UCSB Physics Lecture Demonstrations -- Useful links

Lecture Demonstrations Web Page

Useful Links

General physics links:

American Institute of Physics (AIP)

American Physical Society (APS)

AAPT ComPADRE (American Association of Physics Teachers Communities for Physics and Astronomy Digital Resources in Education)

AAPT ComPADRE Digital Library

Hyperphysics This web site contains explanations of myriad topics in physics and related sciences (chemistry, geophysics, biology). It was written, and is maintained, by Dr. Rod Nave, in the department of physics and astronomy at Georgia State University.

Physics, astronomy and mathematics applets:

PhET (Physics Education Technology project; requires Java, though many simulations now use either Flash Player or HTML5 video player) – Interactive simulations from a group based at University of Colorado, Boulder. This page contains simulations for topics in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science and Math. There are also some under the heading of “Cutting edge research.”

Astronomy and Physics Simulations by Rob Scharein, who wrote them when he was at the physics and astronomy department at the University of British Columbia. These require Java (available at https://www.java.com/download/ie_manual.jsp (Windows) and at https://www.java.com/en/download/apple.jsp (macOS)), and will not run on any browser that does not support NPAPI plugins. Until Windows 11, you could install an extension called IE Tab in Chrome or Safari. This extension allows you to run Java programs that use NPAPI. It is available at https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ie-tab/hehijbfgiekmjfkfjpbkbammjbdenadd?hl=en-US (Chrome/Windows) and https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ie-extension-for-safari/id1450113846?mt=12 (Safari/macOS). The extension for Chrome requires IE Tab Helper. Once you installed IE Tab, you would click on the extensions icon, then click on the IE Tab Helper extension. The setup file would automatically download, then you would click on the file to install IE Tab Helper. IE Tab is still available, but now requires a license after a free trial period. In addition, Windows 11 no longer has the feature that allowed one to run NPAPI graphics. As soon as I find an alternative, I will update these instructions. Assuming everything runs, you will have to add https://hypnagogic.net to the exception site list in the Java control panel. Some of these applets contain errors, but most of them work and are very interesting. You may have to click on the IE Tab Helper icon when you load the page, and/or when you load a particular applet.

Physics 1bc Java Applets from Cal Tech. These also require Java, and will not run on any browser that does not support NPAPI plugins. You will need to use either Chrome (PC) or Safari (mac) with the IE Tab extension installed (see the notes in the entry above). In addition, you will have to add http://www.cco.caltech.edu to the exception site list in the Java control panel. You may have to click on the IE Tab Helper icon when you load the page, and/or when you load a particular applet.

AAPT ComPADRE Digital Library Open Source Physics Java Script/HTML Materials This is a collection of lessons and simulations for a wide variety of topics in physics and astronomy.

Open Educational Resources/Open Source Physics@Singapore This link opens a page that has a collection of simulations for a wide variety of topics in physics and astronomy. Scroll down to the bottom for an index of physics subcategories, each of which you can expand by clicking the “+” button to the right. Clicking on one of the sub-subcategories that appear, opens a page with simulations specific to that sub-subcategory.

Research/Journals:

UCSB Library home page

Measurements and standards:

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, formerly National Bureau of Standards)

Fundamental physical constants:

Fundamental physical constants from NIST (Based on CODATA internationally accepted values, 2018 as of this writing.)

Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA): Fundamental Physical Constants – Information about the group that compiles the data available at the NIST link above, with links to the original paper, published in Reviews of Modern Physics. At the time of this writing, these are the 2018 values.

Geophysical and astrophysical data:

Planetary Fact Sheets (From NASA. These contain various physical data including mass, dimensions, gravity, solar irradiance, albedo, orbit and rotation, magnetosphere and atmospheric properties, for the sun and all the planets and moons in the solar system, and also for Pluto and comets. This page also gives data for the entire solar system in tabular form, and also offers notes explaining the data contained in the fact sheets.)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Centers for Environmental Information (formerly National Geophysical Data Center)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory/NASA Astrophysics Data System

National Space Science Data Coordinated Archive (NSSDCA, NASA)

Astronomy:

The Hayden Planetarium Check out the digital universe! This is a 3-D atlas with (free!) downloadable viewing software. There are also image galleries and other interesting and useful resources.

The Adler Planetarium

National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab) (formerly at National Optical Astronomy Observatory) (w/ Links to Cerro Tololo, Gemini Science Center and Kitt Peak)

Explorer I (first U.S. satellite) 50th anniversary

Astronomical Picture of the Day A NASA website (with contributors from other institutions) that contains many breathtaking photographs of astronomical objects.

Gladwin Planetarium (at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History)

Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit A local astronomy club that hosts a variety of activities, including regular sessions on telescope making. The web site also has many useful links to various sources of information on astronomy and cosmology, and to places where you can buy telescopes and related equipment. On the second Saturday of every month, members of SBAU host “star parties,” which are observing sessions at Palmer Observatory, at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

	American Institute of Physics (AIP)
	American Physical Society (APS)
	AAPT ComPADRE (American Association of Physics Teachers Communities for Physics and Astronomy Digital Resources in Education)
	AAPT ComPADRE Digital Library
	Hyperphysics This web site contains explanations of myriad topics in physics and related sciences (chemistry, geophysics, biology). It was written, and is maintained, by Dr. Rod Nave, in the department of physics and astronomy at Georgia State University.

	PhET (Physics Education Technology project; requires Java, though many simulations now use either Flash Player or HTML5 video player) – Interactive simulations from a group based at University of Colorado, Boulder. This page contains simulations for topics in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science and Math. There are also some under the heading of “Cutting edge research.”
	Astronomy and Physics Simulations by Rob Scharein, who wrote them when he was at the physics and astronomy department at the University of British Columbia. These require Java (available at https://www.java.com/download/ie_manual.jsp (Windows) and at https://www.java.com/en/download/apple.jsp (macOS)), and will not run on any browser that does not support NPAPI plugins. Until Windows 11, you could install an extension called IE Tab in Chrome or Safari. This extension allows you to run Java programs that use NPAPI. It is available at https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ie-tab/hehijbfgiekmjfkfjpbkbammjbdenadd?hl=en-US (Chrome/Windows) and https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ie-extension-for-safari/id1450113846?mt=12 (Safari/macOS). The extension for Chrome requires IE Tab Helper. Once you installed IE Tab, you would click on the extensions icon, then click on the IE Tab Helper extension. The setup file would automatically download, then you would click on the file to install IE Tab Helper. IE Tab is still available, but now requires a license after a free trial period. In addition, Windows 11 no longer has the feature that allowed one to run NPAPI graphics. As soon as I find an alternative, I will update these instructions. Assuming everything runs, you will have to add https://hypnagogic.net to the exception site list in the Java control panel. Some of these applets contain errors, but most of them work and are very interesting. You may have to click on the IE Tab Helper icon when you load the page, and/or when you load a particular applet.
	Physics 1bc Java Applets from Cal Tech. These also require Java, and will not run on any browser that does not support NPAPI plugins. You will need to use either Chrome (PC) or Safari (mac) with the IE Tab extension installed (see the notes in the entry above). In addition, you will have to add http://www.cco.caltech.edu to the exception site list in the Java control panel. You may have to click on the IE Tab Helper icon when you load the page, and/or when you load a particular applet.
	AAPT ComPADRE Digital Library Open Source Physics Java Script/HTML Materials This is a collection of lessons and simulations for a wide variety of topics in physics and astronomy.
	Open Educational Resources/Open Source Physics@Singapore This link opens a page that has a collection of simulations for a wide variety of topics in physics and astronomy. Scroll down to the bottom for an index of physics subcategories, each of which you can expand by clicking the “+” button to the right. Clicking on one of the sub-subcategories that appear, opens a page with simulations specific to that sub-subcategory.

	Fundamental physical constants from NIST (Based on CODATA internationally accepted values, 2018 as of this writing.)
	Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA): Fundamental Physical Constants – Information about the group that compiles the data available at the NIST link above, with links to the original paper, published in Reviews of Modern Physics. At the time of this writing, these are the 2018 values.

	Planetary Fact Sheets (From NASA. These contain various physical data including mass, dimensions, gravity, solar irradiance, albedo, orbit and rotation, magnetosphere and atmospheric properties, for the sun and all the planets and moons in the solar system, and also for Pluto and comets. This page also gives data for the entire solar system in tabular form, and also offers notes explaining the data contained in the fact sheets.)
	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
	National Centers for Environmental Information (formerly National Geophysical Data Center)
	National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
	The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory/NASA Astrophysics Data System
	National Space Science Data Coordinated Archive (NSSDCA, NASA)

	The Hayden Planetarium Check out the digital universe! This is a 3-D atlas with (free!) downloadable viewing software. There are also image galleries and other interesting and useful resources.
	The Adler Planetarium
	National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab) (formerly at National Optical Astronomy Observatory) (w/ Links to Cerro Tololo, Gemini Science Center and Kitt Peak)
	Explorer I (first U.S. satellite) 50th anniversary
	Astronomical Picture of the Day A NASA website (with contributors from other institutions) that contains many breathtaking photographs of astronomical objects.
	Gladwin Planetarium (at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History)
	Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit A local astronomy club that hosts a variety of activities, including regular sessions on telescope making. The web site also has many useful links to various sources of information on astronomy and cosmology, and to places where you can buy telescopes and related equipment. On the second Saturday of every month, members of SBAU host “star parties,” which are observing sessions at Palmer Observatory, at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.