Middle and High School … from a Montessori Point of View
This year, I’ve been basing my introduction to basic chemistry for my middle school students around the periodic table of the elements. The first step, however, is to teach them how to draw basic models of atoms. Prep: Memorization over the Winter Break I started it off by having the students memorize the first 20 … Continue reading “Drawing Atoms”
With a simple, but effective interface, ZygoteBODY’s free, online 3d models of human anatomy are excellent.
Anatronica has an excellent, online, 3d viewer for the anatomy of the human torso. While it’s not quite the same as a physical model, it’s pretty good as a study guide for middle schoolers.
When a photon of light hits an atom three things can happen: it can bounce off; it can pass through as if nothing had happened; or it be absorbed. Which one happens depends on the energy of the light, and which atom it is hitting. Hydrogen will absorb different energies from helium. The interesting thing … Continue reading “Emission Spectra: How Atoms Emit and Absorb Light”
LiveScience has a neat little slideshow that briefly describes the different types of elementary particles. These include the particles, like quarks that make up protons, which have been observed, as well as sparticles and the Higg’s boson that have not. CERN also has a nice page describing the Standard Model.
When it comes to particle physics … [m]easuring something once is meaningless because of the high degree of uncertainty involved in such exotic, small systems. Scientists rely on taking measurements over and over again — enough times to dismiss the chance of a fluke. — Moskowitz (2011): Is the New Physics Here? Atom Smashers Get … Continue reading “Sub-atomic Physics: The Significance of 0.8%”
If you pull apart the nucleus of an atom, you’ll find that the mass of its parts is greater than the mass of the original nucleus. That extra mass is where nuclear energy comes from; it’s called the binding energy. How so? Take a helium atom for example. Its nucleus typically has two protons and … Continue reading “Energy in the Nucleus of the Atom”
The Auroras are a great natural phenomena that relates to elements, the structure of atoms, and ionization. They also tie into the physics of charged particles in magnetic fields. The video below provides and excellent overview and also brings up nuclear fusion and convection. The Aurora Borealis from Per Byhring on Vimeo. This video explains … Continue reading “The Aurora Borealis and Atomic Structure”