This is a lesson about density. Learners will relate the concept of …
This is a lesson about density. Learners will relate the concept of density to the density of dust in space. They will use mission data from the Student Dust Counter (SDC) interface to determine the density of dust grains in a volume of space in the Solar System in order to answer questions concerning the distribution of dust in the solar system. They will discover that space is much more sparsely populated with dust than they may have thought. Students discuss their findings with the class.
This a textbook on special relativity, aimed at undergraduates who have already …
This a textbook on special relativity, aimed at undergraduates who have already completed a freshman survey course. The treatment of electromagnetism assumes previous exposure to Maxwell's equations in integral form, but no knowledge of vector calculus.
This is a lesson about using light to identify the composition of …
This is a lesson about using light to identify the composition of an object. Learners will use a spectrograph to gather data about light sources. Using the data they‰Ûªve collected, students are able to make comparisons between different light sources and make conjectures about the composition of a mystery light source. The activity is part of Project Spectra, a science and engineering program for middle-high school students, focusing on how light is used to explore the Solar System.
Students use the spectrographs from the "Building a Fancy Spectrograph" activity to …
Students use the spectrographs from the "Building a Fancy Spectrograph" activity to gather data about light sources. Using their data, they make comparisons between different light sources and make conjectures about the composition of a mystery light source.
Students learn how using spectrographs helps people understand the composition of light …
Students learn how using spectrographs helps people understand the composition of light sources. Using simple materials including holographic diffraction gratings, students create and customize their own spectrographs just like engineers. They gather data about different light sources, make comparisons between sources and theorize about their compositions. Before building spectrographs, students learn and apply several methods to identify and interpret patterns, specifically different ways of displaying visual spectra. They also use spectral data from the Cassini mission to Saturn and its moon, Titan, to determine the chemical composition of the planet's rings and its moon's atmosphere.
This is a activity about how reaction wheels affect spacecraft orientation (attitude). …
This is a activity about how reaction wheels affect spacecraft orientation (attitude). Learners will observe Newton's Third Law (action-reaction) in the changes caused by a reaction wheel acting upon a spacecraft suspended from a support wire and in the ensuing interfering forces from the wire support. The experiment includes an option for demonstration and for learner investigation. Notes about gyroscopes are included.
Refreshed with an understanding of the six simple machines; screw, wedge, pully, …
Refreshed with an understanding of the six simple machines; screw, wedge, pully, incline plane, wheel and axle, and lever, student groups receive materials and an allotted amount of time to act as mechanical engineers to design and create machines that can complete specified tasks. For the competition, they choose from pre-determined goal options such as: 1) dumping goldfish into a bowl, 2) popping a balloon, or 3) dropping mint candies into soda pop (creating a fizzy reaction). Students demonstrate their functioning contraptions to the class, earning points for using all six simple machines, successful transitions from one chain reaction to the next, and completion of the end goal.
Students see how potential energy (stored energy) can be converted into kinetic …
Students see how potential energy (stored energy) can be converted into kinetic energy (motion). Acting as if they were engineers designing vehicles, they use rubber bands, pencils and spools to explore how elastic potential energy from twisted rubber bands can roll the spools. They brainstorm, prototype, modify, test and redesign variations to the basic spool racer design in order to meet different design criteria, ultimately facing off in a race competition. These simple-to-make devices store potential energy in twisted rubber bands and then convert the potential energy to kinetic energy upon release.
Spotter is a program that lets students check their answers to math …
Spotter is a program that lets students check their answers to math and science questions. It handles symbolic as well as numerical answers. The software is free and open source.
This lab demonstrates Hooke's Law with the use of springs and masses. …
This lab demonstrates Hooke's Law with the use of springs and masses. Students attempt to determine the proportionality constant, or k-value, for a spring. They do this by calculating the change in length of the spring as different masses are added to it. The concept of a spring's elastic limit is also introduced, and the students test to makes sure the spring's elastic limit has not been reached during their lab tests. After compiling their data, they attempt to find an average value of the spring's k-value by measuring the slopes between each of their data points. Then they apply what they've learned about springs to how engineers might use that knowledge in the design of a toy that enables kids to jump 2-3 feet in the air.
Through hands-on group projects, students learn about the force of compression and …
Through hands-on group projects, students learn about the force of compression and how it acts on structural components. Using everyday materials, such as paper, toothpicks and tape, they construct structures designed to (hopefully) support the weight of a cinder block for 30 seconds.
This is a lesson about detecting atmospheres of planets. Learners will explore …
This is a lesson about detecting atmospheres of planets. Learners will explore stellar occultation events (by interpreting light curves) to determine if an imaginary dwarf planet ‰ÛÏSnorkzat‰Û� has an atmosphere. The activity is part of Project Spectra, a science and engineering program for middle-high school students, focusing on how light is used to explore the Solar System.
Students act as chemical engineers and use LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT robotics to …
Students act as chemical engineers and use LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT robotics to record temperatures and learn about the three states of matter. Properties of matter can be measured in various ways, including volume, mass, density and temperature. Students measure the temperature of water in its solid state (ice) as it is melted and then evaporated.
This hands-on activity explores the concept of static electricity. Students attract an …
This hands-on activity explores the concept of static electricity. Students attract an O-shaped piece of cereal to a charged comb and watch the cereal jump away when it touches the comb. Students also observe Styrofoam pellets pulling towards a charged comb, then leaping back to the table.
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, …
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. While learning how a magnifying glass works, students see how the orientation of an image changes with the distance of the lens from its focal point. They also discover how a prism works by refracting light and making rainbows. And, students investigate the polar nature of light using sunglasses and polarized light film.
In the first video segment, we describe the fundamental postulate of statistical …
In the first video segment, we describe the fundamental postulate of statistical mechanics. The direct product notation we introduce in the second segment helps us to discuss the states available to a collection of many parts, which helps us, in turn, to derive the Boltzmann factor in the third segment. The fourth video segment explains how the Boltzmann factor helps us to calculate average properties for systems in thermal contact with large baths and introduces entropy (Greek letter sigma), free energy (F), and the partition function (Z).
Even when we model the dynamics of the abundances of molecules inside …
Even when we model the dynamics of the abundances of molecules inside biological systems using calculus, it is important to remember that underlying behavior can be apparently random ("stochastic"). Even a deterministic system containing components moving in periodic ways can, at early times, support dynamics that appear disordered. The behavior of systems containing complicated collections of interacting parts can be difficult to predict with accuracy (chaos). Finally, systems can display stochasticity because the outcomes of measurements on quantum systems are indeterminate in a fundamental way. Random processes are modeled using Markov models.
This is a lesson about the motion of a coronal mass ejection, …
This is a lesson about the motion of a coronal mass ejection, also called a CME. Learners will calculate the velocity and acceleration of a CME based on its position in a series of images from the Large-Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) instrument on SOHO.
No restrictions on your remixing, redistributing, or making derivative works. Give credit to the author, as required.
Your remixing, redistributing, or making derivatives works comes with some restrictions, including how it is shared.
Your redistributing comes with some restrictions. Do not remix or make derivative works.
Most restrictive license type. Prohibits most uses, sharing, and any changes.
Copyrighted materials, available under Fair Use and the TEACH Act for US-based educators, or other custom arrangements. Go to the resource provider to see their individual restrictions.
