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Re: Demos, simulations, and activities for Modern Physics



I guess my earlier reply did not make this clear, but the Visual
Quantum Mechanics group at K-State includes much more than computer
simulations. They have kits for several hands-on experiments in
quantum mechanics. The one they demonstrated at Nebr AAPT involves
the use of several different colored LEDs, voltmeter, ammeter, and
spectrascope to show the dependency of frequency on voltage.

At 09:05 AM 10/29/96 -0800, you wrote:
Dennis Krause asked:

I would like to enlist the help of all those on this list for
suggestions on how to make the topics of modern physics more real to my
students. What demonstrations, computer simulations, and/or other
activities have you found useful in illustrating (in a fun and stimulating
way!) the far-out concepts of relativity (special and general) and quantum
mechanics to non-science students?

and he was rewarded with computer simulations. Will these really help any
students (especially humanities students) appreciate the reality of the
phenomena under discussion? I don't think they will; they certainly would
not have convinced me.


Stanley J. McCaslin Inet: mccaslin@bobcat.peru.edu
Assistant Professor, Computer Science Phone:402/872-2208
Peru State College, Peru, NE 68421 Home: 402/872-7595

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