|
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.
Benjamin
Franklin was not only a diplomat, he was an influential scientist.
In fact, he was one of the first to thoroughly study electicity.
He
can easily be considered America's first physicist.
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.
|
