Presents five models of the human body as a mechanical system which can be used in introductory physics courses: human arms as levers, humans falling from small heights, a model of the human back, collisions during football, and the rotating gymnast. Gives ideas for discussions and activities, including Interactive Physics (TM) simulations. (WRM)

Explains how to create a paper replica of the Bighorn Medicine Wheel, an ancient timepiece thought to have been constructed by the Lakota Indians around 1700 A.D. The Bighorn Wheel uses four key seasonal stars as well as the solstice sunrise and sunset to mark the passage of time through the summer. (WRM)

Describes a laboratory activity in which students speculate about the extent to which Galileo actually performed an experiment to determine that all pendulums of a given length have the same period, independent of amplitude. (WRM)

Suggests an alternate way to determine the fractal dimension of bread by means of a dimensionally correct graphical analysis. (WRM)

Gives several sample experiment problems for electricity and magnetism. To solve an experiment problem, students have to do one or more of the following: clarify a poorly defined problem, divide a problem into parts, access the appropriate concept needed to solve each problem part, decide whether approximations are appropriate, design an…

Proposes that introductory physics courses extend the analysis of one-dimensional motion to a more sophisticated level. Gives four experimental setups and graphical analysis of the distance, velocity, and acceleration in the vertical and horizontal directions. (WRM)

Presents a collection of free-body exercises and solutions covering rotational equilibrium and rotational nonequilibrium. (WRM)

Presents a pre-lab exercise, an experimental setup, and discussion of computer-generated graphs that can be used to study the motion and energy of a bouncing ball. (WRM)

Gives an analogy useful for explaining the experimental teleportation of a quantum-mechanical state to beginning physics students. (WRM)

Describes the construction of a device used to assist a physically disabled student with using the right-hand rule in a physics course. (WRM)

Describes the use of two tiny light bulbs and a cloth grating to construct a semiquantitative experiment for determining the wavelength of light from an interference pattern. (WRM)

Describes how the authors used portions of popular movies to help students review concepts related to electromagnetism. Movies used and concepts covered in the review are listed, and a sample activity is described. (WRM)

Provides information to help students easily measure gravitational field strength to a few parts in 10,000, a degree of precision 1-2 orders of magnitude better than can be achieved with the simple pendulum. (CCM)

Physics competitions for high school students focus on experimental measurements using fundamental physics principles. Reports on how Yale University's physics department organized a day-long event for approximately 100 high school students. (CCM)

Presents a simple experiment to help students visualize the concept of displacement current. (CCM)