CSAAPT Spring 2023 Semi-Virtual Meeting

Saturday Apr 1, 2023, 8:00 AM → 7:00 PM US/Eastern

King Hall 0259 (James Madison University)

Group photo taken in JMU Astronomy Park, 2023-04-01. Click for larger photo. 
 

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This Meeting is hosted and sponsored by the Department of Physics & Astronomy at James Madison University with additional funding from the UVA Department of Physics, the VT Department of Physics, and the VT College of Science.          
 

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Overview:

The Spring 2023 Meeting of the Chesapeake Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (CSAAPT) will be held semi-virtually on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at James Madison University.          

No membership required!          
You do not have to be an AAPT or CSAAPT member to attend. We welcome participation of all physics/science teachers and students in the region (DC, DE, MD, VA and neighboring states) as well as anyone interested in physics education, or physics in general.

The semiannual CSAAPT meetings are a great forum to exchange ideas on novel teaching techniques and economical physics demonstrations, and to meet a fascinating cohort of physics education enthusiasts.

This meeting is semi-virtual.  The in-person venue is King Hall Rooms 0256 and 0243 at James Madison University.  See the Meeting Location page for details.  The Meeting will be broadcast on Zoom so that people from afar (both presenters and attendees) can join in.  

Lodging Support!          
We have limited funds to provide up to $230 in lodging support to high school physics teachers.  Please see the Travel and Lodging Info page for details.          
 

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Program:

• Featured Talks:           
   
  • Dr. Margaret Dominguez (NASA)          
    
             
    
    Title: Webb and Roman, the present and future of astronomical space telescopes          
    
    Abstract: Dr. Margaret Dominguez has worked at NASA for over 13 years as an Optical Engineer. She has worked on the James Webb and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescopes. Webb is an orbiting infrared observatory which will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope. Roman seeks to study galaxies and dark energy. During her talk she will discuss the differences between these telescopes and the importance of physics in their design and operation.           
    
    Bio: Dr. Margaret Dominguez is an Optical Engineer and Associate Branch Head of the Optics Branch at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She earned her B.S in Physics from the Universidad de las Americas Puebla in Mexico and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona. Dr. Dominguez has worked supporting the James Webb Space Telescope’s Integrated Science Instrument Module. She is currently the Optical lead for the Grism component of the Wide Field instrument on the Roman Space Telescope. In her spare time, she is a STEM advisory board member at the Children’s Science Center in Fairfax Virginia, a member of the DiscoverE Board of Directors and an ambassador of OPTICA and her hobbies include doing educational outreach to teach mostly elementary and middle school girls about optics and STEM. Margaret is also a jazzercise (dance fitness exercise) instructor.          
               
     
  • Prof. Richard Lindgren (University of Virginia)          
    
             
    
    Title: Lab Activities in Electricity, Magnetism, and Optics for High School Physics and Physical Science Teachers          
    
    Abstract:  In this presentation, we will discuss the physics and pedagogy of selected lab and demo activities that have been used over the past years in workshops and courses at the University of Virginia for high school physics and physical science teachers. However, my main purpose is to hand out to teachers hard wired lab activities still available from these studies which are still new and never been used. Still available are electroscope kits, bread board kits with resistors, wires etc., several toolbox E/M kits with over 75 items, multimeters, several laser pointer kits, a few optical bench kits, waterproof cameras, tripods, physics like toys such as a slinky, mirascope, fire syringe, hand boilers, solar dancers, poppers, and dippy ducks. In addition to the kits there are numerous items that do not fit in a particular category such as bar magnets, digital thermometers, mini microphones, bags of resistors of all values, mini transformers, motors, and generators, etc. A list of most items with photos will be posted online. You will have the opportunity to view the list before you arrive. Some selected activities will be demonstrated and discussed hopefully giving you some new ideas. After discussion we will match you up with your first choice that you have previously selected. You may be permitted to select additional items if still available.         
    
     
• Contributed Talks and Demos:          
  
  We solicit contributed talks and demos within the following parameters:          
   
  • Length should be 15 minutes long including time for Q&A (12-minute talk + 3-minute Q&A).          
     
  • Talk topic/demo can be anything pertaining to physics teaching.          
     
  • To submit the title and abstract of your talk/demo, please register first and then click on Call for Abstracts in the menu.          
     
  • The deadline to submit your title and abstract is midnight of Friday, March 17, 2023          
     
  • Contributors of talks/demos will be issued a certificate of presentation.       
     

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Registration:

• In-person attendance:          
   
  • The deadline to register for in-person attendance is midnight of Friday, March 24, 2023.  This is so that we have a count of how many people will be physically present one week prior to the Meeting.          
     
  • In-person attendees are requested the following registration fees to cover administrative and other costs:          
     
    • Instructors/faculty of 2-year and 4-year colleges/universities : $25
    • K-12 Instructors, Students, Guests : $15
    • 1st-time in-person attendees : $5          
       
  • The registration fee is NOT payable upon registration.  A link that will let you pay the registration fee online will be emailed to you after the registration deadline.          
    
     
• Virtual Attendance:          
   
  • The deadline to register for virtual attendance is midnight of Friday, March 31, 2023.          
     
  • There is no registration fee for virtual (online) attendance.          
     
  • Please note that the Zoom link for the meeting will not be made public and will only be emailed to registrants. This is to prevent Zoom bombing.          
    
     
• Certificate of Attendance/Presentation:          
   
  • Certificates of attendance/presentation will be issued to both in-person and virtual attendees/presenters.          
     
  • If you need a certificate of attendance and/or presentation, please register your name exactly as it should appear on your certificate(s).  No nicknames or pseudonyms, please.      
     

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Deadlines:

• Application for Lodging Support: midnight of Friday, February 24, 2023
• Hotel room-block cutoff date: Tuesday, February 28, 2023
• Submission of talk and demo abstracts: midnight of Friday, March 17, 2023
• Registration for in-person attendance: midnight of Friday, March 24, 2023
• Registration for virtual attendance: midnight of Friday, March 31, 2023          
   

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Organizational Committee:

Jason Sterlace (Chair, James Madison University, VA)      
Tatsu Takeuchi (CSAAPT President, Virginia Tech, VA)   
Muge Karagoz (CSAAPT Vice President, University of Maryland, College Park, MD)      
Seth Berkeley (Harrisonburg High School, VA / Virginia Instructors of Physics President)   
Stefano Colafranceschi (Eastern Mennonite University, VA)       
Rachele Dominguez (Randolph-Macon College, VA)      
James Freericks (Georgetown University, DC)   
Andrew Jackson (James Madison University, VA)      
Elena Kuchina (Virginia Peninsula Community College, VA)      
Benjamin Ryan (Spotswood/Broadway High Schools, VA)   
Kent Yagi (University of Virginia, VA)      


 

Google Map of Attendee Institutions

8:00 AM Breakfast

Welcome

Conveners: Tatsu Takeuchi (Virginia Tech), Mr Jason Sterlace (James Madison University)

Morning Session 1

Conveners: Tatsu Takeuchi (Virginia Tech), Muge Karagoz

1 Active Learning Made Easy with Pivot Interactives

Teachers know that students are engaged by active learning, but creating active learning environments and opportunities takes time, expertise, equipment, and supplies. It is challenging or impossible to do as often as we would like. We will explore interesting ways to engage students with MORE active learning and “doing science” throughout the learning cycle, without these constraints or added burden using Pivot Interactives.

Speaker: Eric Rhoades (Pivot Interactives | Discovery Education)

CSAAPT2023S-Rhoades-PIVOT.pptx

2 Creating Connections: McGraw Hill Resources for Physics

Explore the variety of resources available via McGraw Hill to engage with your students and achieve a better learning experience whether in the classroom, in the lab, or at home.

Speaker: Allyn Bryson (McGraw Hill)

CSAAPT2023S_Bryson_Creating_Connections.pptx

9:30 AM Coffee Break 1

Morning Session 2A

Conveners: Muge Karagoz, Ben Ryan (Rockingham County Public Schools)

3 Using ALEKS in the introductory physics courses at college level

The introductory physics courses at the University of Virginia Physics Department are undergoing a massive change. A concerted effort has been made in the past several years to implement a more modern approach to teaching, including implementing various active learning practices.

A higher demand on students' focus and attention in the active learning environment requires a higher degree of support, including recognizing and supporting students' development in areas such as pre-calculus math, scientific writing and reasoning, and group work -- all of which were previously assumed to be mastered or implicitly understood by our students.

In my talk I will briefly outline my experience with teaching introductory physics lab and lecture courses and describe how I use ALEKS software to both support and evaluate students throughout their two semesters of physics with us.

Speaker: Maxim Bychkov (University of Virginia)

CSAAPT2023S-Bychkov.pptx

4 The UVA Physics Bridge Program

The UVA Physics Bridge program is designed to increase the participation rate of people from backgrounds that are currently under-represented in advanced study of Physics. Promising students from under-represented groups often come from unique learning backgrounds and, moreover, often come from institutions with non-standard Physics curricula. These effects can contribute to talented applicants from these backgrounds needing additional preparation before entering into a graduate curriculum to optimize their chances at ultimately receiving their PhD. Students accepted into the UVA Physics Bridge program receive individualized mentoring, follow a tailored curriculum, participate in academic and professional training, and experience research opportunities with UVA Physics faculty. In this talk, I will describe the logistics of the program, provide a few key best practices, and give a glimpse of the outcomes that students in the program have experienced since its inception in 2016.

Speaker: Chris Neu (University of Virginia)

CSAAPT2023S-Neu-PhysicsBridgeProgram.pdf

5 Science Overdrive: A K-8 and HS Collaboration

Improving elementary science education through collaboration between elementary and secondary science teachers has shown to be effective through the workshops of Science Overdrive, a Virginia 501c3. Teachers worked together to develop hands-on and active learning lessons that meet K-8 Virginia standards. Secondary teachers bring activity ideas, a depth of knowledge and passion for the content, while elementary teachers ideate age-appropriate activities and effective teaching methods for the elementary school classroom. Workshop participants are provided digital lesson plans, classroom materials, recertification points, and a ‘vertical’ network of support - all free of charge.

Speaker: Laura Akesson (Department of Energy)

CSAAPT2023S_Akesson_Science_Overdrive.pdf

6 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship

Every year, the Department of Energy brings a select group of K-12 STEM teachers from across the country to Washington DC for 11 months. These Einstein Fellows are placed in a federal agency or on Capitol Hill to provide teacher perspective in the Federal space. I will talk about the application process and my experience of being an Einstein Fellow.

Speaker: Michelle Strand (Office of Congressman DeSaulnier)

CSAAPT2023S-Strand-Einstein-Fellowship.pptx

Morning Session 2B

Conveners: Kent Yagi (University of Virginia), Rachele Dominguez (Randolph-Macon College)

7 Newton Rules Biology: How Physics Influences Sizes and Shapes of Animals

We are used to seeing variations in size and proportions among humans and animals, often without thinking much of it. What limits their sizes? Why is it that the tallest man or woman is not taller than 8 feet? And, while at it, why aren’t more of them? What challenges would a much taller person (or shorter) face in their day-to-day living? What about efficiency – how does food consumption relate to average specimen size? In this talk we will examine and attempt to answer some of these questions by placing nature's creatures under a “Physics” microscope.

Speaker: Lilian Clairmont (Appomattox Regional Governor's School)

Newton Rules Biology - bulletpoints.pptx

8 Modeling Freefall with Drag Force on a Spreadsheet

For many students, “calculus” is an intimidating word, while at the same time they find 1D motion with uniform acceleration to be intuitive and easy to visualize. Using a spreadsheet creates an opportunity to demystify this math connection for all students while adding a new skill and enhanced capability to the physics curriculum. Solving for any single unknown in a 1D motion problem is actually a single iteration of a numerical solution that can be “automated” with a spreadsheet model. This model can be adapted to study a wide range of non-ideal physical phenomena and objects in motion. A spreadsheet makes the ideal medium for connecting math to concepts (even for reluctant learners) while dramatically expanding computational modeling capability.
This presentation will share the pedagogical technique in which students program a spreadsheet model using the fill handle to replicate calculations of Newton’s 2nd Law to model motion with changing drag force for a falling object reaching terminal velocity. With ideal physics equations and simple instructions, complex models can be built that simulate realistic motion that would otherwise require differential equations. When students assemble the model they can experiment with key variables knowing how the cells are linked in a spreadsheet including mass, cross sectional area and drag coefficient to observe an accurate representation of a real velocity versus time graph. A “living graph” responds to these changes enabling students to observe and study the dynamics of an object as it falls from rest and reaches terminal velocity using inquiry with instant, visual feedback. The presentation will demonstrate how to apply this methodology to a wide range of phenomena related to motion and how it can be efficiently delivered either remotely or in person with the same pedagogical approach. Color coding of cells and copy & pasting of formulas means this approach is readily adapted to be delivered to all student levels including English Language Learners (ELL) and special education students. Other applications include projectile motion, rockets, gravitational fields, electric fields, superposition principle and many others.

Speaker: Michael McConnell (Lindenwold Public Schools)

CSAAPT2023S-McConnell.pptx

9 Intro to Python for Scientists and Engineers: A bootcamp for data science.

I will describe a new course offered in the Physics Department at the University of Virginia. It satisfies the basic computing requirement for physics and astrophysics (as well as several other major/minor requirements at the university). However, it is a general-education course, and as such, it does not focus on examples from the physical sciences. Instead, it focuses on the foundation of coding skills and statics background that are required to employ the powerful data-science tools available in Python. The class covers Linux, Python, batch jobs, statistical methods and probability distributions, visualizing and analyzing data with Matplotlib, and concludes with a few lectures and assignments working with classification tools in Scikit-learn (neural networks for example). The goal is for students to develop general skills that are valid in most research and industrial environments. This is accomplished via a flipped classroom pedagogy employing a mini-lecture followed by extensive practice each day in class.

Speaker: Craig Group (Virginia)

Group_CSAPPT.pdf

10 RIDING ON A LIGHT BEAM: ACCELERATION AND MASS RISE

This presentation is a continuation of one I gave on April 1, 2022 on the velocity triangle and the Brehme Angle as a graphical solution to problems in Special Relativity. This presentation applies those concepts to a body undergoing uniform linear acceleration, to determine that linear acceleration is rotary motion in four dimensions. The simple graphical solution satisfies the classical equations of motion v=at and s=1/2at2 at small angles of rotation (v<<c), and observed relativistic mass rise for rotational angles for greater velocities. The simple trigonometric model predicts that an unaccelerated observer will measure the body’s location along a hyperbolic worldline, consistent with the trajectory derived in Gravitation (Misner, Thorne and Wheeler) using tensors.

Speaker: Lewis McIntyre

AAPT PRESENTATION 2 April 2023.pptx

10:45 AM Coffee Break 2

Featured Talk 1

Convener: Tatsu Takeuchi (Virginia Tech)

11 Webb and Roman, the present and future of astronomical space telescopes

Dr. Margaret Dominguez has worked at NASA for over 13 years as an Optical Engineer. She has worked on the James Webb and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescopes. Webb is an orbiting infrared observatory which will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope. Roman seeks to study galaxies and dark energy. During her talk she will discuss the differences between these telescopes and the importance of physics in their design and operation.

Speaker: Dr Margaret Dominguez (NASA)

CSAAPT2023S-Dominguez-WebbRoman.pdf

12:00 PM Lunch Break

Afternoon Session 1A

Conveners: Ben Ryan (Rockingham County Public Schools), Muge Karagoz

12 Free Resources and Curricula for Teaching Scientific Computing: DSECOP, PICUP, PY4E

Physics programs introduce students to scientific computing in various contexts and at various levels. In this talk, free resources and curricula are discussed for teaching computing to physics students in the following contexts: as part of a regular physics course, in a stand-alone physics course (Computational Physics), as a separate course requirement (Introductory Programming), and in special projects. The collections in PICUP and DSECOP as well as the free curriculum for python programming, PY4E, are highlighted. Comparisons of commonly-used free environments for python programming are briefly discussed.

Speaker: Deva O'Neil (Bridgewater College)

CSAAPT2023S_ONeil_Resources_for_Computing.pdf

13 A case for rudimentary labs.

Science education equipment has made amazing leaps forward in the last 5-10 years. It’s easy to get graphs that are of near professional quality. Has any learning happened, or is it just "magic data"? In this presentation I propose that, for intro physics students, using less prefect data collection and/or analysis leads to more learning.

Speaker: Kerlin Doss (North Stafford High School)

A case for rudimentary labs.pptx

14 Teaching Students How to Explain Big Ideas with Simpler Words

Special science language plays a big part in our lives. We often do not notice how confusing our language can be until either you or someone else just doesn’t understand the words being used. The reason for this talk is to show you one way of teaching science-word-using to students in a fun and easy to remember way.

The idea for this talk came from the book Thing Explainer, by Randall Munroe. This talk will step through the steps of writing a student-led Thing Explainer, from choosing ideas to reading science papers to drawing pictures to choosing words other people can understand. We will cover good things and bad things that go along with the Thing Explainer and enjoy pieces of student work.

Munroe, R. (2015). Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Speaker: Mike Florek (Roanoke County Public Schools)

Thing Explainer.docx

Thing Explainer Slides - Florek.pdf

Thing Explainer Slides - Florek.pptx

Thing Explainers (Scans).pdf

Afternoon Session 1B

Conveners: Dedra Demaree (Blue Ridge School), Kent Yagi (University of Virginia)

15 Demonstration of Schlieren Imaging

The schlieren and shadowgraph techniques allow one to observe otherwise invisible phenomena in transparent gas, liquid or solid materials. These optical methods are very sensitive to changes in the refractive index of the media under observation. For example, the variations in air density in the convection plume of a candle's flame results in an impressive display of laminar and turbulent fluid flow. Thermal gradients can also be seen coming off a person's hand. The schlieren and shadowgraph techniques will be explained and demonstrated using a single mirror optics setup.

Speaker: William A. Tobias (University of Virginia)

CSAAPT_SP23_Tobias.pdf

16 Using Demonstrations to Engage Students in Lecture

It’s commonly received wisdom in physics teaching that practical demonstrations make a lecture course more exciting for the students. But how do we present demonstrations in a way that encourages students’ active engagement with the topic? How do we move from merely showing a demonstration, to getting students to ask questions and make predictions? How do we choose demonstrations that will help the students make the leap to understanding the underlying physics?

Speaker: Clay Daetwyler (University of Maryland)

17 Using new, smart, cellphone-controlled telescopes for education and outreach

I will discuss our experimentation with two smart telescopes which have recently become commercially available. These instruments, the eVscope and the Stellina, are controlled using cellphone apps. Setup time is remarkably short and the imaging capabilities of these instruments are very impressive. I will discuss our testing of these instruments in an undergraduate research project and in our observational astrophysics course. Students find these instruments very easy to use. The potential opportunities for educational and outreach applications should be quite good. Both instruments will be on display at the meeting.

Speaker: John Simonetti (Virginia Tech, Physics)

CSAAPT2023S-Simonetti.pdf

2:15 PM Coffee Break 3

Afternoon Session 2A

Conveners: Mike Florek (Roanoke County Public Schools), Maria Gordon

18 Scaffolding the Transition to Higher-level Physics at the University of Virginia

A recent restructuring of the curriculum at UVa resulted in the creation of a new physics course -- one unlike any previously taught in our department. PHYS 2720: Problem Solving and Special Topics in Classical Physics, currently being taught for the first time, aims to bridge the gap between introductory physics, which students may have taken in a variety of settings, and the core courses of the physics major. I will discuss the course design and its aim to support 2nd year undergraduates as they learn to approach problems of the length and complexity they will encounter in higher-level physics courses, as well as share early results and lessons learned.

Speaker: Elizabeth Larson (University of Virginia)

CSAAPT2023S_Larson.pptx

19 Active Learning Strategies in Teaching Physics for Pre-health Students in Large Classroom

Implementing active learning techniques in teaching introductory physics courses creates a positive learning environment and is proving to promote better understanding of the concepts via in-depth discussion among peers with support from the instructor and teaching assistants. This talk focusses on the active learning methods adopted by me in teaching physics for pre-health students at the University of Virginia in Fall 2022. I will be presenting a model of the activities carried out during a 50-minute class session and will be discussing the outcome in terms of student involvement and learning.

Speaker: Jency Sundararajan (University of Virginia)

CSAAPT2023S-Sundararajan.pptx

20 Adaptive Step and Adaptive Order for the Parker Sochacki Method of Solving Systems of Ordinary Differential Equations.

The Parker Sochacki Method (PSM) or Power Series Method of solving systems of differential equations offers a very simple, powerful, general, fast (time proportional to order squared), and effectively symplectic method for solving systems of ordinary differential equations (odes), by treating all functions as Taylor series, and equating coefficients. It comes with a priori absolute error bounds. This presentation briefly shows PSM, and then offers the theoretical principles and a couple general methods of accurately choosing an optimum adaptive step and adaptive order over a specified domain.

Speaker: Joseph Rudmin (James Madison University)

VASAMP04.pptx

21 Teaching Applied Physics to an ISAT Audience

This talk will be a brief overview of how we teach physics in the Integrated Science and Technology Program at JMU. We do it by picking and choosing topics that build a broad base of applied physics knowledge on which our students can build higher in the future depending on their need for learning more advanced physics topics after they graduate.

Speaker: Paul Henriksen (James Madison University)

CSAAPT2023S-Henricksen-ISAT.pptx

Afternoon Session 2B

Conveners: Deva O'Neil (Bridgewater College), Rachele Dominguez (Randolph-Macon College)

22 A "Transformative" Assignment on Rotation: A Seemingly Simple Question Becomes an Epic Four Part Exploration

A seemingly simple either/or question about which shape Optimus Prime should transform into becomes, when guided by the instructor, a four-part, back and forth, edge-of-your-seat drama with a nailbiter conclusion. Topics covered include angular acceleration and momentum, moment of inertia, alternative axes of rotation, function optimization, and the semantics of “disk” vs. “cylinder.” Different approaches for algebra-based and calculus-based courses are discussed, as well as student feedback from the first semester that the assignment/activity was implemented.

Speaker: Mark Huntress (Patrick & Henry Community College)

CSAAPT2023S-Huntress-Rotation.pptx

23 OPTYCs: An Update on Current Activities

OPTYCs: An Update on Current Activities
The Organization for Physics at Two-Year Colleges is actively developing and providing professional development and other activities designed for two-year college physics faculty. This presentation will describe the ongoing activities and will include a preview of upcoming events. Information about how to get involved will also be provided.

Speaker: Sherry Savrda (AAPT - OPTYCs)

CSAAPT2023S_Savrda_OPTYCs_Update.pdf

24 The Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC)

VSGC is a coalition of five Virginia colleges and universities, NASA, state educational agencies, Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology and other institutions representing diverse aerospace interests. It acts as an umbrella organization, coordinating and developing aerospace-related and high technology educational and research efforts throughout the Commonwealth, and connecting Virginia’s effort to a national community of shared aerospace interests. VSGC has several K-12 programs available to the public. They include Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars, Virginia Earth System Science Scholars, Virginia Space Coast Scholars, Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology and Technology Saturdays.

Speaker: rudo kashiri (Virginia Space Grant Consortium)

CSAAPT2023S-Kashiri-VSGC.pdf

25 Tapping into the STEM Pipeline at Jefferson Lab

This session will present opportunities for STEM students and teachers available at Jefferson Lab — from internships, mentorships and summer programming for both high school and undergraduate students, to K-12 teacher professional development. We will also share information and resources regarding community outreach efforts and how to engage with the Lab for your events.

Speaker: Lisa Surles-Law (Jefferson Lab)

2023_AAPT.pptx

3:30 PM Coffee Break 4

Featured Talk 2

Conveners: Kent Yagi (University of Virginia), Rachele Dominguez (Randolph-Macon College)

26 Lab Activities in Electricity, Magnetism, and Optics for High School Physics and Physical Science Teachers

In this presentation, we will discuss the physics and pedagogy of selected lab and demo activities that have been used over the past years in workshops and courses at the University of Virginia for high school physics and physical science teachers. However, my main purpose is to hand out to teachers hard wired lab activities still available from these studies which are still new and never been used. Still available are electroscope kits, bread board kits with resistors, wires etc., several toolbox E/M kits with over 75 items, multimeters, several laser pointer kits, a few optical bench kits, waterproof cameras, tripods, physics like toys such as a slinky, mirascope, fire syringe, hand boilers, solar dancers, poppers, and dippy ducks. In addition to the kits there are numerous items that do not fit in a particular category such as bar magnets, digital thermometers, mini microphones, bags of resistors of all values, mini transformers, motors, and generators, etc. A list of most items with photos will be posted online. You will have the opportunity to view the list before you arrive. Some selected activities will be demonstrated and discussed hopefully giving you some new ideas. After discussion we will match you up with your first choice that you have previously selected. You may be permitted to select additional items if still available.

Speaker: Richard Lindgren (University of Virginia)

Lindgren_EM_Labs01-14.pdf

Lindgren_Energy_Labs01-10.pdf

Lindgren_Lab_Kit_Request_Form.pdf

Announcements and Closing

Conveners: Tatsu Takeuchi (Virginia Tech), Muge Karagoz

Business Meeting

Conveners: Tatsu Takeuchi (Virginia Tech), Muge Karagoz

27 Einstein's Gravity Playlist

This original planetarium show explores the ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves. Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916, and a century later, scientists detected these waves using incredibly precise laser technology here on Earth. In honor of this long-anticipated detection, the scientists who created the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics. In this show, viewers follow Lucia, a PhD student in physics, as she explores how gravitational waves are formed, how they move through the universe, and how scientists like her work to hear them.

Speakers: Kent Yagi (University of Virginia), Samantha Lomuscio (University of Virginia), Siddarth Ajith (University of Virginia)