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!

Basketball: A Physicist Party Trick
http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/baseketball.html
This would be a fun activity for students to perform in a gym or on the blacktop of the playground. It is a demonstration of kinetic energy or the enery of motion. This activity provides instructions for adding together the bounces of two balls to send one ball flying. When a baseball bounces off a basketball instead of the floor, the energy from the deformation of the basketball transfers to the baseball.

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
http://www.needtoknow.nas.edu/
The National Academy of Sciences has launched a new web site that encourages a closer look at the nation’s energy use, based on data from the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council. A finalist for a Webby Award in the category of science, “What You Need to Know About Energy” provides an overview of our current energy system and covers four main topics: energy uses, sources of energy, the cost of energy (in terms of the environment, national security, and sustainability), and energy efficiency.

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 Kids
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/
Meet Energy Ant. He can help students find out what energy is, what the sources of energy are, how to save energy, and much more. They can also find energy calculators and a glossary to help with homework. There is a For Teachers section with age appropriate lesson plans.

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.

Energy Star Kids
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=kids.kids_index
For thousands of years our planet has given us energy, lots of energy! But in the process, we’ve put our planet under stress, and now it needs our help. If we want to keep our planet healthy, we must find better ways of getting and using energy. You can make big changes! There’s tons of stuff we can do everyday to save energy and our planet. Find out what you can do.

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.

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!

Launchball
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/launchpad/launchball/
Students experiment with light, forces and motion, energy transfer, and electricity and magnetism to solve puzzles on Science Museum’s interactive Launchball website. Place special blocks into the puzzle that will cause the ball to go into the box. Test and make changes until you succeed. Then you can make your own levels to play and share.

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 Classroom
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/
This physics resource for high school students consists of 13 sections on 13 separate topics, from "1-D Kinematics" to "Refraction and the Ray Model of Light." Each section contains 2-6 separate lessons; each lesson is divided into a number of sublessons. The lessons are clear and well written, describing not just the concept, but also explaining why each concept is important to understand. Each lesson includes an animation to illustrate the concept and concludes with a quiz to test students’ understanding.

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 in Focus Energy
http://www.learner.org/workshops/energy/workshop3/?pop=yes&pid=1710#
Transfer and Conversion of Energy explores conversion between potential and kinetic energy. Through examples, see how events that involve a small amount of energy can trigger much larger events. A sixty-minute video is included with the teaching unit. Double-click to see in full screen. From Annenberg Media, of the Annenberg Foundation.

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.

Simple Machines
http://www.msichicago.org/fileadmin/Activities/Games/simple_machines/
Students use simple machines to solve problems on the Museum of Science and Industry’s educational website Simple Machines. Help Twitch collect the parts to repair a robot by using 4 different types of simple machines: an inclined plane, lever, wheel and axle, and pulley. Select the equipment that will use the least amount of force to solve each problem. Try again to see if you can use less force.

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