The Best of ClickSchooling!® Science - Physics

By Diane Flynn Keith

ClickSchooling is a free e-newsletter that provides a daily review of an educational website that parents and teachers can use to help children and students learn every subject imaginable. Diane Flynn Keith has been publishing ClickSchooling since 2000.

Physics

Amusement Park Physics

Grades: 6-12
Roller Coasters are a thrill to ride and at this site you'll discover exactly how they operate by converting potential energy to kinetic energy. At this site, you can:

• Read all about the history of roller coasters.
• Learn about the most terrifying coaster ever.
• Search a database of coaster statistics on more than 450 rides.
• Read a glossary of physics terms that apply to roller coaster technology.

You can even design your own roller coaster! You determine the height and shape of the hills, the contour of the exit paths, and the shape of the loop (if any). Then, your coaster gets a safety inspection. Will your design pass muster? Go to the website and build your coaster to find out. If you get a "thumbs down," the safety inspector will explain why your coaster has flaws in the design and you can rebuild it to provide the maximum amount of safety and fun for riders. Of course, it is kind of fun to purposely build a coaster with flaws, just to find out what sort of disastrous results you might have.

Note: There is a terrific IMAX film called "Thrill-Ride-The Science of Fun" that gives viewers the feeling of being on a thrill ride. It includes information about the history of the rides and the physics and mathematics behind them - and even how NASA space science technology contributes to the development of these incredible rides. Available at most online bookstores.

Physics Classroom

Grades: 6 and up
At this website you will find animations that are designed to help students visualize and understand physics concepts such as:

• Newton's Laws
• Vectors & Projectiles
• Work and Energy
• Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity
• Waves, Sound, & Light
• Ray Optics
• and much more!

When you get to the site you will see a menu on the left side of the screen. Click on the area of physics that interests you such as "Newton's Laws." A new screen appears. Look at the menu on the left to determine which animation you want to see. For example, these choices:

• The Car and the Wall
• The Elephant and the Feather Free Fall
• Skydiving

Click on one of the choices and a new screen appears. You will see the animation that depicts the scene described and text that explains the physics behind it. Then you will have the opportunity to answer some "True and False" questions, find out the correct answers, and you can click on links to the free "Physics Classroom Tutorial" for further study and explanation.

This site contains an entire physics curriculum online. So, if you want to, you can go directly to the home page and start from the beginning. However, just viewing the animations and reading the explanations will help your family to understand basic physics concepts. Then, if there is an interest, you may want to explore the site further.

If you find a dead link, please notify us by sending an email to ClickSchooling@Homefires.com.