laboratory experiments, the best of which were excised from the

original films, given new narrations, and included with slides and other materials in the

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final DVD product. The original videodisc set came with a printed “Directory with Bar

Codes,” a very detailed descriptive manual that could be used to find any particular video

segment of interest and have the videodisc player go immediately to that segment when

the bar code is scanned (if you have one of the players with the bar code feature). It

appears that the first (Part A and Part B) and third (Part E and Part F) of the videodiscs are

still available at this time, but all six of the Parts (A through F) are available in the DVD

format. Each DVD comes with a CD-ROM manual containing lesson plans, activities,

and reference materials. I prefer the original, complete movies, over these segments, and

appreciate the comments given by the original scientists who appeared in the movies.

Although some of the material is potentially useful at lower levels, I find the sum product

a bit disappointing for use in the college/university setting. My hope is that more of these

classic films will be converted to DVD and re-issued in the original version, even though

they may seem “quaint” by today’s standards.

211. Physics: Cinema Classics A: Mechanics (I), (American Association of Physics

Teachers, College Park, Maryland) (E)

212. Physics: Cinema Classics B: Mechanics (II) & Heat, (American Association of Physics

Teachers, College Park, Maryland) (E)

213. Physics: Cinema Classics C: Waves (I), (American Association of Physics Teachers,

College Park, Maryland) (E)

214. Physics: Cinema Classics D: Waves (II) & Electricity and Magnetism, (American

Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland) (E)

215. Physics: Cinema Classics E: Conservation Laws, (American Association of Physics

Teachers, College Park, Maryland) (E)

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216. Physics: Cinema Classics F: Angular Momentum and Modern Physics, (American

Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland) (E)

The three sets of physics single-concept films below, most of which were originally

published in the 1960s and 1970s as silent 8mm film loops, have been converted to DVD

format and a soundtrack added. A Teacher’s Guide is also provided, with information that

was originally printed on the boxes that held the film loops. Over my 40-plus years of

University teaching, I have found many of these loops to be both convenient and helpful,

and am very happy to see them re-issued in this more convenient and modern format.

217. Physics Single-concept Films: Collection 1, Robert G. Fuller, Editor (AAPT

Instructional Materials Center, 1993). This set includes Unit 1: Motion (9 loops), Unit II:

Motion in the Heavens and Modern Physics (7 loops), Unit III: Momentum and Energy

and Waves (10 loops), and Unit IV: Collisions (9 loops). These films were originally

produced in 1968 by the National Film Board of Canada with U.S. National Science

Foundation Support. (E)

218. Physics Single-concept Films: Collection 2, Robert G. Fuller, Editor (AAPT

Instructional Materials Center, 1993). This set includes Unit I: Mechanics (12 loops),

Unit II: Collisions and Periodic Motion (10 loops), Unit III: Behavior of Gases (8 loops),

and Unit IV: Light and Electricity and Magnetism (8 loops). These films were originally

produced commercially and known as Ealing film loops. (E)

219. Physics Single-concept Films: The Miller Collection, Robert G. Fuller, Editor (AAPT

Instructional Materials Center, 1993). This set includes Unit I: Mechanics (7 loops), Unit

II: Waves (7 loops), and Unit III: Molecular, Atomic, and Nuclear Physics (7 loops).

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These films were originally included in a series produced by Franklin Miller, Jr. of

Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, at the Ohio State University with a grant from the

National Science Foundation. (E)

220. Twin Views of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse, This DVD provides two video

segments documenting the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge: (1) the 3’20” segment

from the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse silent 8mm film loop by Franklin

Miller, and (2) the 7’40” segment taken from the videodisc The Puzzle of the Tacoma

Narrows Bridge Collapse by Fuller, Zollman, and Campbell, that includes an audio track

with comments by one of the bridge engineers and a reporter for the local paper who lost

his dog and his car in the carnage. (The original interactive videodisc included this video

and a lesson on how the collapse occurred. However, the explanation presented is

incorrect, so I would not suggest using the videodisc even if it were still available.) These

are both very riveting videos, and, in combination with the User’s Guide containing

background information, make an excellent product. (E)

221. Frames of Reference, J.N. Patterson Hume and Donald Glenn Ivey (PSSC Physics Films,

1960). This classic film has been converted to DVD format, and is now available from the

AAPT with a Barcode and Chapter Guide for use with pre-college students. Although the

original black-and-white video is dated, and might be viewed as “quaint” by today’s

standards, it is a thoroughly captivating experience to see and hear the two original experts

present really interesting material in their unique way. Viewing this movie is an excellent

use of 28 minutes of a physics class. (E)

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222. Frames of Reference, J.N. Patterson Hume and Donald Glenn Ivey (PSSC Physics Films,

1960, distributed in videodisc format by Central Scientific Company, Franklin Park,

Illinois, Copyright EDC, Inc., 1960). This is the videodisc format that is still available

from CENCO. (E)

223. Photons/Interference of Photons, John G. King (PSSC Physics Films, 1959, distributed

in videodisc format by Central Scientific Company, Franklin Park, Illinois, Copyright

EDC, Inc., 1959). These two films form a nice set, narrated by the original researcher. It

is instructional to see how Professor king describes his apparatus and explains the physics

involved. I have found it helpful to combine this video with the actual demonstration in

classes on quantum physics. (E,I)

224. Charles and Ray Eames: Pioneers of Visual Ideas, Visual Pathfinders, Catalog #31537

(Ray Eames and Laserdisc Corporation of America, 1988). This videodisc includes the

original “Powers of Ten” video, with its outstanding narration by Philip Morrison, which I

strongly prefer over the version published later with a different narrator. Another video on

this disc is “Tops,” showing a number of tops of indigenous American people; I showed

this one as people came into the lecture hall for our public Physics is Phun program on

rotational physics, “Going in Circles with Physics.” I have not found a current source for

the materials on this videodisc, but hope that they will be re-issued. Note that “Powers of

Ten” can also be found in several versions on YouTube. (E)

225. http://www.physics.umd.edu/lecdem/services/avmats/avmats.htm, University of

Maryland, Physics Lecture-Demonstration Facility, AUDIO-VISUAL LIST.

Beginning in the 1960s, the University of Maryland Physics lecture-Demonstration

Facility collected a very large number of physics films from a variety of sources. This

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web page lists these films by physics topic, and includes over 600 titles. We obtained

these films from a variety of sources, including purchase and the now defunct Commission

on College Physics. It is included solely to provide information on the breadth of physics

films that have been produced over the last fifty years. (E)

H. Physics computer simulations

An enormous number of physics simulations have been developed during recent years,

many of which are readily available on both University and commercial web sites. The

earliest programs were written for the Apple Macintosh in JAVA language, and were

called “Applets.” At this point, simulations are readily found in JAVA, Shock, and Flash

(“Flashlets”). Professor Wolfgang Christian holds the copyright on the term “Physlet®,”

so the copyright symbol should be attached to that term. Terms such as simulation,

animation, Applet, and model, as well as Physlet® apply to these programs. This

document provides links to information on the web and in books based on two primary

criteria: (1) a significant number of quality simulations are available from the source, and

(2) these simulations must for the most part be original, not simply a listing of those

written by another source.

226. Physlet Physics: Interactive Illustrations, Explorations and Problems for

Introductory Physics, Wolfgang Christian and Mario Belloni (Addison-Wesley, Reading,

Massachusetts, 2004). This CD-ROM contains over 800 Physlet® exercises. (E)

227. Physlet® Quantum Physics: An Interactive Introduction, Mario Belloni, Wolfgang

Christian, and Anne Cox (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 2005). This CD-

ROM contains over 200 Physlet exercises. (E)

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228. Physlets: Teaching Physics with Interactive Curricular Material, Wolfgang Christian

and Mario Belloni (Addison-Wesley, Reading Massachusetts, 2001). Contains lots of

information on how to use the Davidson Physlets. Contains information on using the

Physlets as an instructor’s supplement to the set of about 13 books written by Douglas C.

Giancoli. (E)

229. Physlets: Web-Based Interactive Physics Problems: A CD to accompany the book

Physlets: Teaching Physics with Interactive Curricular Material, Wolfgang Christian

and Mario Belloni. (Physics Department, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina)

(E)

230. Virtual Physics Labs, Kinetic Books (Kinetic Books Company, 2001-2010). These labs

are designed to accompany the Kinetic Books physics texts, and are written at three levels:

Conceptual Physics, Principles of Physics (Physics AP/B exam level), and Physics for

Scientists and Engineers (Physics AP/C exam level). They have a very informative web

site: http://www.kineticbooks.com/index.php that describes both their electronic textbooks

and their virtual physics laboratories, and allows visitors to surf through some of the

lessons and labs. They claim that their materials are good for use in high schools and

colleges as well as home schooling, and on their web site have included a list of over 100

colleges and universities that have purchased their products, including a few non-

American English speaking schools. This book is currently available from the AAPT. (E)

231. http://webphysics.davidson.edu/applets/applets.html, Physlets®: The Physlets resource

page, with links to important pages and references (Wolfgang Christian, Davidson

College, 2005-present). (E)

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232. http://webphysics.davidson.edu/physlet_resources/bu_semester1/index.html, Physlet

Simulations and Animations for First-Semester Physics (Physics Department,

Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina). Topics covered are Mechanics, Sound and

Waves, Fluids, and Thermodynamics. Includes nearly 100 physlets. (E)

233. http://webphysics.davidson.edu/physlet_resources/bu_semester2/index.html, Physlet

Simulations and Animations for Second-Semester Physics (Physics Department,

Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina). Topics covered are Electricity,

Magnetism, and Physical Optics. Includes about 100 physlets. (E)

234. http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/classroom.html, Physics Simulations, Andrew Duffy

(Boston University). This web site contains a large number of physics simulations,

covering virtually every area of the general physics course, based on a similar set of

simulations developed at Davidson College. The author is currently writing a set of

simulations that he calls iPhone applications. (E)

235. http://www.physicscurriculum.com/software.htm, Physics Curriculum & Instruction,

Physics and Astronomy Educational Software. This page links to an enormous number of

commercially produced simulations and interactive software titles for physics and

astronomy. Lots of new and revised materials are available. All standard topics in physics

are represented at various levels, with additional materials on sports, amusement park

rides, and an astronomy observatory. (E,I)

236. http://www.falstad.com/mathphysics.html, Physics Applets, by Paul Falstad. These are

excellent simulations, overall some of the best that I have encountered in ease of

operation, in beauty of graphics, and in simplicity of data required. I found several useful

in my teaching, and strongly recommend their consideration. (E)

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237. http://www.lon-capa.org/~mmp/applist/applets.htm, The Applet Collection, Wolfgang

Bauer (LON-KAPPA, 1999). Professor Bauer has written a set of more than 60 applets,

excellent both in terms of ease of use and clarity of presentation. I have long used the

color mixing applets both in elementary physics courses and in public programs where

inexperienced people are able, with a minimum of guidance, to use the software to

investigate color mixing. I only recently became aware of the complete set on LON-

CAPA, The Free Open-Source Distributed Learning Content Management and

Assessment System: http://www.lon-capa.org/, and strongly recommend them. (E)

238. http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/index.pl, Physics 2000: A University of Colorado

at Boulder Website (University of Colorado, 2000). Most of these are easy to operate

and visually clear; I have used some in an honors seminar on nuclear physics for the

general student population that I taught for many years. (I,E)

239. http://phet.colorado.edu/, PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado at

Boulder, developed with the PhET project at the University of Colorado. This site contains

over 80 simulations, including interdisciplinary topics such as the effect of temperature

and snowfall on a glacier. (E)

240. http://phys23p.sl.psu.edu/phys_anim/Phys_anim.htm, Animations for Physics and

Astronomy, Michael R. Gallis, Pennsylvania State University, Schuylkill. This site

includes a very large number of simulations, perhaps a bit more rigid in terms of

interaction of the student with the animation. It includes links to its own You-Tube

channel and to a blog discussion of the creation of the animations, and includes a way to

provide feedback regarding the animations to the author. (E,I)

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241. http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph14e/index.html, Java Applets on Physics, by Walter Fendt

(Walter Fendt, 2010). This is a helpful set of over 50 applets, with emphasis on

Mechanics, Oscillations and Waves, Electrodynamics, and Optics. Among other topics,

he has a nice simulation of standard equipment for the photoelectric effect. (E)

242. http://paws.kettering.edu/~drussell/Demos.html, Acoustics and Vibration Animations,

by Dan Russell (Kettering University, 2010). This site includes over 50 animations,

mostly in two units: Airborne Sound Waves and Sources, and Vibration and Structural

Waves, with a few others under the heading Other Wave Phenomena (not acoustics, but

still waves). Included are several advanced topics as well as detailed simulations of

several very interesting sources often studied in a basic physics of sound class. Many

could be useful in advanced mechanics or vibration studies. (E,I)

243. http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/Harrison/Flash/, Flash Animations for

Physics, by David M. Harrison (University of Toronto, 2002-2004). This collection

contains over 100 animations using Flash. Some of them are more sophisticated than

other simulations in this list. They are clear and straightforward to operate. (E,I)

244. http://jersey.uoregon.edu/, Physics Applets (The University of Oregon). This is a small

but interesting site, including some interesting applets on topics in Energy and the

Environment, as well as a very nice “graphing” applet. You should take a look. (E)

245. http://pdukes.phys.utb.edu/PhysApplets/appmenu.htm, Java Applets for Physics

Education, Phillip R. Dukes (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas

at Brownsville, 2001-2009). This site has four sections: 1. Animations (9 applets), 2.

Presentations (19 applets), 3. Simulations (6 applets), and 4. Virtual Experiments (9

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applets); most topics in physics are represented. A couple of the applet presentations

include an applet-graded post-test. (E)

246. http://www.physics.purdue.edu/academic_programs/courses/applets.shtml, Physics JAVA

Applets (Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 2011). This site contains nearly 50

applets covering the areas of Electricity and Magnetism, Gravitation, Liquids and Gases,

Mechanics, Nuclear, and Waves. A number of these are attributed to the Walter Fendt

collection. (E)

247. http://surendranath.tripod.com/Applets.html, General Physics Java Applets, Developed

by B.Surendranath Reddy (B.Surendranath Reddy, 2004). Surendranath has developed a

large number of helpful simulations; they are clear and relatively easy to operate. These

applets are available on line or on a CD. Links to the on-line versions as well as

instructions for purchasing the CD and You Tube links are given on the home page. (E)

248. http://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/applets/Intro_physics/kisalev/, Interactive Physics and

Math with Java, Sergey Kiselev and Tanya Yanovsky-Kiselev (University of Guelph,

Ontario, Canada, 1997). (E)

249. http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/Applets/, Fowler's Physics

Applets, Michael Fowler (Michael Fowler [email protected], 1998). (E)

250. http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/flashlets/home.htm, Physics

Flashlets, Michael Fowler, Jacquie Hui Wan Ching, Heather Welch, Michael Timmins

and Aris Stylianopoulos (Michael Fowler [email protected], 2003). These “Flashlets”

use Flash rather than Java; the link to the Adobe home page to obtain free Flash player is

given on the page. Nice animations with thoughtful explanatory materials and links to the

physics class lectures where Professor Fowler uses them. (E,I)

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251. http://www.phys.hawaii.edu/~teb/java/ntnujava/index.html, Virtual Physics Laboratory,

Fu-Kwun Hwang (Physics Department, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei,

Taiwan, 1997). This is the English version of a Chinese language web site at the NTNU.

It includes about 40 simulations which are not fancy, but they are nicely done. Try

designing a “one-way street that consists of several lanes along which rush-hour traffic

flows.” (E)

252. http://www.phy.hk/wiki/index.htm, PHY is Phun – Learn Physics Using Java: Physics

Java Applets by C. K. Ng. Over 40 applets covering mechanics, Light & Wave, and E &

M. (E)

253. http://www.edinformatics.com/il/il_physics.htm, The Interactive Library:

EDinformatics.com. This site includes a list of about 200 physics Applets plus several

groups of related simulations in fields such as molecules, chemistry and earth science.

Many of these are links to simulations on other web sites. (E)

254. http://physics.gmu.edu/~cups/, Consortium for Upper Level Physics Software (CUPS),

Maria Dworzecka, Robert Ehrlich, William M. MacDonald, Directors (John Wiley &

Sons, Inc., 1995, 1999). This includes nine book and software packages, written by a

group of 27 international physics educators and software experts (listed in detail on the

web site), under the general guidance of the three directors listed above, over a period of

four years. Topics for the nine volumes include: classical mechanics, electricity and

magnetism, astrophysics, modern physics, nuclear and particle physics, quantum

mechanics, solid state physics, thermal physics, and waves and optics. The original

programming was written for the IBM DOS in PASCAL language, but software patches

are available so that they can be used with modern operating systems. This material was

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the first such large scale project, and quickly became very popular. Many topics covering

most areas of physics listed will be found in these materials. CUPS is probably worth

investigating if you need supplementary material and have not found satisfactory software

in the more standard sources. Some details regarding the Waves and Optics materials can

be found at the Davidson College web site:

http://webphysics.davidson.edu/faculty/wc/wavehtml/wavehtml.html

Information on how to run CUPS software under a Linux OS will be found on Daniel

Cordier’s Professional Web Page: http://astro.ensc-rennes.fr/index.php?pw=cupslinux

These materials remain available from Amazon. (I)

255. http://www.bme.hu/ptee2000/papers/cups.pdf, C.U.P.S. Software in Undergraduate

Physics Courses, Bruestlova Jitka, and Dobis Pavel. This article describes experiences of

the authors in using CUPS software with their classes in several Czech Republic

University physics departments. (E)

256. http://www.webassign.net/pas/index.html, Physics Academic Software (Physics

Academic Software Publishing Organization, 2004). From the web site: “Physics

Academic Software publishes education software for the physics teaching community in

cooperation with the American Institute of Physics, the American Physical Society, and

the American Association of Physics Teachers.” Materials available from PAS have been

written by a large number of physicists, and represent a number of diverse topics and

educational approaches. See the web site for details. (E)

257. http://www.design-simulation.com/IP/index.php, Interactive Physics, (Design Simulation

Technologies, Inc., 2007-2011). This package includes a library of more than 150

simulations, with 58 “interactive exercises” covering “Newton's laws, friction, weight,

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mass, gravity, highway safety, springs, energy, temperature, heat transfer, waves, and

sound, some of which are recent additions. An instructor workbook and other amenities

are also included. A homework edition is available in about a dozen languages. (E)

258. http://www.physics.orst.edu/~rubin/nacphy/CPapplets/, Computational Physics Applets,

Depart of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 2008). This is a joint bi-

lingual effort between Oregon State University and the University of Medellin, Columbia.

Several nice Applets are available, including several in the area of chaos and fractals. A

unique feature for this site is their models of particle accelerators (linear accelerator,

traveling wave accelerator, cyclotron, and synchrotron). The Applets will also be found at

the web site http://fisica.udea.edu.co/~mpaez/Index.html. (E)

259. http://www.compadre.org/osp/, Open Source Physics. This is one part of The

ComPADRE Digital Library, http://www.compadre.org/, a free collection of physics

resources available to any student or teacher. Interesting physics simulations and models

are included in the library. (I)

260. http://www.bqlearning.org/, BQLearning: Better Questioning for Learning. This page

has a number of open source animations and physlets, as well as animations from other

sciences. It is sponsored and developed by faculty of Davidson College, Erskine College,

and Eckerd College. You must sign up and receive a password to use this web site. (E,I)

261. http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/topics.html, The Wolfram Demonstrations Project.

Go to any of eleven major project topics. Select “Physics” and go to any of thirteen

topics, each of which includes multiple 20-item pages of mathematica models and

simulations. Topics include: High School Physics, Acoustics, Astrophysics, College

Physics, Electromagnetism, Fluid Mechanics, Gravitation Theory, Mechanics, Optics,

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Particle Physics, Quantum Physics, Statistical Mechanics, and Waves. This is a huge

source containing 7020(!) demonstrations, very professionally set up, easy to operate, and

free. In order to interact fully with the simulations, you will need to download, the free

CDF (Computable Document Format) player. (E,I)

262. http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm/ip.html, Interactive Physics Simulations, A. John

Mallinckrodt. This is a very helpful site, with informative interactive simulations and

worksheets to guide student activities. Lamentably, it was developed for the Macintosh

Classic environment, and may not be fully usable in the Windows environment. It does

illustrate some materials that are very appropriate for current teaching. (E)

263. http://www.martindalecenter.com/Calculators3A.html, Martindale’s Calculators On-

Line Center: Physics Center. Contains links to a large number of interesting physics

courses, including many upper-level specialty courses, including handbooks and manuals.

Also included are links to a number of simulations, animations, and videos that are

appropriate for introductory level physics classes. (E,I,A)

264. http://www.physicslessons.com/iphysics.htm, PhysicsLessons.com iPhysics –

Interactive Simulations of Physics and Physical Science. This site contains 69

interactive lessons covering the following topics: Measurement, Mechanics, Fluids &

Heat, Waves and Sound, Light, Electricity & Magnetism, Modern and Atomic Physics,

and Physics & Technology, with Drill and Practice lessons on Scientific Notation and

Significant Figures. Lots of nice simulations in context of lessons and labs. (E)

265. http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/index.html, MIT Physics 8.2 Electricity and

Magnetism: Technology Enabled Active Learning Main Page. Lots of very nice Java

and Shockwave animations covering areas of vector fields, electrostatics, magnetostatics,

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Faraday’s law, and light. This is part of the curriculum for the MIT Studio Physics project

in electricity and magnetism. (I)

266. http://condon.colorado.edu/~chg/Physics3220/Animations.html, Physics 3220 Quantum

Animations (Stephanie Staley and Chris H. Greene, 1995). These are Mathematica

Notebooks (.ma), part of a course in Quantum Mechanics taught by Professor Chris Green

at the University of Colorado. Nice animations for advanced classes. (I,A)

267. http://web.phys.ksu.edu/vqm/, Visual Quantum Mechanics, Kansas State University

Physics Education Research, 2011. Several collections of nice quantum mechanics

simulations with links to other simulations created by the KSU PER Group. (E,I)

268. Visual Quantum Mechanics: Selected Topics with Computer-Generated Animations

of Quantum-Mechanical Phenomena, Bernd Thaller (Springer, 2000). Book with CD

containing Mathematica applications to quantum mechanics problems. This book with the

CD is considered among the highest quality quantum mechanics material available. (I)

269. Advanced Visual Quantum Mechanics, Bernd Thaller (Springer, 2004). This is the

second of a two-volume set, also including a CD. The first book features one- and two-

dimensional problems and the second featuring three-dimensional problems. (I,A)

270. http://library.thinkquest.org/27948/home.shtml, Physics by Demonstrations, (Oracle

ThinkQuest, 1999). “Projects by students for students.” Set of 21 simulations covering

most major topics in physics. (E)

I. Physics Education Research involving demonstrations and simulations

Beginning by about 1980, serious study was initiated in the area to be known later as

“Physics Education Research.” Initially, the results of this research were published in The

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Physics Teacher and The American Journal of Physics; in 1999 the AJP began to issue

supplements for Physics Education Research once or twice a year. In 2005 this research

area was formally recognized by the American Physical Society, with its own journal:

Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research has been published twice

yearly since that time. One of the sub-topics included in this endeavor is the use of

demonstrations in physics teaching. Investigations have included whether demonstrations

actually have any value in teaching, or are more of a distraction, a confusing influence or

simply entertainment. Quantitative and qualitative techniques for the teaching and the

evaluation of learning using demonstrations have been developed, and using these

techniques studies have been carried out regarding the best techniques for use of

demonstrations in the classroom and lecture hall.

271. “Resource Letter: PER-1: Physics Education Research,” Lillian C. McDermott and

Edward F. Redish, Am. J. Phys. 67, 755-767 (1999). This is an outstanding, and very

complete, bibliography of materials from the earlier period of Physics Education

Research, including earlier bibliographical reference materials and well documented

conference proceedings. One of the important topics of then current research regards the

effectiveness of demonstrations in teaching physics; a large section of the document is

subdivided into detailed studies in learning in the various topics of general physics, with

smaller sections detailing the state of other significant aspects of student learning, such as

learning of concepts and how to apply mathematics to physics. (A)

272. Peer Instruction: A User’s Manual, Eric Mazur (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ,

1997). Professor Mazur has pioneered the concept of Peer Instruction (PI), often using a

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demonstration as the centerpiece of a discussion regarding the physics topic under study.

In PI using demonstrations, students are given the opportunity to vote as to the outcome of

a demonstration experiment before the experiment is carried out, then given the

opportunity to further discuss the outcome after seeing the demonstration. This provides

the student with some additional motivation in learning the subject matter as well as the

opportunity to learn from each other. This book provides help with the procedure as well

as a large number of questions and demonstrations. (A)

273. Review of “Peer Instruction: A User’s Manual,” Mark D. Sommers, Am. J. Phys. 67,

359-360 (1999). The American Journal of Physics review of “Peer Instruction.” (A)

274. https://galileo.harvard.edu/login/, Interactive Learning Toolkit, Link to the web site

where ConcepTest questions can be exchanged among interested teachers. You must

obtain a password to gain access to this site; instructions on site. (A)

275. Just-in-Time Teaching, Gregor M. Novak, Evelyn T. Patterson, Andrew D. Gavrin, and

Wolfgang Christian (Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458, 1999). From the cover

material: “[JiTT] is an exciting new teaching and learning methodology designed to

engage students by using feedback from pre-class web assignments to adjust classroom

lessons so that students receive rapid response to the specific questions and problems they

are having.” The book includes some philosophy, strategies for implementation of this

procedure, and lots of questions for use in most physics topics. The book should be very

helpful to any teacher implementing JiTT, and even for general ideas regarding concept

tests. (A)

276. “Peer Instruction: Ten years of experience and results,” Catherine H. Crouch and Eric

Mazur, Am. J. Phys. 69, 970-977 (2001). From the abstract: “We report data from ten

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years of teaching with Peer Instruction ~PI! in the calculus- and algebra-based

introductory physics courses for nonmajors; our results indicate increased student mastery

of both conceptual reasoning and quantitative problem solving upon implementing PI. We

also discuss ways we have improved our implementation of PI since introducing it in

1991. Most notably, we have replaced in-class reading quizzes with pre-class written

responses to the reading, introduced a research-based mechanics textbook for portions of

the course, and incorporated cooperative learning into the discussion sections as well as

the lectures. These improvements are intended to help students learn more from pre-class

reading and to increase student engagement in the discussion sections, and are

accompanied by further increases in student understanding.” (A)

277. “Peer Instruction: Engaging students one-on-one, all at once,” Catherine Crouch, Jessica

Watkins, Adam Fagen and Eric Mazur, in Reviews in Physics Education Research,

edited by E.F. Redish and P. Cooney (American Association of Physics Teachers, College

Park, MD, 2007). From the abstract: “We describe Peer Instruction (hereafter PI) and

report data from more than ten years of teaching with PI in the calculus- and algebra-based

introductory physics courses for non-majors at Harvard University, where this method was

developed. Our results indicate increased student mastery of both conceptual reasoning

and quantitative problem solving upon implementing PI. Gains in student understanding

are greatest when the PI questioning strategy is accompanied by other strategies that

increase student engagement, so that every element of the course serves to involve

students actively.” Experiences at several universities are included. (A)

278. “Using JiTT with Peer Instruction,” Jessica Watkins and Eric Mazur, in Just in Time

Teaching Across the Disciplines, edited by Scott Simkins and Mark Maier, pp. 39-62

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(Stylus Publishing, Sterling, VA, 2009). From the abstract: “Separately, both JiTT and PI

provide students with valuable feedback on their learning at different times in the process

-- JiTT works asynchronously out of class, and PI gives real-time feedback. Together,

these methods help students and instructors monitor learning as it happens, strengthening

the benefits of this feedback.” (A)

279. “Peer Instruction: From Harvard to Community Colleges,” Nathaniel Lasry, Eric Mazur

and Jessica Watkins, Am. J. Phys. 76, 1066-1069 (2008). From the abstract: “…not

previously reported are the following two findings: First, although students with more

background knowledge benefit most from either type of instruction, PI students with less

background knowledge gain as much as students with more background knowledge in

traditional instruction. Second, PI methodology is found to decrease student attrition in

introductory physics courses at both four-year and two-year institutions.” (A)

280. “Peer Instruction: Results from a Range of Classrooms,” Adam P. Fagan, Catherine H.

Crouch, and Eric Mazur, Phys. Teach. 40, 206-209 (2002). Summarizes results from PI

use in University, four-year college, two-year college, and high school. (A)

281. http://mazur.harvard.edu/publications.php?function=display&rowid=625, “Student

Response Times to Conceptual Questions,” Nathaniel Lasry, Eric Mazur, Jessica Watkins

and Douglas Mark Van Wieren. Response times under various circumstances, helpful in

design of a curriculum using these questions. (A)

282. http://www.wiley.com/college/sc/cummings/suite.html, The Physics Suite, Karen

Cummings, Priscilla Laws, Edward F. Redish, Patrick Cooney, David Sokoloff, Ronald

Thornton. From the web summary of the Suite: “Based upon Halliday, Resnick, and

Walker’s FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICS 6e, this narrative text is designed to work

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with interactive learning strategies that are increasingly being used in physics instruction

(for example, microcomputer-based labs, interactive lectures, etc.). In doing so, it

incorporates new approaches based upon Physics Education Research (PER), aligns

with courses that use computer-based laboratory tools, and promotes Activity Based

Physics in lectures, labs, and recitations.” The Physics Suite includes a number of

individual books, including the next two entries in this list. See the link for detailed

description.

283. http://www2.physics.umd.edu/~redish/Book, Teaching Physics With the Physics Suite,

Edward F. Redish. As part of The Physics Suite, this wide-ranging book includes

philosophy, practical advice, and lots of information about physics, physics learning, and

physics education research, and contains an enormous bibliography of literature based on

sound physics education research. It is certain to be helpful not only if you use the

Physics Suite, but also in virtually any physics teaching endeavor. The link leads to a late

version of the book before publication. (A)

284. Interactive Lecture Demonstrations, Active Learning in Introductory Physics, D. R.

Sokoloff and R. K. Thornton (John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey, 2004). This

book, part of the Physics Suite, contains a large number of interactive lecture

demonstrations, that is, questions based on the use of classroom demonstrations which are

presented to the class during the discussion of the experiment, usually by way of

prediction of the outcome of the demonstration. Graphs are used in lieu of complex

calculations; many of the demonstrations involve plotting graphs obtained using probes

available from Vernier or Pasco, so the student is familiarized with equipment that can

also be used in the lab. Demonstrations, organized by topic, cover most areas of the

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general physics curriculum. This book contains a number of excellent ideas, and is well

worth obtaining. (E)

285. http://www.physics.umd.edu/lecdem/outreach/QOTW/active/questions.htm The Physics

Question of the Week, Richard E. Berg (Physics Department, University of Maryland,

2001-2010). The Physics Question of the Week includes 365 physics “brainteaser” type

questions in the form of demonstrations, which are asked and answered in the form of

quick and relatively simple experiments, many of which are presented in video format.

These are very useful as interactive demonstrations using the Peer Instruction technique.

A topical list is linked at the beginning of the QOTW home page. (E)

286. http://www.physics.umd.edu/perg/ILD.htm, Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs)

from the UMD PERG, The University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group

(E. F. Redish, 2005). A group of worksheets for interactive physics demonstrations

developed by the UM PERG. (A)

287. http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/demonstrations/, Starting Point: Teaching Entry Level

Geoscience, Dorothy Merritts, Robert Walter, Bob MacKay, Mark Maier, Rochelle

Ruffer, Sue Stockly, and Ronald Thornton (Science Education Center, Carlton College,

2010). Almost 100 interactive lecture demonstrations, many of which look like physics,

along with helpful introductory materials. (A)

288. “The Introductory University Physics Project,” John S. Rigden, Donald F. Holcomb, and

Rosanne Di Stefano, Phys. Today 64, 32-37 (1993). The Introductory University Physics

Project (IUPP) was a major study of the calculus-based introductory physics courses at

nine major American University physics departments. The goal of the study was to

evaluate four new curriculum models that were developed for the project. This paper lays

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out the goals and the techniques used in implementing the research. Some of the

preliminary results are presented in the next paper in this list. (A)

289. “The IUPP evaluation: What we were trying to learn and how we were trying to learn it,”

R. Di Stefano, Am. J. Phys. 64, 49-57 (1996). (A)

290. “Preliminary IUPP results: Student reactions to in-class demonstrations and to the

presentation of coherent themes,” R. Di Stefano, Am. J. Phys. 64, 58-68 (1996). Results

of several years of study, lots of student interviews and surveys, and large group of

examples. Some of the pre-test and the post-test questions are given. A very nice

collection of references is given, including seminal articles describing the application of

these ideas to several individual physics topics. (A)

291. “Testing student interpretation of kinematics graphs,” Robert J. Beichner, Am. J. Phys. 62,

750-762 (1994). (A)

292. “Intuitive Physics,” Michael McClosky, Sci. Am. 248(4), 122-130 (1983). This was a

seminal paper involving young students’ understanding of Newton’s laws. Two important

experiments from this work have been almost universally adopted in the teaching of

elementary physics: (1) the trajectory of a ball moving in a circular track after it leaves the

track, and (2) the trajectory of a projectile after it is released by a person moving along a

straight path. (A)

293. “Investigation of student understanding of the concept of velocity in one direction,” David

E. Trowbridge and Lillian C. McDermott, Am. J. Phys.48, 1020-1028 (1980).

294. “Aristotle is not dead: Student understanding of trajectory motion,” Robert J. Whitaker,

Am. J. Phys. 51, 352-357 (1983).

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295. “Common sense concepts about motion,” Ibrahim Abou Halloun and David Hestenes,

Am. J. Phys. 53, 1056-1065 (1985).

296. “Students’ preconceptions in introductory mechanics,” John Clement, Am. J. Phys. 50, 66-

71 (1982).

297. “Student understanding in mechanics: A large population survey,” Richard F. Gunstone,

Am. J. Phys. 55, 691-696 (1987).

298. “A Mechanics Baseline Test,” D. Hestenes and M. Wells, Phys. Teach. 30, 159-166

(1992).

299. “An investigation of student understanding of the real image formed by a converging lens

or concave mirror,” Fred M. Goldberg and Lillian McDermott, Am. J. Phys. 55, 108-119

(1987). From the abstract: “Student understanding of the real images produced by

converging lenses and concave mirrors was investigated both before and after instruction

in geometrical optics.” Some of the misunderstandings and inaccurate knowledge of these

problems by students in an algebra-based university physics class were analyzed. (A)

300. “Surveying students’ conceptual knowledge of electricity and magnetism,” David P.

Maloney, Thomas L. O’Kuma, Curtis J. Hieggelke, and Alan Van Heuvelen, Am. J. Phys.

69, S12 (2001).

301. ”Reverse-Engineering the Solution of a “Simple” Physics Problem: Why Learning Physics

Is Harder Than It Looks,” Edward F. Redish, Rachel E. Scherr, and Jonathan Tuminaro,

Phys. Teach. 44, 293-300 (2006).

302. "Using Interactive Lecture Demonstrations to Create an Active Learning Environment",

D.R. Sokoloff and R.K. Thornton, Phys. Teacher, 35, 340-347 (1997). Discussion of use

of interactive lecture demonstrations base on the microcomputer-based laboratory to study

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and graph kinematics and dynamics problems. Nice examples and graphs are presented,

along with useful data sheets and discussion questions. (A)

303. Mechanics Interactive Lecture Demonstration Package (ILD), Vernier Software, Portland,

Oregon (1999). Many of the researchers used this material in carrying out their research

on interactive demonstrations. (E)

304. “On the effectiveness of active-engagement microcomputer-based laboratories,” E. F.

Redish, J. M. Saul, and R. N. Steinberg, Am. J. Phys. 65, 45-54 (1997). Study of calculus

based engineering physics classes dealing with instantaneous velocity and Newton’s third

law; involved 11 lecture classes taught by 6 different teachers with and without tutorials.

Showed that students in MBL tutorials tested better than students in traditional recitations.

(A)

305. “Computers in teaching science: To simulate or not to simulate?,” Richard N. Steinberg,

Am. J. Phys. 68, S37 (2000). From the abstract: “I compare two classes which both had

interactive learning environments. One class used the simulation and the other class used

only a set of paper and pencil activities. In the two different learning environments, there

appears to be differences in how students approached learning. However, student

performance on a common exam question on air resistance was not significantly

different.” (A)

306. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997PhDT........54K, “Promoting Active Learning in

Lecture-Based Courses: Demonstrations, Tutorials, and Interactive Tutorial Lectures,”

Pamela Ann Kraus, Ph. D. dissertation, University of Washington, 1997, University

Microfilms, UMI No. 9736313. From the abstract: “Results obtained early in the study

suggested that many lecture demonstrations, as they are typically shown, do not assist

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students in the development of a functional understanding of the concepts that the

demonstrations are intended to elucidate.” (A)

307. http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/Hake-SriLanka-Assessb.pdf, “Assessment of

Physics Teaching Methods,” Richard R. Hake, Proceedings of the UNESCO-ASPEN

Workshop on Active Learning in Physics, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2-4

December 2002. This paper discusses methods to assess the effectiveness of use of

demonstrations on student learning of physics concepts, and suggests a general procedure.

It should be noted that a variety of techniques have been used in this type of evaluation

and there remains a large amount of controversy regarding the effectiveness of

demonstrations as opposed to computer simulations, so this topic is significant. Almost

100 references are listed in the test, with direct links to on-line PDF versions of many

papers. (A)

308. “Classroom Demonstrations: Learning Tools or Entertainment?,” Catherine H. Crouch,

Adam P. Fagen, John Paul Callan and Eric Mazur, Am. J. Phys., 72, 835-838 (2004).

From the abstract: “Students who passively observe demonstrations understand the

underlying concepts no better than students who do not see the demonstration at all.

Students who predict the demonstration outcome before seeing it, however, display

significantly greater understanding.” (A)

309. http://conference.nie.edu.sg/paper/Converted%20Pdf/ab00705.pdf, “Teaching

Electromagnetic Induction through the use of demonstrations,” Ning Hwee Tiang and R.

Subramaniam, Conference: Redesigning Pedagogy: Transforming Teaching, Inspiring

Learning, National Institute of Education, Singapore (May 2011). This is an interesting

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paper describing interactive physics teaching with demonstrations at a school for girls in

Singapore. (A)

310. http://www.compadre.org/per/items/detail.cfm?ID=2848, “Why May Students Fail to

Learn from Demonstrations? A Social Practice Perspective on Learning in Physics,”

Wolff-Michael Roth, Campbell J. McRobbie, Keith B. Lucas, and Sylvie Boutonne,

Journal of Research in Science Teaching 10, 509-533 (1997). Review by Ella Burkhalter,

September 12, 2006, http://students.ou.edu/B/Ella.M.Burkhalter-1/pdf/journalreview.pdf

311. “Role of Experiments in Physics Instruction – A Process Approach,” E. Etkina, A. Van

Heuvelen, D. T. Brookes, and D. Mills, Phys. Teach. 40, 351-355 (2002). This paper

discusses observational, testing, and concept application types of experiments, along with

some of their goals, and the pedagogical approaches used. (A)

312. “Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand student survey of

mechanics test data for introductory physics courses,” R. Hake, Am. J. Phys. 66, 64-74

(1998). (A)

313. “Use of interactive lecture demonstrations: A ten year study,” Manjula D. Sharma, Ian D.

Johnston, Helen Johnston, Kevin Varvell, Gordon Robertson, Andrew Hopkins, Chris

Stewart, Ian Cooper, and Ronald Thornton, Phys. Rev. ST Physics Ed. Research 6,

020119 (2010) [9 pages]. From the abstract: “This paper reports on learning gains for two

different Projects over ten years. In Project 1, the ILDs were implemented from 1999 to

2001 with students who had successfully completed senior high school physics. The

learning gains for students not exposed to the ILDs were in the range 13% to 16% while

those for students exposed to the ILDs was 31% to 50%. In Project 2, the ILDs were

implemented from 2007 to 2009 with students who had not studied senior high school

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physics. Since the use of ILDs in Project 1 had produced positive results, ethical

considerations dictated that all students be exposed to ILDs. The learning gains were from

28% to 42%. On the one hand it is pleasing to note that there is an increase in learning

gains, yet on the other, we note that the gains are nowhere near the claimed 80%.” (A)

314. “Teaching Physics: Figuring Out What Works,” E. F. Redish and R.N. Steinberg, Physics

Today 52, 24-30 (1999).

315. “An Implementation of Physics By Inquiry in a Large-Enrollment Class,” Rachel Scherr,

Phys. Teach. 41 113-118 (2003). (A)

316. “Transforming the lecture hall environment: The fully interactive physics lecture,” David

E. Meltzer and Kandiah Manivannan, Am. J. Phys. 70, 639-654 (2002). This is a long and

detailed article, describing in depth the experiences of the authors in teaching an

introductory physics class for a period of seven years. They used interactive

demonstrations in the Mazur Peer Instruction mode, finding this method very effective.

The article includes a reference list of 94 items! (A)

317. “Evaluating Innovation in Studio Physics,” Karen Cummings, Jeffrey Marx, Ronald

Thornton, and Dennis Kuhl, Am. J. Phys. 67 S1, S38-S44 (1999). Summary of conceptual

learning gain in studio physics engineering physics course at Rensselaer Polytechnic

Institute during the period from 1993 to 1999. (A)

318. http://www.compadre.org/per/items/detail.cfm?ID=10575, “Comparing Student Learning

in Mechanics Using Simulations and Hands-on Activities,” Adrian Carmichael, Jacquelyn

J. Chini, N. Sanjay Rebello, and Sadhana Puntambekar, Physics Education Research

Conference 2010, Part of the PER Conference series, Portland, Oregon: July 21-22, 2010,

Volume 1289, Pages 89-92. Quoting from the abstract: “Students in three of five

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conceptual physics laboratory sections completed the physical experiment while the other

two sections performed the virtual experiment. The experiments were part of a unit on

simple machines from the CoMPASS curriculum which integrates hypertext-based

concept maps in a design-based context. There was no statistically significant difference

between the pre and post data of the students in the two groups. Students who performed

the virtual experiment were able to answer questions dealing with work and potential

energy more correctly, though neither group was able to offer sound reasoning to support

their answers.” (A)

319. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tea.3660310305/

abstract;jsessionid=9372C49DE9595B15DDCE5FD4935EBD07.d02t03 “The impact of a

science demonstration on children's understandings of air pressure,” Daniel P.

Shepardson, Elizabeth B. Moje, Amy M. Kennard-McClelland, Journal of Research in

Science Teaching 31, 243–258, March 1994. This paper is available for purchase on line

from the Wiley On-Line Library. From the published abstract: “Constructivist theory

guided our investigation of the impact of a scientific demonstration on children's

understandings of air pressure. Primary data sources included children's written and oral

interview responses. For one-third of the children, the demonstration reinforced previous

understandings. These children appeared to utilize their prior knowledge and experiences

to construct the purpose and meaning of the demonstration. Therefore, these children's

understandings were not sufficiently challenged by observing the demonstration or the

social interactions that occurred. Recommendations for using demonstrations to promote

children's scientific understandings are presented herein.” (A)

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320. http://gng.phooeyhoo.com/modeling/hestenes.pdf, “Toward a modeling theory of physics

instruction,” David Hestenes, Am. J. Phys. 55, 440-454 (1987). This paper provides one

basis for much of the contemporary effort to reform physics teaching, along with other

efforts and publications by the author. It describes much of the content of the Modeling

Instruction Program at Arizona State University. (A)

321. http://modeling.asu.edu/r&e/research.html, Modeling Instruction Program Research,

David Hestenes. This very informative web site presents information with links to articles

regarding research into the modeling theory as well as links to discussions regarding the

Force Concept Inventory, both supportive and critical. (A)

One of the important discussions that have taken place in the Physics Education Research

community has been over the issue of how to evaluate the effectiveness of the testing

procedures. One such tool is the Force Concept Inventory, a multiple-choice test that has

been used for a number of years to evaluate students’ understanding of Newton’s laws.

The following set of papers provides some background regarding the discussion of this

issue.

322. http://modeling.asu.edu/R&E/FCI.PDF, “Force Concept Inventory,” David Hestenes,

Malcolm Wells, and Gregg Swackhamer, Phys. Teach. 30, 141-158 (1992). An early

article describing research supporting the Force Concept Inventory. (A)

323. “What does the Force Concept Inventory Actually Measure?,” Douglas Huffman and

Patricia Heller, Phys. Teach. 33, 138-143 (1995). This article suggests that analysis of the

Force Concept Inventory may be more complicated than Hestenes, Wells, and

Swackhamer suggest. (A)

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324. http://modeling.asu.edu/r&e/InterFCI.pdf, “Interpreting the Force Concept Inventory: A

response to Huffman and Heller,: David Hestenes and Ibrahim Halloun, Phys. Teach. 33,

502 (1995). Hestenes and Halloun take issue with the criticism of Huffman and Heller.

(A)

325. http://www.physics.emory.edu/~weeks/journal/hestenes-tpt95b.pdf, “Interpreting the Force

Concept Inventory: A Reply to Hestenes and Halloun,” Patricia Heller and Douglas Huffman,

Phys. Teach. 33, 503-511 (1995). This is the answer by Huffman and Heller to the responses

by Hestenes and Halloun to the original Huffman and Heller article above. (A)

326. http://www.physics.umd.edu/perg/dissertations/Saul/Chapter4.PDF, “Beyond problem

solving: Evaluating introductory physics courses through the hidden curriculum,” UMD

PERG PhD Dissertation: Jeffery M. Saul (1998). Chapter 4 of the thesis, Multiple Choice

Concept Tests: The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) presents an analysis of the arguments

regarding the concerns about the Force Concept Inventory. (A)

327. http://homepages.wmich.edu/~chenders/Publications/TPT2002.pdf, “Common Concerns

About the Force Concept Inventory,” Charles Henderson, Phys. Teach. 40, 542-547 (2002).

Discusses some of the issues that remained after almost ten years of use of the Force Concept

Inventory. (A)

328. http://www.ufgop.org/pdf/fci-force-concept-inventory/, fci force concept inventory, contains

a number of links to FCI related publications, as well as a link to the actual FCI questions and

answers. A physics teacher can obtain these files, but must first be identified as legitimate.

(A)

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An interesting teaching technique is to purposefully create incorrect models or simulations

and ask students to find the errors, either through the physics or the programming. The

following examples illustrate this technique.

329. “Teaching Physics (and Some Computation) Using Intentionally Incorrect Simulations,”

Anne J. Cox, William F. Junkin, III, Wolfgang Christian, Mario Belloni, and Francisco

Esquembre, Phys. Teach. 49, 273-276 (2011). From the abstract: “[W]e have developed a

series of simulations that are intentionally incorrect, where the task is for students to find

and correct the errors.” These simulations deal with electric fields. (A)

330. http://www.compadre.org/OSP/items/detail.cfm?ID=9964, Electric Field: What is

Wrong? Package, Anne Cox, Wolfgang Christian, and Francisco Esquembre. (The Open

Source Physics Project is supported by NSF DUE-0442581).

331. http://www.physics.umd.edu/lecdem/outreach/QOTW/arch1/q002.htm, Question of the

Week # 2: Racing Balls, Richard E. Berg, University of Maryland Physics Lecture-

Demonstration Facility. This link has been inserted here to call attention to one of the

most interesting of the interactive demonstrations. Among groups of high school students,

university students, physics majors, physics graduate students, and physics professors, the

percentages who guess the correct result for the outcome of this experiment is about the

same, with the predictions approximately well distributed among the possible outcomes.

See the next entry. (E,I,A)

332. http://groups.physics.umn.edu/physed/People/Tom%20Koch/2_tracks/, Two-tracks

animations, from Tom Thaden Koch, Ph. D. thesis: “A Coordination Class Analysis of

College Students' Judgments about Animated Motion.” For this project, students reviewed

computer animations that show (by purposefully using incorrect programming) each of the

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three possible solutions to the racing balls problem, and the results, along with the logic

obtained from interviews with the students, are discussed. From the animations, any of

the three possible solutions may seem reasonable even to many experienced physicists!!

(Follow the series of links from the link “animations” to the end to see the two-track, flat

track animations.) This is a clear illustration of issues that can arise with use of computer

modeling in lieu of actual demonstrations. (A)

Acknowledgments

I would like to give special thanks to PIRA and to several of the individual members who were

very helpful in providing information important to this document. I would also like to thank

Professor Joe Redish (University of Maryland) for his insightful comments regarding physics

education research. Most importantly, I would like to thank Keith Warren (North Carolina

State University) and Brad Shue (now at the University of Cincinnati) for a very thoughtful and

detailed conversation at the 1995 AAPT Summer Meeting, during which they told me about

the new interconnection of computers known as the World Wide Web, and how it could be

used to propagate pictures and information about physics demonstrations. This discussion

inspired me to create the physics demonstration web site at the University of Maryland in

1996.

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