Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.32728/mo.06.2.2011.14
SIMULATIONS AS A COMPLEMENT AND A MOTIVATION ELEMENT IN THE TEACHING OF PHYSICS
Tomaž Kranjc
; University of Primorska, Faculty of Education Koper (Slovenia); University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Abstract
Science instruction, and in particular physics instruction, has to be taught in a way that explanations are complemented with demonstration experiments and calculation exercises, encouraging students to explore independently—this means that they themselves perform a few experiments and substantiate them with relevant calculations (they discover relations between quantities, variables, and constants).
In this article we give examples of cases where a simulation replaces an experiment that cannot be carried out i.e. it complements an experiment allowing observation at a different time and space scale. Experiments that cannot be performed in the classroom include the shape of the lunar trajectory, lunar phases, a demonstration of the difference between the solar and sidereal time, and the motion of objects that fly away from a space station. Experiments that cannot be followed in detail since they happen too quickly include the fall of a stick (for different coefficients of static friction between the stick and the supporting surface), and an interesting case of the dynamics of a system consisting of a circular tube with two balls sliding in it without friction. We also show the propagation of transversal and longitudinal waves and the formation of standing waves by the interference of incoming and reflected waves.
We also give an example from quantum physics: falling of a "quantum card", which in the beginning stands vertically on a horizontal surface. We show the time development of the wave function and illustrate the unusual behaviour and the non-classical description of the quantum-mechanical system. We compare it with the classical description as shown in the case of a falling stick.
Possible situations where students themselves create simulations and animations are also presented.
Keywords
instruction; simulations; animations; experimentation; mechanics; quantum physics
Hrčak ID:
71293
URI
Publication date:
10.6.2011.
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