Interactive:
- A Bouncing Ball ... why are some collisions elastic, but never perfectly elastic? Find out here.
- The Rutherford Atom ... an explanation, some history, and a cool demo!
- Lunar Lander ... explore the effects of an increasing value of 'g' by trying to land the lunar module on the moon, Mars, Earth, and Neptune.
- Wave Generator ... visualize the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves.
- Convex Lenses ... play with a convex lens and see where the images are.
- Parabola Focus How does the focus position change as a parabola gets narrower? Find out!
- Optics Lab ... experiment with lenses and mirrors online; see how the position of the object affects the size, location, and type of image. Lots of fun for Physics 20 students.
- Single-Slit Diffraction ... see it happen and experiment with slit width and wavelength.
- Refraction an explanation, Snell's Law, and an interactive applet that lets you understand the effect of different indicies of refraction.
- Collisions ... set up 2-D collisions, both elastic & inelastic. Change the masses and speeds; measure what happens. An air track on your computer screen!
- Projectile Motion ... examine all the vectors as they change, during a projectile's motion.
- Gravity Simulator Explore gravitation by playing with the orbital parameters of orbiting bodies, and see the effects of your changes in real time!
- Does Your Computer Have Feelings? ... What a ridiculous question, you said? Well, let us convince you that your computer will react to insults!
Biographies:
- Albert Einstein ... find out about the most famous scientist ever!
- Stephen Hawking ... the world's greatest cosmologist.
- Isaac Newton ... including his contributions to science.
- Rene Descartes ... his contributions to science and mathematics.
Course Topics:
Estimation and Measurement:
- Significant Digits ... the rules, and a quiz.
- Precision and Accuracy ... which is which?
- Average Speed and Average Velocity ... do you know the difference?
- Finding Displacement from a Velocity Graph ... and the derivation of the displacement formula.
- Calculating the Diameter of the Sun ... a simple experiment you can do!
- Estimating Water Flow in a Culvert ... we attempt to measure the volume of water flow without getting our feet wet!
- Measuring the Bounciness of a Basketball ... a simple formula tells you if your ball is 'official'.
- Using a Radar Gun ... (for teachers) Generate data for classroom use using a police radar gun.
- Density ... what it is, and how to calculate it.
- Vernier Caliper ... practice your skills at reading the scale on a vernier caliper.
- Calculating Heights ... this Math 9 trig application example includes a description of how to estimate the error in a measurement by using precision.
Sound:
- Sound ... what is it, and how does it travel? An introduction.
- Seeing Sound ... a simple device you can make.
- More About Sound ... how sound is generated, how we hear, and how we use sound.
- What Causes an Echo ... Did you say 'Echo'? I thought so!
Liquids:
- Microwave Boilovers Why your instant coffee causes the microwaved hot water to 'reboil'
- Surface Tension and Temperature ... why a drop of liquid changes temperature if broken into smaller droplets
- Boiling Water Noises ... ever wonder why boiling water makes noise and shakes the pot, only until the water starts to boil, when it all stops? Find out why here/
Electricity and Magnetism:
- Static Electricity A lesson with pictures, and a quiz.
- Magnet Madness ... how magnets work, and some fun projects
- Electric Circuits Learn about simple, series, and parallel circuits.
- Transformers ... converting low voltages to high, and vice versa. Example Physics 30 problems solved.
- Morse Code ... see how the signalling device circuit worked, and try our Morse code translator.
- Crocodile Clips ... Download a free program that lets you play with and design electric circuits. Ideal for Science 9; suitable for grades 6 and up. Highly recommended!
- Test Your Steady Hand Build a game that tests your steadiness, and learn about circuits.
- Simple Paperclip Motor ... you can build this one in thirty minutes!
- Complicated Paperclip Motor ... find out how it works!
- Pop Can Motor ... build a simple pop can motor in just five minutes!
- Coffee Cup Motor ... build a simple motor from a styrofoam coffee cup and two pop cans.
- The Theremin ... find out about this unusual electronic instrument, and download a free theremin player so you can make your own spooky music!
Design and Experiment:
- Science Fairs ... how to choose and complete a project. Complete information for WCS students.
- Science Experiment ... a sample Science Fair experiment.
- Science Project Errors We made them all in a sample project, so you won't.
- Pendulum Experiment ... learn about experimental variables, as well as the properties of a pendulum. Simple enough for Jr. High science, with additional pages describing equations for Sr. High classes.
- Build a Simple Spectroscope ... use it to identify elements in different materials.
- Orbital Velocity A simple demonstration of orbital velocity increasing as the radius of orbit gets smaller.
- Building Toothpick Bridges ... a complete outline for students and teachers. You can also try out your designs on-line with our 'virtual bridge builder'!
- The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse ... when engineering went wrong! Dramatic photos!
- The Principles of Flight ... an introduction, for Science 6.
- Mini Copter ... build and modify a simple helicopter.
- Why Are Bowling Pins Fatter on the Bottom? ...center of mass, and a free game!
- Homemade Weather Instruments ... build your own! Designs & ready-to-use calibration tables.
- The Mass Spectrograph ... how it works, and what it's used for.
- Paper Airplanes ... how to make your airplane go farther or stay up longer.
Matter, Energy, and Momentum:
- Energy What is it? What forms can it take?
- Absolute Zero and the Kelvin scale. How cold or hot can things get?
- Brownian Motion ... an explanation, and illustrative animations.
- Vibration of Atoms ... how solids store energy.
- Changes of State & the Particle Theory ... applying heat causes vibration & movement of particles to increase. Includes some illustrative animations.
- Surface Area and Cooling ... find out why crushed ice cools faster than ice cubes.
- Clouds ... what are they made from?
- Roller Coasters ... and energy transfer
- Wind Power ... explaining how wind power works, with pictures and a video!
- Energy From Rising Hot Air ... check out the EnviroMission project.
- Controlled Nuclear Fusion ... find out about this limitless energy source of the future! A complete explanation.
- How to Hit a Home Run What makes a baseball player a good hitter? Can you learn it too?
- The Physics of Basketball ... understanding makes the game so much more interesting!
- Conservation of Momentum ... an explanation, and a free program to download.
- Hula Hoops What keeps them up?
- E=mc2 ... Einstein's most famous equation explained.
- Nuclear Bombs How they work ... an explanation of nuclear fission and fusion.
- Carbon14 Dating ... Find out how archaeologists determine the age of human artifacts.
- The Birth of Atoms ... Find out where atoms came from in the first place.
Forces and Pressure:
- Tires and Friction ... why different types of tires give better traction, and how this relates to the friction equation.
- Gravity: the Weakest Force there are four kinds of forces. Gravity is the weakest!
- A Rifle Bullet's Trajectory ... how far will a bullet go?
- Simple Machines ... how they work, with examples. Includes levers, pulleys, inclined planes, wheel & axle, wedges, screw. (Simple explanations, without formulas).
- House of Cards ... using a house of cards to illustrate forces in structures.
- Forces and Vectors ... illustrated problems showing how to use force diagrams to calculate net force, acceleration, and frictional force.
- Adding Vectors ... vector addition for Physics20/Math31 students ... a tutorial.
- Skate Blades ... why aren't they flat on the bottom?
- Does Air Have Weight? ... a simple experiment to show that it does.
- Air Pressure ... a simple demonstration of the existence of air pressure.
- Density ... what it is, and how to calculate it.
- Submarines ... how they go up and down.
- Touch ... when is a kiss not a kiss? Do any two surfaces ever actually contact each other? Discover the surprising truth here.
- 'Space Weight' ... download a small free program that will tell you how much you would weigh on another planet.
- Throwing a Javelin ... adding vectors will show you how to do it better.
- Weightlessness ... What is it, and how is it caused?
- Which Way Is Down? ... does gravity always point straight down?
The Earth:
- Lightning ... what it is and how it's generated
- Weather Fronts ... a supplement to Science 9 and 10
- Hail ... find out what causes it, and the damage it can do.
- Finding an Earthquake's Epicentre ...using P and S waves and simple geometry.
- Toiletpaper Timeline ... see the history of the earth, using a roll of toilet paper.
Light and Optics:
- The Electromagnetic Spectrum ... with a chart
- Lasers What makes them work.
- Refraction Why water-soaked cothing looks darker.
- Jello and Refraction ... using Jello and a laser pointer to show refraction.
- The Law of Reflection Find out how it works by looking at some people play pool.
- Blue Light Scattering ... why the sky is blue and the sun is yellow.
- Polarized Light What is it? Find out here!
- Fibre Optics How it works, and a simple experiment.
- The Speed of Light Find out how it was originally measured.
- The Photoelectric Effect Einstein's Nobel Prize-winning theory, explained for Phy 30 students.
- Convex Lenses How they work, with ray diagrams.
- Black Lights ... why do they make white clothing glow?
- Using Glow Tubes to Mix Light ... see white light by mixing colours.
- Build a Simple Spectroscope ... use it to identify elements in different materials.
Relativity and Quantum Physics:
- Frames of Reference ... why there is no such thing as absolute motion, or absolute rest.
- Relativity ... the theory, and its consequences!
- Quantum Physics ... an overview.
General Interest:
- Amusement Park Physics ... we use a visit to Canada's Wonderland to illustrate a variety of topics from the sciences and mathematics. Includes acceleration, buoyancy, heat, cooling & evaporation, centre of mass, centripetal force, friction, sales tax, percent markup, and a variety of other topics.
- Street Fair Physics ... more physics in real life, when we visit a street fair in Ontario. Includes magnetism, circular motion, electricity, hot air, hydraulics, and sound.
- The Need for Speed ... check out the fastest bicycle in the world!
- Time Travel ... Is it really possible? Find out here!
- The Marianas Trench ... the deepest spot on earth!
Free Software:
- Graph Paper Maker ... download a free program that makes all types of graph paper that you can print from your computer!
- Crocodile Clips ... Download a free program that lets you play with and design electric circuits. Ideal for Science 9; suitable for grades 6 and up. Highly recommended!
- Accelerated Motion ... A free program that illustrates and graphs displacement, velocity, and acceleration for a moving person. Highly recommended!
- Visualizing Transverse Waves ... Two free programs that let you see and measure the features of a single transverse wave, and a standing composite wave. Highly recommended!
- Resistor Colour Code Program ... a program that tells you the colour code if you know the resistance, or tells you the resistance if you have the colour bands.
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