Physics Sites

Aeronautics Interactive Textbook for Kids
http://wings.avkids.com/
This interactive textbook contains lots of information about air, space, and flight. It includes Principles of Aeronautics, Lesson Plans, Curriculum Bridges, Aeronautics Sign Language Dictionary, Careers, and more.

American Physical Society: A Century of Physics
http://timeline.aps.org/APS/

Amusement Park Physics
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/  
Amusement park rides use physical laws to simulate danger. How does physics affect amusement park ride design? In this exhibit, you'll have a chance to find out by designing your own roller coaster. You can also experiment with bumper car collisions. Check the physics glossary to find terms used in this exhibit. Copyright Annenberg/CPB (Center for Public Broadcasting). Includes history of coasters, related links, info on carousels, concepts of free fall and pendulum, as well as safety factors.

ASPIRE (University of Utah)
http://sunshine.chpc.utah.edu/  
Interactive lessons on the galaxy, Force and Motion, relating volume, temperature, and pressure, cosmic rays, Kinetic Energy, Lunar Phases (also in Spanish), Machines, Momentum, the atmosphere, refraction, scientific method, scientific notation, seasons, seismic waves, stars, tides, and waves.

Atoms Family (Miami Museum of Science)
http://www.miamisci.org/af/sln/  
The Atoms Family exhibit is currently on display at The Miami Museum of Science. This resource contains lessons and activities relating to different forms of energy. Each is presented by a famous gothic horror character. The Mummy's Tomb: Learn about energy conservation, kinetic, and potential energy. Phantom's Portrait Parlor: principles of atoms and matter. Dracula's Library: properties of light, waves, and particles. Wolf Man's Ghostly Graveyard: fuel conservation and energy transfer. Frankenstein's Lightning Laboratory: different forms of electricity and electrical safety. Something for all grades, K-12!

Blobz Guide to Electric Circuits
http://www.andythelwell.com/blobz/
Designed for elementary education, this is an interactive (Flash) colorful website with activities, games and quizzes to help children aged 8 to 11 years learn the basics of electric circuitry. The site is visually appealing and encourages children to pursue the various topics on electricity. Sound clips also help to engage students in learning.

Building BIG
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/
Like the name suggests, Building BIG explores the construction of large things, such as bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams and tunnels. The site features a well-developed educator section, complete with activities of various lengths. Of particular interest are the interactive labs that explore various issues in physical science. Numerous other resources, such as "The Challenges," a searchable index to big structures, and a set of resources for educators round out the site.

Edheads - Simple Machines Activities
http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/  
Edheads want to create innovative, interactive experiences that are engaging and promote critical thinking skills. They do this by designing applications that make hard-to-teach concepts understandable using the power and interactivity of the Internet. All the activities at the Edheads site will have connections to National and State standards in their teacher sections. Right now, it consists of "Simple Machines" which promotes exploring and identifying over 50 different machines, from the super simple to the hideously hard!

Einstein, Image and Impact
http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/
You don't have to be 'an Einstein' to appreciate this major American Institute of Physics exhibition about the legendary genius. The nine sections of this real treasure trove provide in-depth information on aspects of Einstein's work and life.

Energy Hog
http://www.energyhog.org/childrens.htm
Learn how your family can conserve energy, then beat these five online games to become an official Energy Hog Buster! Download a scavenger hunt to find the energy hogs hiding in your own home.

Energy Quest Room
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/
This is a great site for students to explore to learn about energy. They can mouse over and click on the pictures on the main page to go to the different sections of the site. Sections include Movieroom, Time Machine, Art Gallery, Games, Solar Facts, and many more.

Engineer Your Life
http://www.engineeryourlife.org/
Research indicates that low enrollment rates of young women choosing engineering as their major have led to dwindling numbers of women entering the profession, suggesting that high school girls don't perceive engineering as relevant to their educational or professional goals. Now, a new national campaign--called "Engineer Your Life"--intends to change that. Spearheaded by members of the engineering community and Boston-based public television station WGBH, the program is built around three key messages--creativity has its rewards, make a world of difference, and explore the possibilities--that aim to change the perceptions high school girls have about engineering.

Fear of Physics
http://www.fearofphysics.com
As the creators of this website say "We created this site to be a friendly, non-technical place for you to come and 'play' with the laws of physics for a while." For Elementary School teachers, this gives you ways to better explain the physics of the world around us. Middle School and High school students can try the different simulations, including Sound, Collisions, Making your Jump Shot, and Zero G. Illustrations will appeal to students as something they could accomplish, and the explanations let everyone gain a better understanding of physics.

Football Physics
http://footballphysics.utk.edu/
Physics is certainly phun, but you can make it even more relevant to your football loving students with these lovely instructional videos from the University of Tennessee's Physics Department. The pass, punt and kick are all deconstructed to demonstrate the effects of wind, force and gravity on the pigskin. This is an amusing and practical site that will appeal to sports-lovers, as well as physics teachers.

From Apples to Orbits: The Gravity Story
http://www.thinkquest.org/library/websitena.html?27585
Physicists include gravity within the group of forces they call the four fundamental interactions which also include electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force and the weak nuclear force. This ThinkQuest site explores the mysteries and the history of gravity.

GCSE Physics Tutorials
http://www.gcse.com/
GCSE Help is a support site for physics at GCSE-level, hosting extensive tutorials on the subject (GCSE is the UK's national examination at 16). But the site is not just for British students. The tutorials are useful to all high school science teachers.

How Far Does Light Go? Debate
http://kie.berkeley.edu/KIE/web/hf.html
"How Far Does Light Go?" is a debate project in which students examine the scientific properties of light. The culminating activity is an informal classroom debate where groups present their arguments about how far light goes and respond to questions from other students.

I Want to Fly!
http://www.jsf.or.jp/education/sora/
Toby the wizard wants to fly. Learn how three forces can help him accomplish this goal. Real world information and video can be found on this site, helping to further explain the properties of flight. Choose Start in the English section to begin.

Kids Saving Energy
http://www.eere.energy.gov/kids/
A fun, animated site with lots of interactive activities on renewable energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, wind power, energy efficiency ... and more!

Odd Machine
http://www.edheads.org/activities/odd_machine/
Here is a fun way to learn about forces and simple machines. In this animated interactive activity, students predict what will happen next based on what they have seen and what they can deduce from the information given. Excellent graphics help show how simple machines work.

Physics Central
http://www.physicscentral.com/
With different types of resources available, this webste from the American Physical Society covers a variety of needs of physics teachers at all levels. For high school and college students, the features from Physics in Action and People in Physics let students see how physics applies to the "real world." If you're teaching younger students, look at the Physics Links, with links to outside resources designated beginner, general (for students in high school physics), and advanced. Check out the Interactive section for ideas for all classrooms. Physics history resources are also linked.

Physics Classroom
http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/Class/BBoard.html

Physics Flash Animations
http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/Harrison/Flash/  
How does one exactly illustrate the principle of chaos? David M. Harrison of the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto, created this site for budding physicists and other interested parties. The site contains Flash animations that illustrate principles in such categories as optics, sound waves, vectors, and relativity.

Physics of Sound Module: How Far Away is it?
http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/PhysicsofSound/index.html
Compare the speed of sound as it travels through water and air. This simulation allows you to create your own lightning and calculate the speed of the thunder that follows.

Physics.org
http://www.physics.org/
This is truly a fantastic site and a must see for anyone looking to understand the physics that surround us every day. Authors offer a fun, interactive site that is conducive to classroom use.

Physics Simulations
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/web-pages/simulations-base.html
These interactive simulations provide an excellent framework for understanding various different physics topics, including motion, heat, sound, light, electricity, energy, and quantum phenomena. They're part of the Physics Education Technology project at the University of Colorado.

Physics Zone
http://www.sciencejoywagon.com/physicszone/
For those that get it when they see a simulation, or when they are able to play a tutorial over and over, this site will be a valuable aid. Lessons, review materials, and solutions to workbooks created by this company. But, this website is open to all, so take advantage of the materials online.

Planet Impact
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/impact/home.html
This online exploration makes otherwise dry physics come colorfully and dramatically alive. It investigates how gravitational forces of larger bodies can affect the path of a smaller body. In this interactive activity you can use changing speed, mass and angle to crash your own launched comet into an Asteroid, Jupiter, or planet Earth.

Power Play: An Activity About Capturing Power
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/powerplay.html
How can you wind walk a dog? How can a bicycle cut a log? These experiments can be conducted here by placing the correct parts between the source of power and the desired result.

Robot Constructor
http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/R/robots/constructor.html
Construct a virtual robot and use it to collect golden cubes scattered around a variety of hostile zones. Each zone requires a robot with different skills, so choose its power supply, sensors, material and mobile abilities carefully.

Robotics
http://www.thetech.org/robotics/
Robotics was designed to introduce the science behind the design and operation of robots. The exhibit has specific areas that compare how human and robotic systems sense, think and act:

Science Optics and You
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/index.html
Science, Optics and You is a science curriculum package being developed for teachers, students, and parents. These activities are designed to promote the asking and answering of questions related to light, color, and optics. The Power of Ten activity allows students to soar through space from the Milky Way to a single proton in order of magnitudes of ten.

Zona Land
http://id.mind.net/~zona/