I loved this post at Division By Zero and recommend it here for all my math and physics students. Dave Richeson answers the question: “Why do mirrors reverse right and left but not up and down?”
Archive for January, 2009
Mirrors
Posted in DUML Physics 54, tagged Coordinate Systems on January 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
View From The New Polycom
Posted in DUML Physics 54, Equipment, tagged Distance Learning, Distance Learning Equipment on January 22, 2009 | 1 Comment »
What a difference a day makes! The preceding day’s snowy drive allowed for a change in the AV equipment. Here are a couple of pictures highlighting the new view Wendy and I have during Dr. Brown’s lectures.
We have much higher resolution and a great view of the board. We can zoom…
We can read Gauss’s Law [...]
“Neither rain, nor snow, …”
Posted in DUML Physics 54, Equipment, tagged Distance Learning Equipment, Driving Snow on January 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.”
Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep Ed from getting a polycom to Durham to vastly improve this distance learning experience for Wendy and Dr. Brown.
I left Beaufort, NC around 5:30 am on the 20th, began experiencing [...]
Rayleigh-Like Criterion
Posted in DUML Physics 54, tagged Rayleigh Criterion, Resolving Point Charges on January 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
We have been using binomial expansion techniques to analyze results from computation of the electric field for various charge distribution. We address, for example, the field of two point charges [each with charge q] along a line passing directly between the charges. As the distance from the charges becomes much larger than the separation [...]
Recitation and Resolution 14Jan09
Posted in DUML Physics 54, Equipment, tagged Distance Learning, DUML Physics on January 14, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Take a look at the equations on the board and you’ll get a sense of the difficulty Wendy is having reading the board. While Dr. Brown is doing a great job being verbally clear and is generally keeping writing within the field of vision, the lecture experience is a bit like putting on “drunk – [...]
Shark !
Posted in DUML Physics 54, Physics 54 Content/Resource, tagged DUML Physics, Physheads, Shark Electrosense on January 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I was just perusing some results from a Google Scholar search for Electric Field and Marine Animals. The “menacing fin” caught my eye — and I recommend checking out the full article. Dr. Brown rightly noted that this course [phy54 or phy42] is of supreme interest to everyone, largely because of the incredible applicability and [...]
SuperInsulator — a Top Story of 2008
Posted in DUML Physics 54, Physics 54 Content/Resource, tagged Electricity Storage, Insulators, Leyden Jar on January 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Dr. Brown discussed Leyden jars as a Ben Franklin era way to store electric charge, physicists are still working to perfect the storage of electricity as evidenced by the following Discovery Magazine story.
Top Story #69: Physicists Create a Perfect Place to Store Electricity
12.10.2008
New “superinsulator” can hold a charge forever without leakage
by Stephen Ornes
In April an [...]
Getting Ready – DUML Physics 54 – Spring 2008
Posted in DUML Physics 54, Student Population, tagged Distance Learning, DUML Physics, Physheads on January 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
We have been bending over backwards to continue offering introductory physics at Duke Marine Lab, regardless of enrollment numbers. This spring we are offering physics for one [ yes, this is no typo ] — we are offering physics 54 for one (1) student. This fortunate young lady will essentially have a one to one [...]
