PHYSICS EDUCATION

ISU Physics Teacher Education Program
From Illinois State University.
www.phy.ilstu.edu

Henry Greenside's Duke Physics Challenges
Physics-related word-problem puzzles.
www.phy.duke.edu

GRE Physics Prep
Yahoo group for people preparing for GRE Physics.
tech.groups.yahoo.com

A Radically Modern Approach to Introductory Physics
A web text by David J. Raymond.
www.physics.nmt.edu

Bad Physics
Misunderstood things in physics with simple explanations.
www.geoffers2000.freeserve.co.uk

Animations of Wave Motion
Animated GIFs and a discussion of some of the math involved.
physics.usask.ca

Beginner and Intermediate Electronics
Basic electronics explained using simple theory and diagrams.
ourworld.compuserve.com

The Elements of Machines
Some simple machines, explained, described and illustrated.
www.mos.org

Intuitor - Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics
Reviews and rates Hollywood movies for bad physics content.
www.intuitor.com

Todd's Quantum Intro
A brief overview of quantum mechanics.
www.hi.is

APS - Division of Physics of Beams
History of beam physics research, and current information on the topic.
bt.pa.msu.edu

Dropping In a Microgravity Environment (DIME)
Teacher's guide for a NASA high-school student science competition. [PDF]
microgravity.grc.nasa.gov

Physics Reference
Physics symbols, constants, and SI units, prefixes and rules.
www.alcyone.com

Glass: Liquid or Solid - Science vs. an Urban Legend
Addressing the widespread misconception according to which glass is a liquid.
dwb.unl.edu

Cartoons and Movies
Some diagrams and movies illustrating some otherwise abstract electrical principles.
ist-socrates.berkeley.edu

Physical Science for Nonscientists - Physics 1020 (2nd Semester)
Course website at University of Colorado. Includes lecture notes in pdf format.
www.colorado.edu

A Prelude to the Study of Physics
A paper first published in Quantum Vol 7 No 2, pg. 45, Nov/Dec 1996.
www.winbeam.com

Physical Science Resource Center (PSRC)
This site has plenty of resources for physics and physical science teachers K-16.
psrc.aapt.org

Static Electricity
Scientific explanation of the phenomenon of static electricity.
www.electrostatics.com

Bicycle Physics
The physics of how to steer a bicycle, and how stop signs interfere with bicycle commuting.
ist-socrates.berkeley.edu

Contemporary Physics Education Project (CPEP)
A non-profit organization of teachers, educators, and physicists; at Lawrence Berkeley Lab.
www.cpepweb.org

I Love Physics Forum
Discuss physics education and related topics that come up in discussions about physics.
www.ilovephysics.com

Physics Laws and Quizzes
Solve some problems using the fundamental laws and be announced as a Quiz Master.
members.tripod.com

The Quantum Exchange
A collection of information and resources for teachers of quantum physics.
www.thequantumexchange.org

How to Study Physics
A University of Texas classic, written before the web was around, but now revised and web-ready.
www.lhup.edu

Physics Pointers
Physics reading guides, links to physics websites, teaching tips, and physics activities.
physicspointers.com

How Atoms Work
Shows how man determined the structure of the atom and learned how atoms interacted with each other.
www.howstuffworks.com

New Physics Teacher Project
Advice for the first year physics teacher gathered from interviews with expert physics educators.
earthfuture.tripod.com

Advancing Physics AS/A2 Level Course from the Institute of Physics
Provides resources for Teachers, Students and Technicians involved in the study of AS or A2 Level Physics.
advancingphysics.iop.org

FYKOS - Physical Correspondence Seminary
Worldwide competition in physics for grammar school (under age 19) students with an interest in physics.
fykos.troja.mff.cuni.cz

HyperPhysics Concepts
A concept map of physics showing relationships between topics while giving explanations and references.
hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu

Art Ludwig's Sound Page
Various explorations of sound, sound detection and sound measurement. Includes a section on physics of sound.
www.silcom.com

Physics Simulations in Education
ZIP-format files for DOS or Windows covering a variety of physics phenomena and applications.
www.clab.unibe.ch

The World of Beams (Both Energy and Particle)
Explores the nature of particle beams, laser beams, and related physics topics.
bc1.lbl.gov

Interactive Textbook
College freshman-level physics textbook online in several different formats, notably a java-interactive format.
dept.physics.upenn.edu

Challenges In Teaching and Learning Introductory Physics
Addresses the troubles presented in introductory physics courses taken by students in their first two years of college.
www.physics.ucsb.edu

Essential Physics
A book for first-year college students who have an interest in pursuing a career in physics or a closely related field.
www.physicsforfree.com

The Physics Encyclopedia
This site provides exhaustive, comprehensive, carefully selected and structured lists on Internet physics resources.
members.tripod.com

Practical Physics
Enables teachers of physics to share their skills and experience of making experiments work in the classroom.
www.practicalphysics.org

Radiation Physics and Radiocarbon Research Labs at University College Dublin
Specialises in the measurement of minute traces of artificial and natural radionuclides in the environment.
www.ucd.ie

Professor Stephen Hawking Online
Biographical, educational, and scholarly. Also includes a bit of fun (did you know he was on The Simpsons TV show?)
www.hawking.org.uk

The Evil Tutor's Guide: Graphs and Figures
An amusing, yet sincere, look at where students go wrong when producing scientific graphs for school, college and degree level work.
www.eviltutor.com

International Physics Olympiads
Regional and international physics olympiads. Information, mailing lists, and links to all the IPhO problems available on the web.
www.geocities.com

Physics Comics
Comics-style lessons in physics fundamentals. Topics include motion, forces, vectors, work and energy, and impulse and momentum.
www.bmts.com

Science-Pseudoscience
Science, non-science and pseudoscience: a set of lessons to teach students to define and differentiate the three.
www.chem1.com

Kenny Felder's Math and Physics Help Page
A collection of papers written to explain various concepts in math and physics, as well as papers generously donated by other people.
www4.ncsu.edu

Thermal and Statistical Physics Curriculum Development Project
Includes an introduction to the project and its conferences, related papers and links, and some Java applets.
stp.clarku.edu

Teralab
Descriptions and photographs of electrostatics, electron bombardment and wave experiments done with home equipment.
www.rhunt.f9.co.uk

Mathematical Thinking in Physics
Articles, essays, and problems designed for students to learn more about the importance of math in the study and application of physics.
www.lerc.nasa.gov

Physics Virtual Bookshelf
A collection mostly of University of Toronto physics professor David M. Harrison's various presentations and course materials.
www.upscale.utoronto.ca

Astrophysics Science Project Integrating Research and Education (ASPIRE)
Site dedicated to helping teachers with lessons in physics and astrophysics by giving computer activities that help show how physical models work.
outreach.physics.utah.edu

Fundamental Physical Constants from NIST
The values of the fundamental physical constants provided at this site are recommended for international use by CODATA and are the latest available.
physics.nist.gov

How Things Work
A service providing answers to questions about physics, science, and how things in the world around us work. Companion to the book by the same name.
howthingswork.virginia.edu

Physics Simulations - Teaching Programs
Free and commercial site with physics programs and some other materials available for download and/or sale. No Macintosh materials offered.
www.colba.net

Physics, the Neglected Science
Pages to help increase awareness about the value of physics and to lend support to high school physics students, teachers, and parents.
www.intuitor.com

TYC Physics Workshops
Information about workshops provided for two-year or community college physics teachers and the products of this project.
tycphysics.org

The Sound of Solitary Waves
Physicists have demonstrated the first acoustic solitary waves in air--waves that can travel long distances without changing shape.
focus.aps.org

Select Physics Topics
This physics online ebook covers basic physics from Newton's laws to electricity and magnetism. Lots of applets and animation included.
www.science-ebooks.com

Physics 2000
An interactive journey through modern physics. Have fun learning visually and conceptually about 20th century science and high-tech devices. Uses java applets.
www.colorado.edu

Physics for Beginners
An introduction to some concepts in physics for the absolute beginner. Included is a equation solver which is for use with the Physics For Beginners section.
physics.webplasma.com

The Motion Mountain Physics Text
A free physics textbook on the introductory physics course level, written to be surprising, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Chapters are downloadable pdf files.
motionmountain.dse.nl

Physics at Merton College
Matters related to the AS-level and A-level physics courses. The material covers topics in physics and its related mathematics and will supplement one's normal classwork.
www.lokon.demon.co.uk

School Mathematics and Science Programs Benefit From Instructional Technology
NSF report summarizes key findings about mathematics and science in controlled evaluations of instructional technology in elementary and secondary schools.
www.nsf.gov

Simple Electric Motors
Summary of science projects by Stan Pozmantir, a junior secondary student. Easy-to-build and inexpensive electric motors utilizing many physics principles.
www.simplemotor.com

Exploring Physics in Cyberspace
This site describes several tested extracurricular programs geared to introducing hands-on interactive physics activities for K-12 students. Supported by the National Science Foundation.
web.missouri.edu

Space Station Phyve
A WebQuest for high school physics and MST students to research and design a rotating space colony. This highly scientific mission contains links and teacher rubric.
www.geocities.com

Computer Simulation Methods
A web site devoted to faculty and students using computer simulation techniques as a method of discovery in physics. This is a companion site to a textbook, but provides content from other sources as well.
sip.clarku.edu

Physics First
For the past 130 years, physics has been an integral part of science curriculum at the high school level. Its current vertical position, established about 100 years ago, is now strongly challenged.
members.aol.com

Interactive Physics Scenarios by A. John Mallinckrodt
A collection of intermediate and advanced level modules in mechanics, gravitation, thermodynamics, and electrostatics for use with the Interactive Physics software distributed by MSC Working Knowledge.
www.csupomona.edu

Innovations in Undergraduate Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Several recent developments have stimulated a major revitalization of UIUC's introductory physics curriculum. Here are the details. Also includes references, previous presentations, and course outlines.
research.physics.uiuc.edu

Society of Physics Students (SPS)
Complete set of information for members of any level of SPS. Scholarships and awards, news, activities, staff, structure, online forms, student resources, and links to significant physics sites.
spsnational.org

Andes Physics Tutor
Andes is an intelligent tutoring system which teaches students how to solve physics problems. It provides a complete set of homework problems for an Introductory College Physics course or a high school AP physics course.
www.andes.pitt.edu

Common Errors in Undergraduate Mathematics
This page describes the errors seen most frequently in undergraduate mathematics, the likely causes of those errors, and their remedies. Avoid these errors in order to improve in any math-intensive course, including physics.
www.math.vanderbilt.edu

Open Text
Project to provide high quality free physics teaching materials to anyone who has access to the Internet. Similar to the “open source” concept for computer software. A cooperative building site for physics materials.
www3.baylor.edu

Spacetime Wrinkles
Major advances in computation are only now enabling scientists to simulate how black holes form, evolve, and interact. Learn about relativity and its predictions through text and video files at this site.
archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu

NSTA - Position Statement on Laboratory Science
Since the laboratory experience is of critical importance in the process of enhancing students' cognitive and affective understanding of science, the National Science Teachers Association makes the following recommendations.
www.nsta.org

MIT OpenCourseWare - Physics
Undergraduate and graduate courses available for noncredit study and review. Materials provided may include syllabi, reading assignments, videotaped lectures, problem sets with solutions, lecture notes, and exams with solutions.
ocw.mit.edu

UMPERG: Minds-On Physics (MOP)
A one-year curriculum for high-school physics. It is the result of a materials-development project supported by the National Science Foundation, and its design was guided by educational research findings.
srri.umass.edu

West Point Bridge Design Contest
Bridge design contest (using specialized software). U.S. students age 13 through grade 12 are eligible for prizes. Anyone else may enter the Open Competition. Overview, rules, resources, software download and FAQ.
bridgecontest.usma.edu

HSC Physics
School of Physics, University of New South Wales. Details about professional development workshops for physics teachers intended to provide background and advice on the Stage 6 HSC syllabus. Some resources related to this workshop are found on the site.
www.phys.unsw.edu.au

World Year of Physics 2005
Plans to bring the excitement of physics to the public and inspire a new generation of scientists. Includes information about projects, events and Einstein, sources for teachers, downloads, international links and press room.
www.physics2005.org

Space and Time
Course based on Stephen Hawking's best selling book, "A Brief History of Time". The course deals with topics in modern physics such as Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, Quantum Theory, Black Holes and the Creation of the Universe.
info.hartwick.edu

The Science of the Bicycle
Divided in two parts. The first is a theory study and the second is a report of the experiment. This study was done as a part of The Bicycle Project from September till December 1999. The research was done at the Kansas State University's department of physics.
www.science.uva.nl

QuarkNet
Supports centers at 60 universities and laboratories that are participants in the collider experiments at CERN in Switzerland and at Fermilab in Illinois. Physicists will mentor and collaborate with high school teachers. Stipends are provided to the teachers who participate.
quarknet.fnal.gov

The Physics of Learning
Extending a physics analogy to teaching and learning creates a rich set of terms and relationships that are already familiar to scientists. This paper defines those terms, suggests methods for quantifying those terms and thus provides teachers with a method for optimizing student learning.
icn2.umeche.maine.edu

Physics Central
The outreach site of the members of The American Physical Society. Find out how physics is part of your world, ask questions on how things work, see physics in pictures, get updates on physics in the news, read about research and the people who are doing it and, if you want more, recommended links.
www.physicscentral.org

Web Physics Project
A flexible low budget outlet for small volume, high quality, HTML-based curricular material. It provides a forum for physics educators to exchange curriculum ideas and resources that make use of web technology (primarily public domain material), and provides a medium for the dissemination of student work.
webphysics.davidson.edu

Assessing-to-Learn (A2L)
A research project on the use of continuous formative assessment in the high-school physics classroom. Provides participating teachers with a library of assessment items (carefully constructed questions) to choose from for their classes, and with an associated library of teacher aids which provide help with the pedagogically effective use of the items.
a2l.physics.umass.edu

Institute of Physics (IOP) - Teaching Physics in Schools and Colleges
A website aimed at those with an interest in the teaching and learning of physics in schools and colleges. The site provides visitors with information about the current activities of the IOP education department including details of forthcoming events, news about the institute's latest curriculum development initiatives as well as providing access to a range of resources. [PDF]
www.iop.org

Communities for Physics and Astronomy Digital Resources in Education (comPADRE)
A project to create well organized, digital collections of high quality educational materials in physics and astronomy. ComPADRE consists of focused collections of materials for specific courses or serving specific constituencies, with connections to a wide range of online digital resources including curricular materials, digital libraries, and online journals, user communities that participate in the development and operation of these collections.
www.compadre.org