group Small Group Activity

30 min.

Black space capsule

Contemporary Challenges 2022 (3 years)

stefan-boltzmann blackbody radiation

In this activity, students apply the Stefan-Boltzmann equation and the principle of energy balance in steady state to find the steady state temperature of a black object in near-Earth orbit.

face Lecture

10 min.

Warm-Up Powerpoint

Warm-Up

The attached powerpoint articulates the possible paths through the curriculum for new graduate students at OSU. Make sure to update this powerpoint yearly to reflect current course offerings and sequencing. It was partially, but not completely edited in fall 2022.

computer Mathematica Activity

30 min.

Visualising the Gradient

Static Fields 2023 (6 years)

Gradient Sequence

Students use prepared Sage code to predict the gradient from contour graphs of 2D scalar fields.

group Small Group Activity

10 min.

Fourier Transform of a Gaussian

Periodic Systems 2022

Fourier Transforms and Wave Packets

group Small Group Activity

120 min.

Spin-1 Time Evolution

Quantum Fundamentals 2023

Time Evolution Spin-1

Students do calculations for time evolution for spin-1.

group Small Group Activity

30 min.

de Broglie wavelength after freefall

Contemporary Challenges 2021 (4 years)

de Broglie wavelength gravity

In this activity students combine energy conservation with the relationship between the de Broglie wavelength and momentum to find the wavelength of atoms that have been dropped a given distance.

group Small Group Activity

5 min.

Fourier Transform of a Shifted Function

Periodic Systems 2022

Fourier Transforms and Wave Packets

group Small Group Activity

60 min.

Raising and Lowering Operators for Spin

Central Forces 2023 (2 years)

group Small Group Activity

30 min.

Earthquake waves

Contemporary Challenges 2021 (4 years)

wave equation speed of sound

In this activity students use the known speed of earthquake waves to estimate the Young's modulus of the Earth's crust.

face Lecture

10 min.

Basics of heat engines

Contemporary Challenges 2021 (4 years) This brief lecture covers the basics of heat engines.

group Small Group Activity

30 min.

Grey space capsule

Contemporary Challenges 2021 (4 years)

blackbody Stefan-Boltzmann Law

In this small group activity, students work out the steady state temperature of an object absorbing and emitting blackbody radiation.

assignment_ind Small White Board Question

30 min.

Magnetic Moment & Stern-Gerlach Experiments

Quantum Fundamentals 2023 (3 years)

Angular Momentum Spin Magnetic Moment Stern-Gerlach Experiments

Students consider the relation (1) between the angular momentum and magnetic moment for a current loop and (2) the force on a magnetic moment in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. Students make a (classical) prediction of the outcome of a Stern-Gerlach experiment.

group Small Group Activity

10 min.

Gaussian Parameters

Periodic Systems 2022

Fourier Transforms and Wave Packets

Students use an applet to explore the role of the parameters \(N\), \(x_o\), and \(\sigma\) in the shape of a Gaussian \begin{equation} f(x)=Ne^{-\frac{(x-x_0)^2}{2\sigma^2}} \end{equation}

groups Whole Class Activity

10 min.

Pineapples and Pumpkins

Static Fields 2023 (6 years)

Integration Sequence

There are two versions of this activity:

As a whole class activity, the instructor cuts a pumpkin in order to produce a small volume element \(d\tau\), interspersing their work with a sequence of small whiteboard questions. This version of the activity is described here.

As a small group activity, students are given pineapple rounds and pumpkin wedges to explore area volume elements in cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems. In this version of the activity, the fruit is distribued to the students with appropriate children's pumpkin cutting equipment, as part of activities Vector Differential--Curvilinear, Scalar Surface and Volume Elements, or Vector Surface and Volume Elements.

group Small Group Activity

30 min.

Scalar Surface and Volume Elements

Static Fields 2023 (7 years)

Integration Sequence

Students use known algebraic expressions for length elements \(d\ell\) to determine all simple scalar area \(dA\) and volume elements \(d\tau\) in cylindrical and spherical coordinates.

This activity is identical to Vector Surface and Volume Elements except uses a scalar approach to find surface, and volume elements.

group Small Group Activity

10 min.

Thermal radiation at twice the temperature

Contemporary Challenges 2021 (4 years)

Stefan-Boltzmann blackbody radiation

This small group activity has students reasoning about how the Planck distribution shifts when the temperature is doubled. This leads to a qualitative argument for the Stefan-Boltzmann law.

group Small Group Activity

10 min.

Proportional Reasoning

Static Fields 2023 (3 years) In this small group activity, students calculate a (linear) function to represent the charge density on a one-dimensional rod from a description of the charge density in words.

group Small Group Activity

30 min.

Optical depth of atmosphere

Contemporary Challenges 2021 (4 years) In this activity students estimate the optical depth of the atmosphere at the infrared wavelength where carbon dioxide has peak absorption.

group Small Group Activity

10 min.

Fourier Transform of a Derivative

Periodic Systems 2022

Fourier Transforms and Wave Packets

computer Mathematica Activity

30 min.

Using Technology to Visualize Potentials

Static Fields 2023 (6 years)

electrostatic potential visualization

Begin by prompting the students to brainstorm different ways to represent a three dimensional scalar field on a 2-D surface (like their paper or a whiteboard). The students use a pre-made Sage code or a Mathematica worksheet to visualize the electrostatic potential of several distributions of charges. The computer algebra systems demonstrate several different ways of plotting the potential.