Advising guidelines put together at the University of Arkansas as the undergraduate program grew and developed. Presented at the 2012 SPIN-UP conference in Austin and the PhysTEC leadership meeting at the AAPT summer meeting in Edmonton.

This activity includes an assessment, analysis, and action tool that can be used by classrooms to promote understanding of how the complex current issues of energy, pollution, supply, and consumption are not just global but also local issues.

The transit of Venus is a rare astronomical event that has been well documented throughout history. The most recent transit occurred in June of 2004, and the one before that took place more than 100 years earlier in 1882. This site from the South African Astronomical Observatory provides information and first-hand observations of the 1882 event from Wellington, South Africa. Just prior to the event, an observatory was erected at the Huguenot Seminary for girls, and some of the historical observations made from that site in 1882 are provided here for your perusal.

This dataset, created by Robin H. Locke of St. Lawrence University, describes 93 new cars for the 1993 model year with 26 variables, including price, mpg ratings, and engine size. It also illustrates a broad range of statistical techniques such as box-whisker plot, confidence intervals, difference in means, one-way ANOVA, contingency table, scatterplot, regression, and correlation. If further research is required the author has included a list of references.

This simulation shows time-dependent 1D quantum bound state wavefunctions for a number of different wells. Position, momentum, parity, energy, and current can all be viewed, with phase shown with color. Eigentstates can be selected using the energy level diagram. Multiple-energy-eigenstate wavefunctions can be created through changes in the amplitude and phase of the basis states using spinors. Postion and energy measurements can be taken, resulting in new states of the system.

This simulation explores the transitions between quantum states in a number of 1D systems. The time-dependent wavefunction is displayed. An electric field resonant with the transition between states is applied and the changes in the wavefunction with time are tracked. The dipole transition probability is displayed for different initial to final state transitions, and the user may select the transition they wish to observe.

Midterm examination for a class at MIT covering game theory and its applications to economics. The one-hour-and-twenty-minute open book examination asks open ended theoretical questions. The exam contains questions and solutions.

The conference brought together faculty and technical staff involved with the intermediate/advanced undergraduate labs to present, discuss, and demonstrate their lab curricula, teaching methods, and experiments. The conference proceedings (available for free on the website) include a number of contributed lab manuals, posters, papers, and presentations detailing individual experiments.

This file includes the lab manual write-up for the Au nanosphere and nanorod photoabsorption and scattering Lab experiment for the 2nd year Experimental Contemporary Physics Lab Course. In addition, several handouts are provided along with some additional information for instructors. This work was supported in part by by NSF Awards: ECCS #0701703, DMR #0707740 & DMR #1105121. The experiment can readily be upgraded to an advanced lab by giving more responsibility to the students for lab setup (give them an optical breadboard and parts) and by asking for more in-depth analysis and questions which require more knowledge and experimental skills to answer.

This simulation shows time-dependent 2D quantum bound state wavefunctions for a circular hard-walled potential. Position, momentum, angular momentum, and energy of the states can all be viewed, with phase shown with color. Eigentstates can be selected using the energy level diagram. Multiple-energy-eigenstate wavefunctions can be created through changes in the amplitude and phase of the basis states using spinors, or through the creation of Gaussian wavefunctions with the mouse. The quantum numbers of the states are shown.

This applet simulates the electric field of many charge distributions, including point charges, line charges, dipoles, cylinders, conducting planes and more. The color can be adjusted for field magnitude or potential. Equipotential or field lines are optional. The field strength and number of particles are adjustable. The field can be displayed as a velocity field or a force field. The description is also available in German.

The EJS 2D Ising model displays a lattice of spins. You can change the lattice size, temperature, and external magnetic field. You can modify this simulation if you have Ejs installed by right-clicking within the plot and selecting “Open Ejs Model” from the pop-up menu item. The 2D-Ising model was created using the Easy Java Simulations (Ejs) modeling tool. It is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive. Double clicking the ejs_stp_Ising2D.jar file will run the program if Java is installed. Ejs is a part of the Open Source Physics Project and is designed to make it easier to access, modify, and generate computer models. Additional Ejs models are available. They can be found by searching ComPADRE for Open Source Physics, OSP, or Ejs.

This simulation shows time-dependent 2D quantum bound state wavefunctions for a harmonic oscillator potential. Position, momentum, angular momentum (for symmetric potentials), and energy of the states can all be viewed, with phase shown with color. Eigentstates can be selected using the energy level diagram. Multiple-energy-eigenstate wavefunctions can be created through changes in the amplitude and phase of the basis states using spinors, or through the creation of Gaussian, elliptical, or square wavefunctions with the mouse. The quantum numbers of the states are shown.

This simulation shows time-dependent 2D quantum bound state wavefunctions for a rectangular hard-walled potential. Position, momentum, and energy of the states can all be viewed, with phase shown with color. Eigentstates can be selected using the energy level diagram. Multiple-energy-eigenstate wavefunctions can be created through changes in the amplitude and phase of the basis states using spinors, or through the creation of Gaussian, elliptical, or square wavefunctions with the mouse.

The applet simulates various vector fields, including spherical, radial, and constant plane. It is a generalized version of an electrostatic field simulation by the same author. The field strength and number of particles simulated are adjustable. Divergence, curl, and potential can be color-coded. Grid lines, potential lines, or streamlines can be displayed. Directions, specific links to the subject and source code are also included.

Created by David Lane of Rice University, this applet simulates experiments using 2 x 2 contingency tables. You specify the population proportions and the sample size and examine the effects on the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis. The author provides instructions and then five different exercises to practice these concepts. Overall, this is a nice interactive resource that allows users a more hands-on approach to statistics.

This applet simulates the electric field and potential for various charge distributions, including point, line, dipole, spherical and other charges. There is also a simulation, with adjustable speed, of a charge moving close to the speed of light. The field can be displayed as a velocity or force field with particles following field lines, or as field or equipotential lines. The potential and fields can be displayed in 3-D or on a movable 2-D slice. The field strength and number of particles is adjustable, and the charge can be reversed. Source code and directions (also in German) are included.

The 3-D Hydrogen Atom Probability Densitites model simulates the probability density of the first few (n = 1, 2, and 3, and associated l and m values) energy eigenstates for the Hydrogen atom (the Coulomb potential). The main window shows the energy level diagram for the solutions to the Coulomb potential in three dimensions. States may be selected either by using the dropdown menu item or by using the energy level diagram and clicking a dark green level, with specific n, l, and m values) which will turn bright green and change the state shown in the 3d visualization window. The probability is shown with a 3d cloud, with higher probability shown as a darker sphere. The simulation uses either simple 3D or Java 3D (if installed) to render the view the probability densities. If Java 3D is not installed, the simulation defaults to simple 3D using Java. The 3-D Hydrogen Atom Probability Densitites model was created using the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) modeling tool. It is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive. Double clicking the ejs_qm_hydrogen3d.jar file will run the program if Java is installed.

This applet simulates various magnetic sources, including a line of current, a square loop, a magnetic sphere and a solenoid. Size, number of particles, and field strength are adjustable. Display options include particles in velocity or force fields, field vectors, field lines and potential vectors. The vectors and lines can be displayed in 3D or on a movable 2D slice. Charge can be reversed. Source code and directions are included.

This simulation shows time-dependent 3D quantum bound state wavefunctions for a harmonic oscillator potential. Position, angular momentum, and energy of the states can all be viewed, with phase shown with color. Eigentstates can be selected using the energy level diagram. Multiple-energy-eigenstate wavefunctions can be created through changes in the amplitude and phase of the basis states using spinors. The quantum numbers of the states are shown, and the states can be rotated.