Teaching physics the "Phun" way with the guided inquiry method of learning, lots of diagrams and "phun" experiments, using household items!
Phenomenal Physics: A Guided Inquiry Approach by Dr. J. Russell Harkay A physics textbook covering every branch of the science, from kinematics to quantum mechanics, using the guided inquiry method of teaching, experiments using household items and lots of diagrams! Over 400 pages, with over 200 images $49.95 + s/h Free Shipping with any purchase of $150 or more May not be combined with other discounts    The philosophy behind the text is one which emphasizes not just knowledge acquisition, but the opportunity and ability to do science. The student becomes the scientist! Further, every attempt is made to take full advantage of real-life experience with activities designed to integrate into and expand existing world views. The physics encountered is real rather than theoretical or hypothetical. Activities are designed to confront potential problems due to “Aristotelean thinking” or preconceived notions based on popular “folklore” rather than sound science. Skepticism is encouraged as is a healthy respect for the limitations and proper applications of models. The writing style and even the illustrations are constructed in a manner intended to give the book a user friendly “feel”. Some humor and whimsy (particularly in titles of activities) help to convey this sense of approachability. Every attempt has been made to reach out and speak to students on a personal level. Contact SciArt Media regarding wholesale orders for your bookstore, school or group. ------ SciArt Media is an official e-Follett supllier for college bookstores    The exercises, or learning activities, are grouped into sections that represent the traditional format seen in introductory physics textbooks starting with Newtonian mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, energetics), followed by fluids, vibrations and waves, electricity, optics, and modern physics. It is in no way required that an adopter follow this sequence! Activities do not necessarily build upon previous ones. There is no reason why students can’t learn about indirect measurement with the “Rutherford” activities prior to studying motion. The primary reason for the sequencing is the familiarity with which adopters will find things where they expect to find them. One might consider starting with energy and show that motion follows.    This book differs from existing laboratory approaches in that the students are provided with a minimal set of instructions are will, hopefully, discover for themselves some underlying order and functional relationships. The greatest emphasis is placed upon mastery of the concepts. Inquiry provides a valuable route for accomplishing this. It is more time consuming than older methods, but retention and understanding at the “gut” level is enhanced. Some exercises have been modified to include more (optional) instructions and quantitative analysis and used as successful algebra-based physics labs.    For college students who have taken physics courses in high school, this isn’t your grandfather’s type of course! Things may seem awkward at first. You will be adapting to a learning style which, although more natural, is not as structured as your previous course probably was. We do not learn “formulas” and plug numbers into them. We try to discover how nature works. Some mathematical skills are assumed, such as the ability to create and interpret a graph and the concept of proportionality, but the most important skill is that of observation. You may feel rebellious at first, saying “Where are all the instructions?”. The lack of detailed instructions is intentional. This is the manner in which people have been doing science for thousands of years (eg. see “Galileo’s Heartbeat”). You get to make your own discoveries! Nature follows, for the most part, a set of fairly simple rules. It is hoped that this process will enable you to discover them on your own. The student becomes the scientist, no matter how young or inexperienced. About the author    The author, Dr. J. Russell Harkay, has been a Professor of Physics at Keene State (NH) College since 1980 and at WVIT for four years before that. He is a 1968 graduate of Rutgers University (AB) and received his PhD in experimental condensed matter physics from the University of Vermont in 1976. A hiatus from graduate work led to the opportunity to work on the Voyager space probe project while on active duty as an officer in the USAF. While attending graduate school, he also enrolled in education courses and worked with secondary students leading to a secondary certification. He was also involved in the early stages of development of inquiry-based approaches to teaching physics, including Harvard Project Physics.    During his tenure at Keene State, Russ Harkay developed a highly popular course in conceptual physics which he taught to hundreds of students annually before the conceptual movement had taken hold. He has continued to perform condensed matter research in his laboratory, developing a surface-sensitive tool now known as plasma resonance spectroscopy.    He is a recipient of the Janet Guernsey Prize (AAPT) for excellence in physics teaching, was the coauthor of a successful NSF grant proposal to fund curriculum development in the area of inquiry (Project INSPIRE), and has redirected his efforts to working in the area of physics education and authoring. Currently he is the President of The American Physical Society in New England. Table of Contents SECTION I: METHODS OF SCIENCE AND NEWTONIAN MECHANICS Overview ... 1 Pythagoras Was a Square . 7 Square Deal .11 Stable Mates ...15 Catching Some Rays ...19 Inertial Conditions (Newton’s First Law) ..25 Catching Big Air . 29 Bubble Bubble – Speed and Graphing ...33 Galileo’s Heartbeat . 39 Moving Experience – Visualizing Motion . 43 Gravity of the Situation: Free Fall ..47 May the Force be with You 51 Friction Among Us . 55 Newton’s Car – Forces and Motion . ...59 A “Weighty Subject” – Mechanical Advantage . 63 Conservation Conversation: Momentum . ...67 Grounds for Descent I: Falling Coffee Filters 73 Grounds for Descent II: Computer Modeling .77 A Real Drag 83 Forever Blowing Bubbles – Size Dependence of Terminal Velocity 87 Newton’s Toy Box ..91 Joules of Wisdom I – Energy .97 Joules of Wisdom II – Energy ..101 Inclined to be Efficient . 107 Workout: Work and Power ..113 Journey to the Center of Gravity ..117 Java Script .123 Twister! Tornado in a Bottle ....127 Spinning Sandboxes .131 Roll Out: Toilet Paper Physics .135 Assessment: Forces and Motion 141 SECTION II: VIBRATIONS AND SOUND Overview ...159 Grandfather’s Clock .161 Free Fleas in Breezy Trees – Resonance ..165 Making Waves .. 169 Pythagoras Sounds Off – Vibrating Objects and Pitch .175 Pythagoras Sounds Off II – Wind Instruments .181 Singing Rods .. . ..185 Assessment: Vibrations and Waves .. 189 SECTION III: FLUIDS Overview ... 193 The Biggest Fritosฎ Always Rise to the Top .. ..195 Pressure Packed: Bernoulli and Descartes 199 All Aboard – Floating and Sinking ... 205 Buoyancy, Pressure, and Archimedes’ Principle ..209 Contact II: Liquids ....211 Assessment: Buoyancy and Fluids in Motion ..215 SECTION IV: HEAT AND TEMPERATURE Overview ...223 Why Did the Pirate Insulate his Ship? .. 227 The Seven Percent Solution: Mixing 231 Heat in the Kitchen – This Spud’s for you ...235 Water in the Root Cellar: Phase Changes . 239 Assessment: Heat and Heat Flow . 243 SECTION V: ELECTRICTY AND MAGNETISM Overview ...255 You’ll Get a Charge Out of This: Electrostatics .. .259 Circuit Training ....271 Current Events I, or catching the Energizer Bunny - Electric Circuits ....281 Current Events II .. 283 Feeling Cranky .287 Electrical Connections I ....291 Electrical Connections II ..295 Tesla’s Domain – Magnetic Fields ... 301 Jumpin’ Jimminy: The Electric Jump Rope .305 Assessment: Electricity and Magnetism .. 309 SECTION VI: LIGHT AND OPTICS Overview ...315 Sunshine on my Shoulder Makes Me Happy ... 319 Seeing the Light – Mirrors and Lenses .323 Great Balls of (Sun) Fire! .345 Why Don’t Fish Wear Goggles? (Making Water and Air Lenses) ..349 A Polarizing Issue: Wave Nature of Light ...359 Running Interference 367 Thinking Clean Thoughts: Soap Bubbles .375 Assessment: Light and Optics ..377 SECTION VII: MODERN PHYSICS Overview . ..387 A “BOHRING” Topic – Spectroscopy . 391 To BB or Not to BB - Measuring Small Things ...397 Rutherford Revisited – Hidden Geometry ....401 Nuclear Marbles, or Rutherford’s Revenge ..405 Elementary , My Dear Watson! – Quantum Numbers .409 Watson’s Appendix . .417 Assessment: Modern Physics ...421 APPENDIX . .xiii $49.95 + s/h. Order your copy below: Free Shipping with any purchase of $150 or more Fill out your e-mail address to receive our newsletter! Subscribe Unsubscribe	Just Released! October 11th The International Year of Astronomy 2009 Calendar Main Menu Home Page Web Design Virtual Office Design Free Estimate! Publishing 2009 Calendar w/ Hubble Images NEW!!! 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