Physics Resources on the Web
For High School Physics Classes
Steven Schafersman
August 2004
American Physical Society
Physics Central
Physics Education Links
Physics Teaching
- Teacher Preparation offers
sites that describe programs and curricula for the improvement of
undergraduate preservice teacher education. Included is PhysTEC, a
program of the APS.
- Precollege Science
Teaching describes programs and resources for K-12 science
instruction, including Physics First, the initiative to begin high
school science with a year of physics in the ninth grade.
- Undergraduate Physics
Teaching presents links, reports, curricula, the AAPT and
its programs, and initiatives to reform physics instruction.
- Public Outreach includes
science center websites, Physics on the Road programs, listings
from Physics Central of recommended sites, and women and minority
speakers.
- Physics Education Research
(PER) includes lists of articles on how students learn
physics and how research results can improve physics instruction,
as well as a listing of PER groups in the U.S.
- History of Physics offers the
Century of Physics timeline, the AIP Center for the history of
physics, and sites on women in physics and African-Americans in
the sciences.
- Physical Sciences
Resource Center By the American Association of Physics
Teachers. This site has a number of resources for physics and
physical science teachers K-16.
- Why Study Physics? Why it's so exciting; also, what courses to take.
- High School Physics Teachers
Days Programs for high school physics teachers at APS
national meetings.
- 20th Century Physics
Timeline A dramatic online timeline that depicts the past
hundred years of physics.
- PhysTEC The
Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) is a program, funded
by NSF and FIPSE, to improve the science preparation of future
K-12 teachers.
- Statement
on Teacher Education, with Endorsements AIP member
statement on teacher education, and the physics departments that
have endorsed it.
- Energy and Change
Animated Video: Animated presentation on the five basic laws of energy
and change.
- Basics of Machines
Animated Video: Devices that allow you to do work more efficiently: the
inclined plane, the wheel, and the lever.
Interactive Physics Experiments and Laboratories
- Little
Shop of Physics Colorado State University's hands-on
science outreach program. Online experiments and numerous
resources for teachers.
- Online
Experiments Experiments you can do right now, right where
you are... from the Little Shop of Physics.
- Visual
Physics Learn about specific topics in physics, run
interactive simulations, and participate in basic, yet challenging
quizzes. Be sure to check out their links to more applet sites in
their "Others" section.
- Physics/Astronomy
Applets Interactive java applets from the University of
Oregon Physics department. Topics include mechanics, energy,
thermodynamics, and astrophysics.
- Virtual
Physics Laboratory 70+ java applets for a wide variety of
subjects from the National Taiwan Normal University.
- Physics
Applets Applets on kinematics, optics, electricity,
thermodynamics, and waves and oscillations. Require the Macromedia
Shockwave plug-in.
- Amusement
Park Physics Design a roller coaster; learn about several
rides.
- Fowler's
Physics Applets Eight Applets designed to accompany
general physics lectures.
- Newton's
Cannon Newton's Principia suggested that if you fire a
cannon from a high mountain it could fall, circle the earth, or
fly away depending on how hard it was fired.
- Projectile
Motion Shoot a cannon to see how high and far the ball
flies. The applet uses real units and physical values to
compare with calculations.
- Two-dimensional
collisions One ball strikes another. Change relative
masses, initial velocity, and angle of the collision. Watch it
in the center of mass and lab frame. It makes the collision
angles very clear, and the controls are sort of fun.
- Refraction
Investigate the properties of light as it crosses from glass to
air.
- Gravitation
Real-time, interactive gravity simulator.
Unique Physics Sites
- QuarkNet
Teachers do research in particle physics, and students use real
data from particle detectors.
- UNIVERSE!
An Educational Forum about the Structure and Evolution of the
Universe, for astronomers and educators, by NASA, Harvard Center
for Astrophysics, and the Smithsonian museum.
- Solar
Classroom Hands-On Solar Learning Activities--Measure
rotation of sun, make a sundial, calculate satellite's orbit. By
Montana State University.
- PhysicsWeb News
and information from Institute of Physics.
- UMd's
Question of the Week Each week a new question involving
real experimental physics is posted and the answer for the
previous Question of the Week is shown.
- Superconductivity
A Teacher's Guide.
- Spacelink
Aeronautics and space science resource for educators, from
NASA.
- Intuitor
Physics Page Written by a high school physics teacher in
South Carolina. Lists eight reasons why everyone should take
physics.
- Physics
2000 Applets on lasers, microwaves, TV screens, waves,
atoms, the periodic table, and much more!
- The Particle
Adventure Go on an adventure to learn about the exciting
subatomic world. Downloadable worksheets and handouts available
for classroom use.
- Astronomy
Picture of the Day Each day a different image or
photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a
brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
- Imagine the
Universe Information, with interactive activities, about
the universe.
- IPPEX
Interactive physics modules about matter, electricity and
magnetism, energy, and fusion. Operate your own virtual
Tokamak!
- PhysLINK Daily
physics and astronomy news, large reference section with
constants, conversions, quotations.
- ExploreScience
Activities useful for illustrating concepts in mechanics, optics,
astronomy, wave motion, electricity and magnetism; Teachers can
create course web pages.
- National
Taskforce on Undergraduate Physics Read the SPIN-UP
report, by this Taskforce, about the lessons learned from thriving
US undergraduate physics programs.
- Physics
Central The APS' outreach web site for the general
public.
- New
Faculty in Physics and Astronomy Workshop A four-day
workshop on how students learn physics and astronomy and on how
instruction can be reformed.
- 20th Century Physics
Timeline A dramatic online timeline that depicts the past
hundred years of physics.
Education
Physics Departments
Scientific Reference
Web Conversion Sites
Obtaining Computer Freeware and Shareware from Tucows
Internet and Electronic Scholarly Citation
Evaluating the Quality and Reliability of Internet
Information
Urban Legends, Internet Hoaxes, and Virus Hoaxes
Critical Thinking
Steven Schafersman at
cybercomputing@gmail.com
(Help stop spam: substitute @ for AT before
mailing.)
Last updated: 2011 August 10