During the workshop, I made heavy use of Pasco's WavePort software to work with sound waves. With WavePort, students can manipulate a sound wave, manipulate interfering sound waves to create beats, analyze sound waves input to the computer via built-in or auxilary microphones. A classroom license currently costs $159. I find WavePort to be of great value in the physics lab; I would hate to teach waves without it. There may be programs that do similar things out there. If you know of any, please add the info in the comments.
Pasco's WavePort Home: http://www.pasco.com/waveport/home.htm.
(By the way, a disappointment was expressed in that we showed WavePort, but didn't give it away. The good news is that the page listed above links to a free, downloadable 30-day trial of WavePort.)
I also showed a clip from the somewhat encyclopedic video clip resource, Physics: Cinema Classics. P:CC is an excellent resource and inspiration for demonstrations. I don't use every single clip on P:CC, but the ones I do use aren't available elsewhere, and I would have a hard time trying to reproduce them on my own. I would hate to be without P:CC. You can buy P:CC from Ztek for $999. Members of AAPT can buy it through AAPT for $799.
Ztek's Physics: Cinema Classics Page: http://www.ztek.com/physics/physics.html.
AAPT members get a discount! http://www.aapt.org/Store/description.cfm?ID=D00920&Category=General%20Physics&Type=DVD&Level=All&Keywords=classics&Site=.
(A question was raised as to whether P:CC was captioned for the benefit of the hearing-impaired. After reviewing the online information about P:CC, I have to conclude that it is not captioned. If it is, Ztek appears to be keeping it a secret.)
I showed a demonstration of the Galilean thermoscope. The demo requires a long-necked, small-bulbed Florence flask. Current price: $8.55.
Air Thermometer (Galilean Thermoscope) Page: http://www.sargentwelch.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_WL1601_EA_A_Air+Thermometer+Bulb_E_.
Was there any other commercial resource we alluded to on Saturday that I should link to? Let me know in the comments.
1 comment:
Two websites I found, although not nearly as good as the Waveport software, are...
The Soundry - Has many great applets such as beats, harmonics, and the Doppler effect. The site is extremely student friendly and has many great looking background readings. The applets are not as clean cut as the Waveport software but could get the job done.
http://library.thinkquest.org/19537/
Fourier Synthesis - Does many of the things that Waveport can do but is all in terms of mathematical functions that could really distract an introductory student.
http://ionaphysics.org/ntnujava/sound/sound.html
CJ Chretien
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