VIRTUAL TRAINING OF STUDENTS FOR LABORATORY WORK

Marcela NICULAE1,2
1

Ion Barbu Theoretical High School, Bucharest, Romania, niculae.marcela@gmail.com

C.M. NICULAE, E. BARNA

2

University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Bucharest, PO Box MG 11, 077125 Romania-Magurele, Romania cniculae@gmail.com

Abstract: In this paper we present simulations of simple physical systems made entirely in JavaScript, computer simulation taking place in a webpage. The simulations were designed as a tool helping to prepare students for real experiments, which they will perform later in the laboratory. Such simulations are extremely useful in several cases of which are: a) experimental arrangement that we will meet students in the lab is complex and requires training in advance, b) although simple, the real experiment has some theoretical subtleties that students must understand them very well before the actual conduct of laboratory work, c) the cost of the real experiment is very high for students training to be done in real laboratory conditions. Keywords: Teaching physics, sofware for education, JavaScript.

I.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this research was to build a mini web site for students preparing for physics. Web site is targeted to help students in two major ways: a. to understand some laboratory work, which have complex informational content; b. solve more difficult problems. Recent research in the field [1] has shown that the use of simulations followed by experimental work stimulated the development of scientific thinking rather than traditional educational methods. In this paper we present two applications for laboratory training: 1. Study of elastic force. 2. Vertical Pendulum spring. We chose to use JavaScript for the following reasons: JavaScript is freely available in all major web browsers; to illustrate the power of this language; following the need to persuade about the necessity of introducing the teaching JavaScript, as early as possible in the curriculum for middle school. The last goal in the above list is part of the oldest preoccupations of the authors in this direction [2].

II.

STUDY OF ELASTIC FORCE

This software is aimed at students of grades sixth and seventh, and it is used in the chapter on forces, particularly the spring force. Here students learn to correctly measure the elongation of the spring, calculate the weight that caused each elongation, and determines the spring constant. They also understand that the graphic representation of a physical quantity that vary directly proportional with another physical quantity is always a straight line. The purpose of this exercise is that students learn that in order to determine experimentally whether two physical quantities are directly proportional, one performs several measurements and plot the resulting data in a Cartesian coordinate system. The web page designed for the study of elastic force is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Web page used to study the elastic force In this virtual experiment students can interact with the following items: a. an elastic spring suspended from a support; b. masses of different weights; c. a scale rule; d. a simple plotting tool for data representation in a Cartesian coordinate system. The resort is provided at the bottom with a thin disk, strongly magnetized. At this end, ferromagnetic objects of known mass can be attached. Both the spring and the thin disk have zero masses in this model. The gravity force acts vertically downward on each object. The masses are no explicitly marked on the objects image. Instead, when the mouse pointer is over some object, the value of its mass appears in a small window (we use the html title attribute of an image tag). All masses are given in grams. Similarly, when the mouse pointer is over the spring, the spring constant value is shown (80N/m). To facilitate reading of elongation, the resort is provided at the lower end with an arrowshaped pointer, the peak of this indicator being very close to measuring ruler. Ruler is graduated in millimetres and has a length of 30 cm. The ruler is positioned so that when there is no mass hanging on the spring, the pointer indicates an elongation of zero millimetres. Also, to simplify the calculations the gravitational acceleration was chosen of 10m/s2. Basic functions provided by the software:

1. Adding a mass. A mass, of known weight, can be attached at the bottom of the pile (or directly to the thin disk) of already suspended masses. Using the mouse pointer, a mass can be dragged near the bottom of the pile. In this proximity a magnetic type o interaction appears between the new mass and the last mass from the pile. At the end of this interaction the new mass remains attached at the bottom of the stack. No oscillation appears and the pile of masses goes downward to the new equilibrium point of the system. 2. Removing a mass. To remove a mass from the stack of masses the students need to drag the last mass in the pile perpendicular to the gravity force. As for the above action, no oscillation appears and the pile of masses goes upward to the new equilibrium point of the system. 3. Adding a point to the scattered plot. At this stage students have read a new position of equilibrium and calculate the elongation. Knowing the total mass of the objects in the pile and the gravitational acceleration, the student can calculate the total weight G in newtons. The numbers expressing the elongation (in millimetres) and the total weight G (in newtons) are then added in text boxes Elongation and Weight (Alungire and Greutate, in Romanian). Then the student presses the button Add point on the chart (in Romanian). At this point, a solid circle will appear on the chart. 4. Removing the last added point. Sometimes students need to remove the last point added on the chart. The software provides a button for this function: Remove the last point (in Romanian). 5. Clear chart. To start another training cycle students need to remove all points added in the previous virtual experiment. For this function software provided a button Clear chart (in Romanian). 6. Teachers hidden function. In order that the teacher quickly verifies that the last point was correct added by the student, software provides a hidden function (i.e. known only by teacher). When teacher perform a double click on the brown wood image (the support for weights) the correct point representing the current state of equilibrium will appear on the chart. Possible errors in reading the elongation (or calculation of weight) are seen quickly by observing the deviation from the straight line graph. Deliberately, the units on the coordinate axes are not specified, leaving to students the task to discover them. It should be noted that two different textures are used for the images of masses, so that students are warned that these objects are made of different materials, and probable having different density. After getting the correct graph, which should be a straight line passing through the origin of the axes, students must use it to determine the spring constant. The teacher should not tell students the value of this constant until the students do not find it through their own efforts. After using this simulation, students proceed to the realization of the real experiment. They will carry, on graph paper, the dependence of elastic spring elongation versus the deforming force (the total weight).

III.

VERTICAL SPRING PENDULUM

This application can be used in Chapter oscillations, at section "Damped oscillations" subject which is studied in 11th grade, the theoretical branch of study, mathematics and computer science specialization (in accordance with the current physics curriculum in Romania). The purpose of this software (see Figure 2) is that students learn the main characteristics of damped oscillations. In this virtual experiment students can interact with the following items: a. an elastic spring suspended from a support; b. masses of different weights; c. a ruler;

d. needle-shaped sliding marker; e. a hand image; f. a graph paper; g. a menu from which various parameter can be specified. The resort is provided at the bottom with a thin disk, strongly magnetized. At this end, ferromagnetic objects of known mass can be attached. Both the spring and the thin disk have zero masses in this model. The gravity force acts vertically downward on each object. The hand image is used to achieve the function "Simulation of the static equilibrium". Contrarily to the previous software, in this case the interaction with this system is very rich. Almost all objects can be moved. Beside the weights, student can also move the ruler, the hand image, the marker, and the graph paper.

Figure 2. Typical result of simulations using the software application. The encircled numbers represent: 1) the elastic spring, 2) a masses of 300 g, 3) the ruler, 4) needle-shaped sliding marker, 5) a hand tool, 6) the graph paper, 7), 8) and 9) the three panels of the menu. Students can trigger various initial conditions to the pendulum, using both statically and dynamically methods. From the student point of view, the most entertaining is, of course, the last one, in which the software records the speed of the pointer mouse. In this case the student can move the attached masses with various velocities. The value of the velocity recorded just before the release of the masses is used as the initial velocity of the pendulum (the damped oscillator). On the other hand, the case of static generation of the initial conditions is more useful in studying the details of this movement. A menu with three panels was special designed for this purpose. Figure 2 shows a typical result of simulations using the software application. The three menu panels (Fig. 2) allows the user to change: a) the duration of simulation, b) the parameters of damped motion (gravitational acceleration, resort constant, initial length, the damping coefficient, etc.), and c) the initial conditions for motion (initial elongation and initial velocity). In addition to these, the software allows the user access to data recorded during the simulation (the textarea placed in the bottom right panel, Figure 2). Besides, the user can stop at any time the simulation. Basic functions provided by the software: 1. Adding a mass. A mass, of known weight, can be attached at the bottom of the pile (or directly to the thin disk) of already suspended masses. Using the mouse pointer, a mass

can be dragged near the bottom of the pile. In this proximity a magnetic type o interaction appears between the new mass and the last mass from the pile. At the end of this interaction the new mass remains attached at the bottom of the stack. Unlike previous software application here, as soon as the left mouse button is released, the system begins to oscillate. Duration of simulation can be chosen in advance by entering the desired duration in the text box on the front panel numbered 7 in Figure 2. 2. Removing a mass. To remove a mass from the stack of masses the students need to drag the last mass in the pile perpendicular to the gravity force. Immediately after a mass is removed, the system begins to oscillate in accordance with the new initial conditions. 3. Stopping oscillation. Sometimes a simulation process must be stopped. This can be done by clicking on the "Stop Vibration" button. The oscillation stops immediately and the system goes to the equilibrium point. 4. Simulation of a static equilibrium. In this case the hand tool should be used. The hand image is dragged under the pile of masses hanged by the string. In this proximity a magnetic type of interaction occurs between the hand image and the last mass in the stack. The hand image becomes attaches to the stack. Immediately after attaching of the hand image to the stack of masses three arrows appear (see Figure 3). The green arrow is the elastic force in the spring, the brown one represents the total weight of the masses in stack, and the blue one (starting from the hand palm) denotes the external force needed to keep the system in equilibrium at that position. In this representation, the brown arrow is, in fact, the total weight of the masses acting upon the thin disk.

Figure 3. Simulation of a static equilibrium. Modifying the "hand" position, the user can change the vertical position of the stack. The green, brown, and blue arrows represent the elastic force in the spring, the total weight of the masses in stack, and the external force, respectively.

5. Measuring lengths. Since the user can move both as ruler and markers, he can use these tools to make measurements of length in the vertical direction. 3.1 Example of homework assignment As a brief example of using this software, let's consider the homework assignment: For three different masses of the pendulum, the student must find, by successive tests, the damping coefficient for which he/she appreciated that the swing goes faster. Next, the student is required to find the value of the damping coefficient for which the pendulum returns to equilibrium as quickly as possible without oscillating. Note that the critical damping coefficient is automatically recalculated every time the pendulum mass change. We believe that this way of knowledge transfer is done optimally. The above application allows the student preparing for a real laboratory experiment, in which data collection is done automatically. This is the current trend in global science education. The student is initially trained on a simulator of the real experiment, then he will make (and understand) the real experiment more easily.

References
[1] [2] EACEA, Science Teaching in Schools in Europe Policies and Research, Imprimerie Bietlot, Gilly, Belgium, 2008 (http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/eurydice/ressources/eurydice/pdf/081EN/081EN_012_ACK.pdf) M. Niculae and C.M. Niculae, Scilab and JavaScript as Free and Simple Tools for Physics Teachers, Annual Scientific Conference, Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, Bucharest-Magurele, June 05, 2009.