| Links around
the web
Physics is all around us and the sites listed here do a great job in showing
the relevance of what we are learning in class to other situations.
Charge
related material
Still trying to get a feel for metric units? Want to know how to
convert pints into liters? Sounds like you need the table of common
equivalent weights & measures. NIST also has a searchable
table
of fundamental constants- a very handy reference for the future.
Also, I've collected a few tables of typical values
of mass, speed, etc. expressed in SI units.
This semester will see more integration, while most of what we'll do in
our class will be simple polynomials and trig functions, you may occasionally
run into something more complicated. If so, you might want to look
at a collection of integrals or use Wolfram's
on-line Integrator.
The electron
wasn't "discovered" until 1897! The history
of the groundbreaking experiments can be found at the American Institute
of Physics. The Institute of Physics also has a nice exhibit on
the history
of the electron and JJ
Thomson's experiments.
Robert
Millikan was the first to show that electrical charge was quantized.
By balancing the forces (gravity, air drag and electrical) on an oil drop,
he was able to show that drops always carried a charge that was an integral
multiple of 1.6 x 10-19C.
Electricity
related material
Lightning
is one of nature's most impressive electrical demonstrations. Here
are a few sites that discuss various aspects of lightning
How
Stuff Works also has an article on Van
de Graaff generators (including ideas on how to build your own).
Ben
Franklin was one of the early pioneers in the field of elctricity. He
conducted many experiments, including one where he tried to kill a turkey
by electrocuting it. Unfortunately, he
nearly killed himself with the large shcock.
Circuits
rleated material
Magnetism
related material
Auroras
are some of the most beautiful examples of magnetic forces acting on charged
particles. Jan Curtis has a fantastic of aurora
photos. Should you be making a trip to Alaska soon, you might want
to check out the aurora
forcast page. The Exploratorium has a nice site explaining the science
of auroras.
Electromagnetism
related material
Other
material
If you're interested in learning
more about the physicists who have helped make great advances in electricity
and magnetism, then you might want to look at Leonard Taylor's history
of EM.
For some nice ideas
on the role of science
& skepticism, you might want to read the editorial by Jame Trefil
that appeared in a recent APS News.
The Physics
Department has a few pages that may be of interest to 101 students.
There are pages designed to help
students answer the important questions in life, such as "What I can
do with a physics degree?" Or, "Where can I intern?" Other
pages talk about the latest
in the world of physics (everything from research to limericks).
The Learning Resource Center is
a great place for students to find some tutoring and assistance.
The LRC offers physics, math, and chemistry group tutoring. They
have even prepared a "how
to solve word problems" tip sheet. In addition to course based
tutoring, LRC also offers workshops
on how to study, how to prepare for tests and studying to the MCAT, LSAT
or GRE.
Society of Physics Students! Okay, it's easier to say- SPS!
Come meet other students who enjoy science, hear guest speakers (often
your fellow students), and eat some snacks.
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