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LAB SIMULATION SOFTWARE, ETC.



Please pardon the cross-posting,

Following up a post from a couple months ago, I now have the first module of
the lab simulation software ready to test. You can find it at the top of
the downloads if you go through my homepage below. This first module deals
with AIRTRACKS. This is Windows only and requires 1024x768 resolution. You
will need RealPlayer video playback software (available free) for the video
segments, but you can run without these.

I have also posted major updates of the two energy simulators. (Phys-Soc
members take note.)

To those who are willing to look at the lab simulator, I have several
questions at this point in the project:


1) Does this look useful. What could be changed or added to make it more
useful?

2) Would there be GREAT value in including graphics for other brands of
equipment-say a PASCO air track and timers-or is this generic enough to be
useful for any setup?

3) What speed machine are you running? Was the motion sufficiently smooth
or was it too slow and jerky or too fast? {I'm trying to determine the
minimum requirement for machines.}

4) What other experiments would you like to see added to the air-track
package?

5) What other types of experiments would you like to see added to the
SIMLAB2001 package (Pasco Dynamic Carts are planned)?

Please report any bugs--this is definitely a BETA-version.

NOTE: In my first plea for ideas, several people related their use of
computerized data collection and analysis. I'm not sure there is much value
in doing a computer simulation of a computerized experiment. Therefore I
have stayed with experiments that require 'manual' data collection
(photogate timers are used). If I am wrong about this, please convince me.

Thanks,

Rick


**********************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
rtarara@saintmarys.edu

FREE PHYSICS INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/
PC and MAC software
NEW! Energy Simulator Updates
CD-ROMs now available
******************************************************