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Physics Education Technology - University of Colorado, Boulder
PhET Blog

Archive for February, 2012

Teacher Activity for Projectile Motion


Projectile Motion

Use this activity to help students learn how to write their own quadratic equation for the projectile path as they simulate various feats such as throwing a free throw, jumping a car, or shooting a missile over the Eiffel Tower.

Tuesday

Feb 28

2012

New Molarity Sim


Molarity

Try our new Molarity sim. What determines the concentration of a solution? Learn about the relationships between moles, liters, and molarity by adjusting the amount of solute and solution volume. Change solutes to compare different chemical compounds in water.

Wednesday

Feb 22

2012

New Energy Skate Park: Basics


Energy Skate Park: Basics

Energy Skate Park: Basics is the next sim in our Basics series designed specifically for our middle-school audience. In this sim, learn about conservation of energy with a skater dude! Explore different tracks and view the kinetic energy, potential energy and friction as he moves. Build your own tracks, ramps and jumps for the skater.

Wednesday

Feb 15

2012

PhET Webinar February 15th at 2:00 PM Mountain

Sign up for the newest PhET Webinar brought to you by the ISTE.

Using PhET Simulations for Science Inquiry: Free, Researched, Web-Based Resources

The PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado provides a free website of research-based simulations designed to support student learning through active engagement, including Energy Skate Park, Salts and Solubility, Gas Properties, Density, Circuit Construction Kit, and Build an Atom. The simulations are free, and can run from the PhET website (http://phet.colorado.edu) or downloaded to a local computer for offline use. This webinar will offer an opportunity to explore some of the PhET sims and collaborate with other webinar participants to investigate productive ways to incorporate these in your curriculum. Also, learn how to access lesson plans that PhET team members and other teachers have used and submitted to the Teaching Ideas database.

Thursday

Feb 9

2012

New Molecule Shapes: Basics Sim


Molecule Shapes: Basics

We’ve added another sim to our Basics series with the new Molecule Shapes: Basics sim designed specifically for our middle-school audience. In this sim, you will explore molecule shapes by building molecules in 3D! Find out how a molecule’s shape changes as you add atoms to a molecule.

Learning goals that Molecule Shapes: Basics addresses include:

  • Recognize that molecule shape is due to repulsions between atoms.
  • Recognize that bonds are not fixed in place, but can rotate around in response to repulsions.

Friday

Feb 3

2012