Graphs are an important component in physics laboratory reports. We have noticed that our students have difficulty selecting the "scale" and the "starting value" for an axis while generating graphs on graph paper. Recommendations concerning convenient scales and starting values are found in textbooks, laboratory manuals, and…

The goal of this paper is to illustrate different ways that cardsorting activities (or "card stacks") can be implemented in the introductory physics classroom, along with various tips and resources for getting started. My first attempt at developing a card stack came about from simply wanting to try out a fun way to change student…

In this age of the microcomputer-based lab (MBL), students are quite accustomed to looking at graphs of position, velocity, and acceleration versus time. A number of textbooks argue convincingly that the slope of the velocity graph gives the acceleration, the area under the velocity graph yields the displacement, and the area under the…

Explores strategies in the situation of a runner trying to evade a tackler on a football field. Enables the student to test intuitive strategies in a familiar situation using simple graphical and numerical methods or direct experimentation. (JRH)

Described is how the crumpling of paper balls exhibits the concept of a topological dimension similar to fractals. The mass of the crumpled paper ball is found to be proportional to its diameter raised to a nonintegral power. (KR)

An exercise which relates particle scattering and the calculation of cross-sections to answer the following question--"Do you get wetter by walking or running through the rain?"--is described. The calculations used to answer the question are provided. (KR)

Described is a situation where students are allowed to enlist the aid of a computer graphing program to produce graphs for their lab reports. (KR)

An activity in which students use a rubber band and flexible straws to pull a dynamics cart so that the cart has a consistent angle and, therefore, a consistent horizontal component of force is described. A copy of the handout for the activity is included. (KR)

Presents four examples of physics problems that can be solved with a graphing calculator. Problems included deal with motion, harmonic oscillations, sound waves, and blackbody radiation. (JRH)

A quantitative application of magnetic braking performed with an air track is described. The experimental measurement of the position of the glider as a function of time is calculated. (KR)