This document provides an overview of free software that can be used for teaching physics, including equipment, images, sound, graphing tools, and simulation applets. It describes pixel rulers, scope software, audio recording and editing tools, graphing programs, physics simulation applets, Google Earth, and video and motion tracking software. The document aims to showcase useful free resources and equipment for teaching physics concepts visually and interactively.

1. Free Software for
Teaching Physics
Kent Hogan
Onslow College

2. If we have time…
• Useful equipment
• Images
• Sound
• Graphing
• Applets
• Google Earth
• Video

3. Useful equipment
• ‘Point & shoot’ camera (not video camera)
• High speed camera
• Tripod
• Workshop light
• Digital audio recorder
• USB cables
• Flash drives

4. Pixel Ruler
http://www.mioplanet.com/products/pixelruler/

5. MBRuler
http://www.markus-bader.de/MB-Ruler/

6. Gimp
http://www.gimp.org/

7. Scope
http://www.zeitnitz.de/Christian/scope_en

8. Audacity
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

9. Excel
12,000 µF
4
3
50 V
2
40 V
Speed (ms-1) 1 30 V
0 20 V
Voltage (V)
0.025
0.05
0.075 10 V
Inductance (mH) 0.1
(I know, its not free, but most people have it)

10. Graph
http://www.padowan.dk/graph/
Advantages over
Excel:
• Plot function
• Better curve
fitting options

11. Applets
http://phet.colorado.edu/

12. Ripple Tank
http://www.falstad.com

13. Google Earth

14. Wolfram Online Integrator
http://integrals.wolfram.com/index.jsp

15. Tracker
http://www.cabrillo.edu/~dbrown/tracker/
– Java based
– Much, more stable than it used to be
– Linear, rotational motion
– Easy to export data
– Cool new features
• Perspective adjustment
• Autotrack

16. Moving Centre of Rotation

17. Perspective correction

18. Autotrack

19. For Steve…
Motion of top
Time (s)
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
-0.2 200g
180g
-0.4 160g
140g
-0.6 120g
Height (m)
100g
-0.8
h = -3.6535t
-1 h= -4.25t
-1.2
h = -5.7977t
-1.4
h = -6.7492t
h = -10.056t h = -7.7206t
-1.6

20. With thanks to…
• Graeme Finnie
• Stanley Roache
• Evan Simmers
• Jared Lee
• Oliver Hughes

21. Contact me if you want the list…
kent.hogan@onslow.school.nz
Folder with some of the software (80MB ish)
see me