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Re: [Phys-l] outdoor experiments



I've done several outdoor/out-of-class experiments. Below is a list of them. If anyone is interested in learning more, please let me know.

1. Measure the height of the flag pole use various trig calculations.
2. "Personal physics" - Have students go out to the track and measure how fast they walk and run. Also, figure out, while jumping, how fast they are jumping, how high, and how long they are in the air.
3. Water rockets
4. "Walk along gliders" - I make styrofoam gliders that the students can walk behind. As long as they are walking, the glider will keep flying (without touching it). It's good example leading into flight.
5. I have the students make boomerangs and teach them how to throw and catch them. I used to compete in boomerang competitions. A good source of information and good working boomerangs is from the United States Boomerang Assoc (www.usba.org).
6. I take my physics students to the local ski area and they go inner-tubing down the hills. They calculate velocities, acceleration, coefficient of friction, momentum, etc.
7. making ice cream - intro into studying heat and phase changes.
8. roasting marshmallows and hot dogs using parabolic mirrors and lenses - intro into optics
9. primitive fire starting by using friction (rubbing 2 sticks together) - intro into friction.

These are just a few off of the top of my head.

Dwight Souder
Crestview HS
Ashland, OH

________________________________

From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu on behalf of Bernard Cleyet
Sent: Mon 3/15/2010 2:42 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] outdoor experiments



The current TPT has an outdoor experiment, well ... or an appropriately placed open window.

A similar and somewhat more sophisticated one than mine.

bc

On 2010, Mar 13, , at 16:52, Bernard Cleyet wrote

cut


hello,
i am a physics and math high school teacher;
thanks for this excellent mail list !

i'd like to ask you information about possible outdoor experiments you
do or have done in the past;
by outdoor experiments i mean a wide range of experimentations that
can be carried outside and not simply inside a lab; i think it may be
fun and engaging to study the behavior of some physic system taken as
it is and not artificially reproduced in a lab;

of course, it may be only a preliminary phase, since many experiments
should also be carried inside the lab as always;

if it is not really clear what i mean, just tell me and i'll reply

thank you in advance
--
roberto
_______________________________________________

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