Physics Innovative Uses

Richard Born at Northern Illinois University developed an experiment for determining the resolving time of a Geiger-Müller (G-M) tube using the Vernier Radiation Monitor. By using split sources of radiation, students can determine the resolving time, T, by measuring the observed count rates of each source individually and then as a combined source. Download Richard’s…

Subjects: Physics

Richard Born at Northern Illinois University developed an experiment for determining the efficiency of a Geiger-Müller (G-M) tube using the new Vernier Radiation Monitor. The Radiation Monitor is mounted on a wooden stand, and the radioactive source is mounted a set distance from the G-M tube end window. Radiation counts are collected for ten one-minute…

Subjects: Physics

Don’t Take Your Countertops for Granite! A few years ago, there was a flurry of news stories warning of the dangers of radioactive granite countertops. Often caused by misinterpreted data, these claims led to public outcry and prompted the EPA to put together an FAQ regarding radioactivity in granite countertops. Richard Born of Northern Illinois…

Subjects: Physics

Which USB power adapter charges a completely dead iPad® more efficiently—the large 12-watt power supply that came with the iPad or the smaller 5-watt power supply that came with the iPhone®? We decided to measure the energy consumed during the charge cycle with a Watts Up Pro. As you can see from the graph, the…

Subjects: Physics

Danielle Spaete (Pleasant Valley HS, IA) came up with a great new way to do egg-drop contests using our Force Plate. Students are given a 5-gallon bucket to be placed on a Force Plate. They then drop a basketball from a height of 1.5 meters into the bucket. After observing the forces applied by the…

Subjects: Physics

Jim Snyder and his students at Anderson Valley High School, in Boonville, CA, did an amazing high-altitude balloon launch during the annular eclipse this past spring. The balloon included a LabQuest, UVB Sensor, Anemometer, and two temperature sensors: a Thermocouple for external temperature readings (since they expected very low temperatures) and a Stainless Steel Temperature…

Subjects: Environmental Science, Physics

Museum visitors simulate a shark’s ability to detect electric current through use of a Current Probe and Logger Pro. For eight years, Tim Pula has created hands-on labs in science centers, including Discovery Place in Charlotte, NC. In 2005, with the support of Vernier consultant Walter Rohr, Tim began using Vernier sensors and Logger Pro…

Subjects: Physics

Lots of attention has recently been given to the issue of brain injuries to young people in sports activities. This has led to quite a few science projects looking into the effectiveness of helmets. Kevin Bruff of Portsmouth, RI, has worked with students to do a very nice study of inflatable helmets used for lacrosse…

Subjects: Engineering Education, Physics

Sam Barnum at West Point Grey Academy, Vancouver, BC, developed a lab for using the internal microphone on a LabQuest to measure the speed of sound. Barnum’s students assembled outside with claves or large pieces of wood. They clapped the claves together and measured the time for sound to echo off a nearby building. Download…

Subjects: Physics

Brian Lamore at The Village School in Houston, TX, crafted a simple experiment on string vibration. Lamore’s students connected a rubber band to a to create a cheap “guitar” with which to study the relationship between tension and frequency. Students plucked the rubber band and monitored the force readings at 1000 Hz. Using a rubber…

Subjects: Physics