Physics Probeware Newsletter: "Charged Up for Physics!"

Free, Online Experiment

RC Time Constants for Measuring Instruments

In this experiment students use the RC time constant to determine the internal resistance of a capacitor.

A special “THANKS!!!” goes out to Bob Dorner of Montclair State University, New Jersey for contributing this lab. We’ll be sending him a gift as a token of our appreciation.

If you would like to send us a lab using PASCO equipment, attach it to: gclarion@rocklin.k12.ca.us.

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Featured Product

Tension Protractor (ME-6855)

 

The Tension Protractor is a spring scale and a protractor integrated into one device. Perfect for static equilibrium experiments, the rotary dial indicates the tension in the string and the angle is read where the string passes over the degree scale on the outer ring. Since the Tension Protractor is supported on a rod, it has an advantage over other spring scales which tend to weight down the string, changing the angle.

The string is wrapped once around a small pulley which is spring loaded. The torsion spring scale is carefully calibrated at the factory and can be zeroed by the user using the thumb screw on the back. The red arrow which indicates tension is color-coded to match the Newton scale.

Even if the mounting rod is not plumb, the Tension Protractor’s degree scale can be adjusted to read 90 degrees vertically by rotating the outer ring until the string with a hanging mass aligns with 90 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Featured Website

Molecular Expression’s Charging and Discharging a Capacitor

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PASCO Professional Development

Summer Institutes for 2008 -- Dates and Locations Announced!

Each summer, PASCO offers in-depth training at locations throughout the country as well as at PASCO headquarters in Roseville, California. Return from your Summer Institute with a solid foundation for effectively integrating PASCO probeware into your science curriculum. Visit the Summer Institute web page for the full list of workshops, dates, and locations around the country.

Free Live Online Training through May

Join our trainers live online for a free one-hour Xplorer GLX workshop. Choose from these topics:

  • Getting Started with the Xplorer GLX
    Intended for teachers who are just starting to use their Xplorer GLX and want to learn the basics of its operation.
  • Next Steps with the Xplorer GLX: Manual Sampling
    This workshop will cover how to collect and label discrete data points, using a technique called "manual sampling." The basics of sensor calibration will also be introduced.

Visit our live online training web page for dates and registration.

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Submit an Idea

Is there a story, idea or comment you'd like to see included in an upcoming newsletter? Perhaps it's a great website you recently discovered, a funding opportunity that your colleagues might appreciate learning about, or a newsworthy event related to Physics. If you think it's worth sharing in an upcoming newsletter, click below to tell us about it. In addition, if you submit a probeware activity or lab experiment and we publish it, we'll send you a T-shirt and a $100 coupon good for a purchase from PASCO's online store.

Send us an email to: Submit an Idea - Physics.

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