Classically, light is an electromagnetic wave-- a wave of oscillating Electric and Magnetic fields instead of oscillating molecules of air or water like in sound or water waves. Electric and Magnetic fields are not something we can "see", but when they oscillate in synchrony, it results in a visual phenomenon called light! Light, a universal… Continue reading Visualizing Polarization
They happen all around us. Raindrops fall from the sky and collide with the ground. We have all heard of black holes colliding in spacetime. More often than you'd like, random furniture collides with your harmless toes (your furniture might beg to differ). The last one might have left you wanting to cushion your furniture… Continue reading Collisions
WPT23 (Image credits: Amit Basole)Download
This is a periscope made by students with two right angled prisms in a course on Optics taught by Physics faculty, Rema Krishnaswamy. (These kind of setups are often used in optics research to manipulate or displace a beam of light. Also look up 'Dove prism') What phenomena/concepts is this setup based on? We wish… Continue reading Exploring a periscope made with prisms
What is this session about Make abstract concepts relatable How do we help students engage with concepts from Heat and Temperature that are often at an abstract level? History of Thermal Physics Understand how people in the 1700s measured specific heat capacities and latent heat accurately and also perform a related experiment on ice calorimetry.… Continue reading Two simple experiments for a Thermal Physics classroom
What is this session about Phenomena around the Earth-Sun system Simple measurements/observations with a sundial can tell us a lot about interesting phenomena A common misconception What is the reason for the seasons? Big ideas Measuring the circumference of the Earth What do we discuss in this session? Starting with simple observations, one can build… Continue reading Making a Sundial/Fun with Shadows
What is this session about Combining a variety of tools It is now possible to combine a variety of easily available tools to do conventional lab experiments more effectively (even at home) Smartphones, free software and spreadsheets A combination of tools can enable students to record and analyse data accurately and conveniently Transferable skills Once… Continue reading An experiment on RC circuits for lockdown times
What is this session about Vector algebra made interesting Concepts from vector algebra are introduced at the higher secondary level. If we show students how it helps answer some interesting questions from diverse fields, they will find it more interesting. Elegant solutions Vector algebra can lead us to short and elegant proofs/solutions, when used in… Continue reading Vector algebra: Some exciting applications
What is this session about Scientifically rigorous experiments at home How could we do quantitative school science experiments at home with commonly available material? Connect everyday phenomena to school Physics Can we recognise and appreciate Physics phenomena at home? Can we pedagogize these, i.e. connect them to formal Physics? What do we discuss in this… Continue reading Physics at home
This method shows numerically, how the Schrodinger equation for a particle in a potential well V( x ) has physical solutions only for certain values of energy. The geogebra application for this activity can be found at https://www.geogebra.org/m/ccgsestj wagthedogDownload
