Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations – expanded version
Richard E. Berg
Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Journals
B. Professional web sites and conferences
C. Workshops for Teachers
D. Books and articles primarily regarding formal classroom lecture demonstrations.
E. Inspiration Regarding Teaching with Demonstrations
F. Books of demonstrations primarily for informal and pre-high school use.
G. Demonstration Web Sites
H. Demonstration Videos
I. Physics Computer Simulations
J. Physics Education Research involving demonstrations and simulations
PREFACE TO THE EXPANDED VERSION
Before composing the Resource Letter, PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations, I prepared this much
larger list, with considerably more detailed annotations. This original list was then reduced
down to accommodate the size restrictions of the American Journal of Physics, but the notes
were helpful in determining details of the reduction. Because it contains a large amount of
material that could not be put in the AJP, I have decided to put this expanded version on the
web, so that more interested people could have the benefit of the additional references as well
as my more detailed thoughts regarding these materials. I have also included the Table of
Contents for convenience in finding information in this larger format.
I have personally reviewed all of the books and web sites in this list. The books selected were
(1) those found in my personal library, about 50 titles collected over my approximately 40 year
career at the University of Maryland, (2) a large collection that will be found in the University
of Maryland Physics Lecture-Demonstration Facility, and (3) all of the books on
demonstrations that I could find in the American Association of Physics Teachers store and
libraries at the American Center for Physics in their College Park, Maryland, building. In
addition, I have included several books that were called to my attention during the AJP review
process. I have perused the web sites and used computer programs from the sites that are
reviewed, and have given special attention to several of those that I found helpful in my
teaching as well as in the Physics is Phun public demonstration programs.
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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
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 highquality 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.
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
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
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.
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)
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
2.
3.
4.
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)
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)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291098-2736, Journal of
Research in Science Teaching, Wiley Online Library. (A)
C. Workshops for teachers
1. 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)
5. “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)
6. http://www.aapt.org/Conferences/sm2011/?gclid=CPyRx-7h2agCFcTd4AodnXnsiQ,
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)
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
7.
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)
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
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 directed
toward the student laboratory. Over the years I have used many of these books as both
reference materials and models for how to construct and/or present the experiment as a
lecture demonstration.
1.
2.
“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. (I)
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 McGrawHill 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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
3.
4.
5.
have obtained much inspiration and many excellent ideas from Sutton. I very strongly
recommend that every demonstration facility and physics teacher have a copy in their
library. (I)
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)
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)
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
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.
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
Topics include Mechanics, Heat, Light, Electricity, Sound, Nuclear Physics, and General
Instructions. From the photocopies foreword: Clearly written with diagrams, illustrations
and mathematical formulas.
6.
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
related to light and images; vision; sound and hearing; electricity and magnetism; color;
mechanics; and patterns. (E)
7. 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)
8. 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)
9. 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.
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)
10. 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)
11. 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:
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/. Also given is a link to the page where you can
order a hard copy of the book. (E)
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
17.
18.
19.
20.
drawings, along with a collection of journal reprints. I strongly recommend this book as
well as several others that Professor Hilton produced. (E,I)
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)
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
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)
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)
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
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21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
demonstrations; I would recommend this book for any teacher, including those with some
experience. (E)
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)
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)
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)
Chemical Demonstrations : A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 1,
Bassam Z. Shakhashiri (University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, first edition,
1983)
Chemical Demonstrations : A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 2,
Bassam Z. Shakhashiri (University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, first edition,
1985)
Chemical Demonstrations : A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 3,
Bassam Z. Shakhashiri (University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, first edition,
1989)
Chemical Demonstrations : A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 4,
Bassam Z. Shakhashiri (University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, first edition,
1992)
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
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29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
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
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)
Physical Principles of Electricity and Magnetism, R. W. Pohl, translated into English
by Winifred M. Deans (Glasgow, Blackie, and Son, London, 1930).
Physical Principles of Mechanics and Acoustics, R. W. Pohl, translated into English by
Winifred M. Deans (Glasgow, Blackie, and Son, London, 1932).
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)
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.
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)
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)
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.
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35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
Experiments include mechanics, heat, sound, electricity and magnetism, optics, and
atomic and nuclear physics. (I)
Physics Experiments and Projects: Volume 1. Properties of Materials, W. Bolton
(Pergamon Press, Ltd., Oxford, England, 1968).
Physics Experiments and Projects: Volume 2. Waves and Particles, W. Bolton
(Pergamon Press, Ltd., Oxford, England, 1968).
Physics Experiments and Projects: Volume 3. Atomic Physics, W. Bolton (Pergamon
Press, Ltd., Oxford, England, 1968).
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)
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)
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)
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
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42.
43.
44.
45.
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)
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
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)
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 handling of noise and other 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)
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)
Optics Demonstrations with the Overhead Projector, Douglas S. Goodman (Optical
Society of America, 2000). This is a substantial spiral-bound book with 350 pages,
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)
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46. “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)
47. 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)
48. 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
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)
49. 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)
50. 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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51. 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)
52. 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)
53. 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
projects, or just interested in reading about interesting physics, this is an excellent place to
start. (E)
54. 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)
55. 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
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56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
CURRICULUM LIBRARY, along with a similar book on chemistry. Contains over 200
demonstrations and experiments with detailed descriptions. (E)
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)
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61. 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)
62. 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,
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)
63. 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)
64. 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)
65. 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
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)
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66. 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)
67. 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)
68. 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)
69. 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)
70. 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)
71. 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)
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72. 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
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)
73. 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)
74. 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
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=PTRA
75. Teaching About Color and Color Vision: an AAPT/PTRA Workshop Manual, Bill
Franklin (American Association of Physics Teachers, 1997). This book includes
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76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
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)
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
information, lots of questions in the form of hands-on experiments, and Olympiad events.
(E)
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)
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)
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)
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
demonstrations and displays, lots of references using technology media, ideas for
Olympiad events, and a light wave communication quiz. (E)
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.
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
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83.
84.
85.
86.
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)
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)
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
curriculum, and provides lots of classroom demonstration experiments and suggestions for
their use. (E)
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)
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
1. 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
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
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physics lecture demonstrator should be familiar with both the issues and techniques that
Professor Taylor discusses. (E,I,A)
2. “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)
3. “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)
4. “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)
5. “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)
6. “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
(2011). This item in The Physics Teacher “websights” column discusses the presentation
and gives links to a text file and a PDF download. (A)
7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwslBPj8GgI, A YouTube version of the previous
Mazur lecture presented at University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus. (A)
8. “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)
9. 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)
10. 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.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Bet You Can!, Vicky Cobb and Kathy Darling (Avon Books, 1983).
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.
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)
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
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)
Millergrams: Some Enchanting Questions for Enquiring Minds, Julius Sumner Miller
(Ure Smith, Sydney, Australia, 1966; Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New
York, 1970).
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).
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)
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
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8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
demonstrations to physics and science teachers at the middle school or even high school
level. (E)
333 Science Tricks & Experiments, Robert J. Brown (Tab Books Inc., Blue Ridge
Summit, Pennsylvania, 1984).
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,
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
The following 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
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15.
16.
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18.
19.
20.
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)
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).
Janice VanCleave's Magnets: Mind-boggling Experiments You Can Turn Into
Science Fair Projects, Janice Pratt VanCleave, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York,
1993).
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).
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)
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)
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)
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
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
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22.
23.
24.
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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)
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)
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,
mostly supermarkets or hardware stores; all materials are available from a single source in
the form of a kit discussed in the book. (E)
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)
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)
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
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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.
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)
26. 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)
27. 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)
G. 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
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, subtopics 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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
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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.
http://physicslearning.colorado.edu/PiraHome or http://www.pira-online.org,
The PIRA Home Page.
http://physicslearning.colorado.edu/PiraHome/dcs/PIRADCS.html,
The PIRA Demonstration Classification Scheme.
http://physicslearning.colorado.edu/PiraHome/pira200/pira200.htm,
The PIRA 200 Demonstration List.
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.
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
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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
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.
6.
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.
7. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/cosam/departments/physics/introcourses/demonstrations/
Auburn University Physics Demonstration Web Site.
 Almost 300 demonstrations with photographs and brief explanations.
8. http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/
Physics lecture demonstrations at Boston University.
 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.
9. 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).
10. 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.
11. http://physdemo.phys.cmu.edu/
Carnegie Mellon University Physics Demonstrations.
 About 150 demonstrations with pictures and short descriptions.
12. http://phoenix.phys.clemson.edu/Demo_Web/Demos/lecdem.htm
Clemson University Department of Physics and Astronomy Lecture-Demonstration
Facility.
 About 500 demonstrations with pictures and brief descriptions.
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14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
 Suggested demonstrations for eight basic physics and astronomy courses.
 List of about 40 equipment vendors with detailed contact information.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/physics/rce/main/demo/
Columbia University Department of Physics Lecture Demonstrations.
 Almost 250 demonstrations, many with color photographs.
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.
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.
http://www.hmc.edu/academicsclinicresearch/academicdepartments/physics/kiosk1/demos
.html
Harvey Mudd College Physics Lecture Demonstrations.
 Almost 200 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.
http://www.physics.isu.edu/physdemos/
Physics Demonstrations at Idaho State University.
 Over 400 demonstrations listed, about one-third with pictures and descriptions.
http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~demos/
Indiana University, Bloomington, Physics Lecture Demonstrations.
 Nearly 275 demonstrations with brief descriptions.
http://learning.physics.iastate.edu/DemoRoom/Demos.htm
Iowa State University List of Lecture Demonstrations.
 About 375 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.
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.
http://www.pa.msu.edu/educ/lectdemo/
Lecture Demonstrations at Michigan State University Department of Physics and
Astronomy.
 Almost 400 demonstrations with brief descriptions.
http://www.phys.lsu.edu/newwebsite/lecturedemo/
Louisiana State University Physics and Astronomy Lecture Demonstrations.
 Over 100 demonstrations with pictures and short descriptions.
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23. http://scripts.mit.edu/~tsg/www/
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
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.
http://www.phy.mtu.edu/phydemo/
Michigan Technological University Physics Lecture-Demonstration Facility
 About 200 demonstrations, mostly with pictures and descriptions.
http://physics.msstate.edu/demos/
Mississippi State University Physics and Astronomy Lecture Demonstrations
 About 325 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions with some detail.
http://www.physics.montana.edu/demonstrations/home.html
Montana State University: Welcome to the Demo Room.
 Almost 600 demonstrations with pictures and brief descriptions.
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.
http://physics.okstate.edu/ackerson/Physics_demos/
Ohio State University Physics Demonstrations
 About 175 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.
https://www.physics.purdue.edu/demos/
Purdue University College of Science Department of Physics Demonstrations
 About 350 demonstrations with brief descriptions and photographs.
http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/physics/
University of California Berkeley Physics Lecture Demonstrations.
 About 700 demonstrations with line drawings and short explanations.
 Links to simulations and videos.
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.
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.
http://homepages.uc.edu/physics/resources/demoweb/
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University of Cincinnati Department of Physics Lecture Demonstration Home Page.
 Almost 200 demonstrations, most with pictures and descriptions.
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.
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.
http://physicsweb.phy.uic.edu/demo/tableofcontents.asp
University of Illinois at Chicago Physics Demo Home Page.
 Over 200 demonstrations, some with pictures and videos, with short descriptions.
http://demo.physics.uiuc.edu/LectDemo/
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physics Lecture Demonstrations.
 About 750 demonstrations with short descriptions.
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.
http://www2.ku.edu/~physics/dept/pademo.shtml
University of Kansas Physics and Astronomy Demos
 About 235 demonstrations with relatively detailed explanations.
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.
 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.
http://lecturedemo.ph.unimelb.edu.au/
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43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
University of Melbourne Physics Lecture Demonstration
 Almost 300 demonstrations with pictures and brief descriptions.
 Link to the Physics Museum.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
http://physics.uoregon.edu/~demo/Demo/demo.html
University of Oregon Physics Demonstration Catalog.
 Over 350 demonstrations with sketches and short descriptions.
http://physics.usc.edu/demolab/index.html
University of Southern California, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Physics
Demo Lab
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51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
 About 270 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.
http://www.phys.utk.edu/demoroom/
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Physics Demonstration Room Webpage
 About 130 demonstrations with pictures and creative descriptions.
http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~phy-demo/
University of Texas at Austin Physics Lecture Demonstration Office.
 Over 250 demonstrations with pictures and brief descriptions.
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.
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.).
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/
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/scps-demos/
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Physics Teachers’ Resource Bank
 Large collection of demonstrations that can be loaned for use at schools in New
Zealand.
http://www.phys.vt.edu/~demo/
Virginia Tech University Department of Physics Demonstration List
 Over 200 demonstrations with pictures and descriptions.
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.
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.
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59. http://www.as.wvu.edu/phys/demobook/demo_menu.htm
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
West Virginia University Physics Department: Physics Demonstrations.
 About 180 demonstrations with short descriptions.
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.
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,
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 physvan@illinois.edu. Very nice
site! (E)
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66. 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)
H. Demonstration videos
1.
2.
3.
4.
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
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)
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)
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)
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,
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
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)
5. 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)
6. 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
descriptions will be found on the web site. The material was recorded in 1979, and reissued 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)
7. 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)
8. 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)
9. 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)
10. 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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
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)
11. 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)
12. 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
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.
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
13. Physics: Cinema Classics A: Mechanics (I), (American Association of Physics
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Teachers, College Park, Maryland) (E)
Physics: Cinema Classics B: Mechanics (II) & Heat, (American Association of Physics
Teachers, College Park, Maryland) (E)
Physics: Cinema Classics C: Waves (I), (American Association of Physics Teachers,
College Park, Maryland) (E)
Physics: Cinema Classics D: Waves (II) & Electricity and Magnetism, (American
Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland) (E)
Physics: Cinema Classics E: Conservation Laws, (American Association of Physics
Teachers, College Park, Maryland) (E)
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.
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)
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)
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).
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)
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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
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)
I.
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.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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)
Physlet® Quantum Physics: An Interactive Introduction, Mario Belloni, Wolfgang
Christian, and Anne Cox (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 2005). This CDROM contains over 200 Physlet exercises. (E)
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)
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)
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 nonAmerican English speaking schools. This book is currently available from the AAPT. (E)
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 LONCAPA, The Free Open-Source Distributed Learning Content Management and
Assessment System: http://www.lon-capa.org/, and strongly recommend them. (E)
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)
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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
over 80 simulations, including interdisciplinary topics such as the effect of temperature
and snowfall on a glacier. (E)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
applets); most topics in physics are represented. A couple of the applet presentations
include an applet-graded post-test. (E)
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)
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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
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)
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)
http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/Applets/, Fowler's Physics
Applets, Michael Fowler (Michael Fowler mf1i@virginia.edu, 1998). (E)
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 mf1i@virginia.edu, 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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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
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30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
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)
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)
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)
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,
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)
http://www.physics.orst.edu/~rubin/nacphy/CPapplets/, Computational Physics Applets,
Depart of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 2008). This is a joint bilingual 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)
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)
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)
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
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37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
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,
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)
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)
http://www.martindalecenter.com/Calculators3A.html, Martindale’s Calculators OnLine 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)
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)
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,
Faraday’s law, and light. This is part of the curriculum for the MIT Studio Physics project
in electricity and magnetism. (I)
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)
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)
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)
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
44. 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 twodimensional problems and the second featuring three-dimensional problems. (I,A)
45. 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)
J.
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
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.
1.
“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)
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
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)
2.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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)
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)
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)
“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
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)
“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)
“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
(Stylus Publishing, Sterling, VA, 2009). From the abstract: “Separately, both JiTT and PI
Page 48 of 56
Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
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)
“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)
“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)
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)
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
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.
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)
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
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
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
general physics curriculum. This book contains a number of excellent ideas, and is well
worth obtaining. (E)
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)
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)
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)
“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
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)
“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)
“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)
“Testing student interpretation of kinematics graphs,” Robert J. Beichner, Am. J. Phys. 62,
750-762 (1994). (A)
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22. “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)
23. “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).
24. “Aristotle is not dead: Student understanding of trajectory motion,” Robert J. Whitaker,
Am. J. Phys. 51, 352-357 (1983).
25. “Common sense concepts about motion,” Ibrahim Abou Halloun and David Hestenes,
Am. J. Phys. 53, 1056-1065 (1985).
26. “Students’ preconceptions in introductory mechanics,” John Clement, Am. J. Phys. 50, 6671 (1982).
27. “Student understanding in mechanics: A large population survey,” Richard F. Gunstone,
Am. J. Phys. 55, 691-696 (1987).
28. “A Mechanics Baseline Test,” D. Hestenes and M. Wells, Phys. Teach. 30, 159-166
(1992).
29. “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)
30. “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).
31. ”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).
32. "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
and graph kinematics and dynamics problems. Nice examples and graphs are presented,
along with useful data sheets and discussion questions. (A)
33. 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)
34. “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
Page 51 of 56
Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
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)
“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)
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
students in the development of a functional understanding of the concepts that the
demonstrations are intended to elucidate.” (A)
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)
“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)
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
paper describing interactive physics teaching with demonstrations at a school for girls in
Singapore. (A)
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
40. 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
41. “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)
42. “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)
43. “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
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)
44. “Teaching Physics: Figuring Out What Works,” E. F. Redish and R.N. Steinberg, Physics
Today 52, 24-30 (1999).
45. “An Implementation of Physics By Inquiry in a Large-Enrollment Class,” Rachel Scherr,
Phys. Teach. 41 113-118 (2003). (A)
46. “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)
47. “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)
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
48. 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
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)
49. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tea.3660310305/abstract;jsessionid=9372C49D
E9595B15DDCE5FD4935EBD07.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)
50. 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)
51. 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.
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52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
The following set of papers provides some background regarding the discussion of this
issue.
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)
“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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
A provocative 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.
59. “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)
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Resource Letter PhD-2: Physics Demonstrations
60. 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).
61. 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 LectureDemonstration 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)
62. 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
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 give special thanks to PIRA and to several of the individual members who were very helpful
in providing information important to this document, as well as Professor Joe Redish
(University of Maryland) for his insightful comments regarding physics education research. I
also thank the reviewers, particularly Wolfgang Rueckner (Harvard University) and Dale Stille
(University of Iowa) for their helpful suggestions. Most importantly, I 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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