We have recently developed a Graphs and Tracks model based on an earlier program by David Trowbridge, as shown in Fig. 1. Our model can show position, velocity, acceleration, and energy graphs and can be used for motion-to-graphs exercises. Users set the heights of the track segments, and the model displays the motion of the ball on the track…

In one of the classic free-fall experiments, a small mass is attached to a strip of paper tape and both are allowed to fall through a spark timer, where sparks are generated at regular time intervals. Students analyze marks (dots) left on the tape by the timer, thereby generating distance-versus-time data, which they analyze to extract the…

What is physics without graphs and diagrams? The web is becoming ubiquitous, but how can one expect students to make graphs and diagrams on the web? The solution is to extend functionality through Java applets. Four examples of exercises using the Physics Applets for Drawing (PADs) will illustrate how these can be used for physics instruction to…