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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Swing in Time

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students examine the motion of pendulums and come to understand that the longer the string of the pendulum, the fewer the number of swings in a given time interval. They see that changing the weight on the pendulum does not have an...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Slow the Cylinder

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students learn why shock absorbers are necessary on vehicles, how they dampen the action of springs, and what factors determine the amount of dampening. They conduct an experiment to determine the effect of spring strength and port...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Back and Forth to Go Forward: A Snake on Wheels?

For Students 9th - 10th
Have you ever ridden on a Roller Racer or Plasma Car? These are ride-on toys that you move ahead by moving the steering mechanism back and forth. You've probably seen skateboarders "slaloming" on level ground to keep rolling, it's...
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Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Virtual Pendulum

For Students 3rd - 8th
This interactive activity from ZOOM offers a chance to experiment with a virtual pendulum and to see how it can be influenced by a variety of factors.
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Website
PBS

Pbs: El Nino

For Students 9th - 10th
You can link to the anatomy of El Nino, chasing El Nino, and El Nino's reach. There is a resource page and a search page.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Beats

For Students 9th - 10th
Systematically explore different frequency combinations in this experiment provided by Science Buddies. You will use your computer to create sound files to play pure tones on your computer, one frequency in the left channel, and another...
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Interactive
American Association of Physics Teachers

Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Two Springs and a Pendulum Model

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Swing virtual pendulums and compare the motion of one oscillating weight on a horizontal spring to a second weight on another spring. Then, compare how these motions differ from the motion of a simple pendulum.
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Interactive
American Association of Physics Teachers

Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Falling Slinky Model

For Students 9th - 10th
A model of a slinky consisting of a string of twenty masses connected by springs. When the slinky is released, it falls and retracts in a series of movements. The motion of the slinky can be explored by moving the masses to different...
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Interactive
American Association of Physics Teachers

Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Spinning Hoop Model

For Students 9th - 10th
A model of a bead traveling along a spinning hoop. The hoop's velocity and the bead's initial angle can be modified, and the results are displayed on an accompanying chart.
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Interactive
American Association of Physics Teachers

Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Anisotropic Oscillator Model

For Students 9th - 10th
In this simulation an object is attached to two strings under tension on opposite sides of it. The object's starting position and the strings' lengths can be altered. The path of the object when it is released is traced on an...
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Website
Other

University of East Anglia: Climatic Research Unit

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a site from a university page of the University of East Anglia that is focused on climatic research. It offers links to information sheets, research areas, publications, and other climate links. Each of the information sheets...
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eBook
Other

Wikibooks: Physics Study Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
A handy resource that gives an overview of equations and definitions pertinent to an introductory, college-level physics course, with two of its three sections focusing on motion-related topics and principles.
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Activity
Other

Institute of Physics: Practical Physics: Investigate Mass on Spring Oscillators

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This experiment allows the period, displacement, velocity, and acceleration of a mass suspended on a spring to be investigated by data logging the output from a motion sensor. It is an example of simple harmonic motion.
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Swinging on a String

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore how pendulums work and why they are useful in everyday applications. In a hands-on activity, they experiment with string length, pendulum weight and angle of release. In an associated literacy activity, students explore...
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Unknown Type
Soft Schools

Soft Schools: Waves

For Students 6th - 8th
Take an interactive quiz over energy waves. After completing the quiz, check your score, and then revisit any incorrect question for further review.
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Article
Society for Science and the Public

Science News for Students: Wet Dog Physics

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the physics behind animals' ability to dry themselves by shaking to remove water.
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Interactive
Other

My Physics Lab: Double Spring

For Students 9th - 10th
Experiment with two springs that are connected to a wall to see what happens to the oscillation when you change the masses, spring stiffnesses, spring lengths or damping. Students can also change the starting position. Site includes...
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Interactive
Other

My Physics Lab: Single Spring

For Students 9th - 10th
Experiment with a spring that is connected to a wall to see what happens to the oscillation when you change the mass, spring stiffness, or damping. Students can also change the starting position. Site includes equations to help students...
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Online Course
Cosmo Learning

Cosmo Learning: Physics Iii: Vibrations and Waves

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of video lectures from a physics course focusing on vibration and waves taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The course overviews topics dealing with mechanical vibration and waves with twenty-three lectures....
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Activity
University of Maryland

Thinking Problems in Oscillations and Waves

For Students 9th - 10th
A series of thought-provoking, multichoice questions from the University of Maryland on the topic of oscillations and waves. Equations for calculating the period of motion for masses on springs, pendulums, sounds, and waves on a string...
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Interactive
Walter Fendt

Walter Fendt: Simple Pendulum

For Students 9th - 10th
This app demonstrates how elongation, velocity, tangential acceleration, force, and energy are affected when a pendulum oscillates.