Help Needed

[joan hereford]

I am looking for a discussion group for ideas in teaching physics of motion and forces

[Steve Dickie]

I don't know of a group online for this, but I'd be more than happy to bounce ideas around with you.

[thornybee]

Hello Joan,
I teach physics too so if I can share anything it would be great.

[Katherine Watson]

I just started developing animations about Kinetic energy. They are very simple things at the moment, but they might evolve. I have a lot to learn, since I'm not the content expert. This is a first draft of one (no sound): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOeJoA_OXfw&feature=PlayList&...

In my research I found the following site with great interactive physics simulations: http://phet.colorado.edu/new/index.php

-Katherine

[thornybee]

Hello Katherine,
I just had a quick look at the animation. There are a couple of words that I personally would change. When you talk about producing kinetic energy - I'd rather say transfering kinetic energy - from what? - well from gravitational potential energy - i.e. in simple talk, gravity transfers more and more kinetic energy to the falling object/water as it falls (gets faster). I'd talk about 'harnessing' energy instead of 'capturing' it in the wind power scene (or I might say transfers the energy). Dealing with energy I've come to talk in terms of energy being something that is transfered from one thing to another. In fusion in the sun, matter is converted to energy (E = mc2) (that's c 'squared'). Plants then utilise the energy from the sun to construct complex chemicals out of simple ones (photosynthesis); we eat plants and use oxygen to break down the complex chemicals and release the energy (so i suppose I do say plants capture the energy!). Some of the energy is transfered by us to other objects (such as giving gravitational potential energy to an object we lift up and put on a shelf - we've done work against gravity). Energy is transfered from the sun to plants to us to the box. Obviously a lot is lost as heat in our bodies -by 'lost' I mean it is converted into less useful energy. I'm sure someone can pick this to bits but that's my tupenny's worth.
Nice animations -good luck.

[Katherine Watson]

That is very helpful. Thanks for the suggestions/explanations and taking the time to look at my little efforts! I do have a photosynthesis one started too. -K