Still learning after 20+ years exploring physics with high school students....
Cincinnati, OH
Joined November 2009
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Visualizing standing sound waves with dry ice. Finished this little project just in time. My students start longitudinal standing waves on Monday! #iteachphysics
Pat Counts retweeted
The 2026 AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based free-response questions are now available: spr.ly/6011BBlfEB #APExams
Happy Father’s Day to fathers everywhere! It is also Bloomsday, a day to celebrate James Joyce and read his books, especially Ulysses. As a Joyce newbie I’m not quite ready to tackle Ulysses, so I’m reading Dubliners.😊 #Bloomsday
My parents’ house was smack in the middle of the path of the totality, so it was nice to share the spectacle with them. The whole thing was amazing! And according to my star finder app (Star Walk) there were so many planets “close” to the Sun at the same time. Screenshot:
Weather permitting, the eclipse will be an amazing event! But it’s not worth risking your vision with fake eclipse glasses. Be safe and enjoy the spectacle! eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/v…
Finally finished putting together the “book nook” kit my daughter gave me for Christmas. Tons of fun! Added a few touches to give it a Harry Potter theme.
Just started reading The Count of Monte Cristo on a daily (almost) schedule that matches its publication as a serial. Imagining the Paris cafes in 1844 buzzing with speculation about the cliffhanger of the latest installment of the story in the newspaper.
Pat Counts retweeted
Got this idea from another tech, will be used in photoelectric effect. Shows an LED will produce a current when light is shone on it as well as produce light when a current is passed through it
It’s been such an amazing week of making and discourse this week at the Makers in Education workshop in UC’s Groundfloor Makerspace! And Wyoming’s very own innovation specialist @mel_weyant is here sharing her expertise and perspective with us! #OnWyoming @GCSCSTEM
Hey @VernierST ! Have you ever seen anyone use your gas pressure sensors with a pitot tube to measure air speed? I already have your vane anemometer, but I’m looking to use something low-profile to use in a wind tunnel.
This exploration station is my favorite conversation starter for light absorption. Students shine a neon laser and a diode laser pointer through a dilute solution of Vanish cleaner and water. Diode laser beam passes through but neon laser beam is absorbed. (1/2) #iteachphysics
In doing a PVC flute design/build project with my students I’ve learned a few things I can pass on to other teachers. I give Ss 3D-printed mouthpieces, plenty of 1/2” schedule-40 PVC pipe, and access to PVC cutters and a drill press. Ss choose what notes they want to play. (1/n)
Now that we are experts in sound waves we made PVC flutes in Physics! Students chose what scale they wanted their flute to play, cut to length, calculated and drilled hole locations. Thank you @mel_weyant for 3D printing mouthpieces for us! #iteachphysics
So that is it! I’ve learned a lot the hard way, and I’m hoping to learn more from creative and knowledgeable teachers who do similar projects. Please share your tips and tricks with me! #iteachphysics (12/12)
Mouthpiece: I use the “Ocarina.stl” file from the thing called “VITTEL FLUTE” on Thingiverse, 3D-printed at 76% scale to fit the 1/2” pipe we use. My students use tape to seal the connection between mouthpiece and pipe. (11/n)
Using a 0.027 m end correction allows you to accurately determine the position of each hole. So subtract 0.027 m before you drill holes. Again, measure and cut with the mouthpiece on the pipe…. (10/n)
Now for finger hole locations. I did a similar experiment using a flute with hole drilled at 5-cm intervals from the mouthpiece. Again, the standing wave actually extends past the first open hole, so the actual frequency is lower than the theoretical frequency…. (9/n)
… subtract 0.050 m before cutting the pipe to length. (Make sure to measure and cut with the mouthpiece attached.) (8/n)
I graphed the data. The measured frequency (red circle) produced by the flute is always lower than the theoretical frequency (green square) of an ideal pipe. The blue triangles show that when the end correction is accounted for, the predicted frequency matches actual. So… (7/n)
