摘要:

Prepared at the request of the AAPT Committee on Resource Letters and the AAPT Committee on Tests; supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.This is one of a series of Resource Letters on different topics, intended to guide college physicists to some of the literature and other teaching aids that may help them improve course contents in specified fields of physics. No Resource Letter is meant to be exhaustive and complete; in time there may be more than one letter on some of the main subjects of interest. Comments and suggestions concerning the content and arrangement of letters as well as suggestions for future topics will be welcomed. Please send such communications to Professor Arnold Arons, Chairman, Resource Letter Committee, Department of Physics, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts.Notation:The letterEafter an item number indicateselementaryreading level, the letterIindicatesintermediatelevel, and the letterAindicatesadvancedmaterial principally suited for senior, graduate study. An asterisk (*) indicates items particularly recommended for introductory study.Additional copies:Available from American Institute of Physics, 335 East 45 Street, New York, New York 10017. When ordering, request Resource Letter AT-1 and enclose a stamped return envelope.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.1971457

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1965

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

A method for measuring the velocity of sound in a gas confined in a tube has been developed. The method is a refinement of the phase-measurement technique described by Lestz. Values of the velocity of sound in nitrogen and argon at one atmosphere and 70°F are presented to show the excellent agreement with the generally accepted values. The results also verify the tube-wall effects predicted by Helmholtz and Kirchhoff.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.1971459

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1965

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

The measurement of the length of a rod in motion relative to an observer, by means of light signals reflected from a mirror attached to one end of the rod, is represented graphically in a Brehme diagram. It is pointed out that although the calculations are based on nonsimultaneous clock readings, the coordinates of the ends of the rod are, in effect, determined simultaneously. Another method of finding the length is described, in which the coordinates of the ends of the rod are not observed simultaneously and which does not require the use of light signals or synchronized clocks.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.1971462

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1965

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

Demonstrations of both traveling and standing waves in a uniform line of cars connected by springs on an air track are described, the crucial point being the special mass and damping necessary for the last car in the case of traveling waves. The theory of the motion of the cars under various circumstances pertaining to the demonstrations is presented, and procedural details are described. A scheme is outlined for using the wave demonstrations in an introductory course, and another, simple demonstration is mentioned. A demonstration of the localized mode associated with a light impurity car is described.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.1971465

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1965

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

An assembly of molecules of a monoatomic gas, treated as hard elastic spheres, is formed such that the disorder or entropy is maximum, by applying a force on each individual molecule (supposed to have zero initial velocity) for very short intervals—which ultimately tends to zero—and changing its direction of application randomly. The assembly is in equilibrium as the entropy is maximum and the distribution function comes out to be the Maxwellian distribution.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.1971468

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1965

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

In the limit at which geometric optics is valid, a light signal may be represented (in special relativity) by a (straight) null line. If we consider an eventP, then the past null cone drawn fromPrepresents all events visible to any observer atP. The configuration of events perceived by any one observer may be obtained by projecting this cone onto the 3-flat orthogonal to the observer's 4-velocity in a suitable fashion. In this paper a projection technique is described and leads naturally to a system of spherical coordinates for each observer. The transformation of coordinates for two observers is obtained and some applications are discussed.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.1971471

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1965

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

A rigorous solution of the inverted pendulum requires several mathematical techniques which are not in the repetoire of the typical student of classical mechanics at the senior level. However, the problem is tractable by Lagrange's equations and the physics of the situation is sufficiently simple so that it is an excellent example to use to extend the student's analytical abilities. Two unexpected dividends are derived from this problem: (1) the vertically driven case is an example of a time-dependent potential energy function, a rare situation in mechanics; (2) it is a vivid example of a classical system undergoing strong focusing and therefore can be used to introduce a discussion of the strong-focusing synchrotron.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.1971474

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1965

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

A course which emphasizes techniques rather than appreciation is discussed. The use of conferences and research notebooks rather than weekly reports, and the practice of having the student plan his own experiments leads the student toward being capable of doing independent work.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.1971477

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1965

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

The propagation of electromagnetic energy arising from magnetohydrodynamic disturbances is described by a general Poynting vector, valid for perturbations of any magnitude. The Poynting vector associated with the solar wind is specified, and its magnitude is shown to be of the order of6 μW/m2at the orbit of earth.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.1971480

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1965

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

Some arguments from symmetry, frequently occurring in elementary electricity, are criticized, and the importance of the uniqueness theorem in electrostatics is stressed. It is conjectured that for a1/rnlaw of force a uniqueness theorem only holds in the casen = 2. The problem is posed of finding a solution to any electrostatic problem whatsoever (involving conductors) if the law of force is not the Coulomb law.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.1971482

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1965

数据来源: AIP