Physics in Motion: Motion through Digital Video

Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY

Investigators

Abstract

Physics (13) This project aims to increase the number of undergraduate students exposed to physics at Vassar College and, through outreach, to increase the awareness of physics for both K-12 students and teachers. The project adapts a pedagogical technique--video analysis of everyday phenomena and events (e.g., sports, dance, people on swings)--that has been successfully used by a number of physics educators at the college and high school levels. The Principal Investigator is developing a course for college students who do not typically enroll in science courses. In this course, students discover physics concepts by filming and analyzing digital video. Each student is loaned a laptop computer and digital video camera for the semester so that the students can film "physics" whenever they see it. The video is then transferred into the computer and analyzed with software that yields position-vs.-time data for the object(s). Further analysis allows the calculation of other quantities such as velocity, acceleration, forces, and energy. The first half of the course is a guided exploration of motion concepts through video. The second half of the course is devoted to group projects, in which teams of students create a multimedia DVD or CD-ROM that is appropriate for some level of K-12 students. As a final exercise, the students to go out to K-12 schools and present their projects to a class.