Books and Publications

• I recently bought the Collins Dictionary of Physics - Physics Defined and Explained. It contains information on 4,000 items and also Internet web sites for physics in the Appendix. There are helpful tables and figures. The Dictionary was published in 2007 by Harper Collins Publishers Limited in London and is a paperback book.


• Other paperback dictionaries of physics are:
  1) A Concise Dictionary of Physics. It is an Oxford Reference by Oxford University Press.
  2) The Penguin Dictionary of Physics, 3rd Edition in 2000. There are probably newer editons than this one which I have. The publisher is the Penguin Group in London, England.
  Penguin has also published a paperback called The Penguin Dictionary of Science. It would be good for teachers and students to have helpful and informative books like these in the school library. These dictionaries help to understand terms and concepts clearly so that teachers can teach physics with confidence and competence.


• Here is a book for doing simple demonstrations – How Dare You by Vicki Cobb and Kathy Darling. It is published by Skyhorse Publishing in 2008 for $19.95. There are 321 pages. I found this book in the Bookshelf Section of Science News for June 21, 2008.


• The Physics Teacher has, in each issue, a separate section called Book Reviews which includes short reviews. The American Scientist, Science News and Physics Today include reviews of books.


• AAPT provides a current edition of the brochure entitled Guidelines for High School Physics Programs. It addresses the following: administrative support, budgets, curriculum, instruction, resources and teachers. Use www.aapt.orgfor a copy.

Videos, Software, Kits, Equipment, Tours, etc.

• PASCO has two new demonstrations called "Human Arm Mechanics" and "Optics of the Human Eye." These are working models. Use www.pasco.com for information. These would be helpful for pre-med students taking physics. For example, the eye model has the corneal lens, eye lens and retina. It also can show the use of eyeglass lenses.


• CENCO Physics from Sargent Welch offers two new systems: Mechanics/Dynamics and also Optics Systems. With these momentum, rolling friction, energy, etc. can be studied, as well as light refraction, reflection, diffraction, etc. For information –CENCOphysics.com.


• Vernier Lab Quest is a new interface for physics. It has a color touch screen, 100 kilohertz sampling rate, rechargeable batteries, microphone, temperature sensor, software for graphing and other features. It can be hand-held. The price is $329. It is described at www.vernier.com/labquest.


• The AAPT Catalog lists these items for sale: Books (The Joy of Teaching by Peter Filene and The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene), fun toys and T-shirts. The store is at www.thephysics.store.org.


• NIST has tours for college students and also for 9-12th grades. High school science classes can tour its Center for Neutron Research. NIST – The National Institute for Science and Technology – is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, near Washington, DC.


• The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Ohio University in Athens offers tours for schools. Contact Wayne Chiasson at 740.593.1712 to make arrangements. We welcome you to come see our physics research facilities.
  Ohio University is a major university with world-class research in physics, chemistry, biological sciences and engineering.
  The research in physics and astronomy is funded with grants from NSF, DOE, NIH, NASA, DOD and other agencies (American Heart Association and Schlumberger, etc.). Our Department of Physics and Astronomy has strong research activities in biophysics, nuclear, condensed matter and astrophysics. There are interdisciplinary research efforts in nanoscience and biophysics. Programs leading to master's and Ph.D. degrees are available in these areas. Several million dollars in outside grants support this research each year.