
Fall Meeting to be Held at the University of Virginia on October
16, 1993.
Agenda:
9:00 - 9:30 Hello's
9:30 - 10:30 VIP Business,Hello from UVa, Election of officers,
Future directions of VIP, Affiliation with VAST, Physics Pavilion
update
10:30 - 11:30 Hand out freebies, demonstrations and lesson plans to
share
Free Macintosh public domain software (bring 1 formatted - 800k
disk)
11:30 - 1:00 Lunch (You are on your own).
1:00 - 3:00 Demonstration share session
In the Demonstration session learn how to turn a $10 stop watch plus
$10 worth of parts into a digital timer that utilizes infrared beam
sensors and/or magnetic sensing switches.
Bring some things to share with others. Bring
lecture ideas, labs, topics, worksheets, tests, unusual assignments.
Share with others the great things you do in class. Check with your
school to see if they will give you recertification credit for
presenting.
Notes:
Bring your favorite physics lesson. Bring 50+ copies to handout.
Bring your favorite demonstration. Bring 50+ copies of a write
up.
There will be a Macintosh diskette with a HyperCard stack featuring
some of the pictures from the Hubble telescope. the pictures are in a
quicktime format and look spectacular.
When you bring your Macintosh disk put some public domain/shareware
software on them if you have any. We are looking to start an archive
on the Public Education Network.
This promises to be a terrific meeting with lots to share and lots to
take home!
SEND IN THE REGISTRATION FORM IN THIS NEWSLETTER.
Did you make to the March meeting?

You missed a good one if you weren't there.
A Few Thanks
Thanks to Dr. B. Deaver and the University of Virginia for sponsoring
the last VIP meeting in March. We also wish to thank them for footing
the bill for these mailings. The Virginia Instructors of Physics
could not operate without their help.
Thanks to Dr. Rao and VCU for hosting the March meeting. Their
kindness and hospitality is greatly appreciated.
Thanks also to Frank Anderson for showing how the PRISM's program
works with his great demonstrations.
THE SUN SHINES ON SCIENCE DAY AT PARAMOUNT'S KINGS DOMINION
by Brion G. Patterson
Chilly sunshine brought large numbers of science students to Science
Day on April 3. About 900 young people packed the Paramount Theater
to enjoy Dr. Rae Carpenter's demonstrations. Approximately 1200
students total attended the various Science Day activities. The Sixth
Annual VIP sponsored Field Day Competition drew probably the largest
number of competitors ever and kept the pavilion crowded most of the
day.
SCHOOL GRAND TOTALS
place school total score
F
irst
L. C. Bird High 594
S
econd
Tunstall High 508
T
hird
Lee High 500
Stafford High 494
Cave Spring Jr. High 444
Penninsula Catholic High 367
Chancellor High 342
Franklin High, WVA 321
Bunn High, NC 289
John F. Pattie Elem 285
Botetourt Intermediate 257
Smithfield Elem. 238
Seneca Ridge Middle 233
St. Mary School 226
Fike High 224
Commonwealth Christian 224
Radford High 160
McLean High 151
Goochland Middle 142
Louisburg High, NC 133
Warren Co Midldle 88
Wicomico Middle 87
Holy Cross 82
Alta Vista High 63
West Point Elem 18
EVENT ONE: PAPER TOWER
place school height (cm)
first Tunstall High 103.8
second Radford High 88.4
third Lee High 83.8
EVENT TWO: ALUMINUM FOIL BARGE
place school pennies
first Lee High 33
second Bunn High, NC 32
second Fike High 32
third John F. Pattie Elem 30
EVENT THREE: CENTER OF MASS
place school length (cm)
first Louisburg High, NC 59.5
second Smithfield Elem. 59.2
third Chancellor High 58.0
EVENT FOUR: FERMI QUESTIONS
place school points
first Chancellor High 8.00
second Stafford High 7.67
third Tunstall High 7.00
third Franklin High, WVA 7.00
EVENT FIVE: RULING PARAMOUNT'S KINGS DOMINION
place school points
first L. C. Bird High 8
first Cave Spring Jr. High 8
second Lee High 6
third Stafford High 3
EVENT SIX: SCAVENGER HUNT
place school points
first L. C. Bird High 11
first Chancellor High 11
second John F. Pattie Elem 9
third Penninsula Catholic High 7
EVENT SEVEN: SODA STRAW LEVER
place school length (cm)
first McLean High 45.0
second Franklin High 44.5
third Tunstall High 27.5
EVENT EIGHT: TABLE TOP CANNON
place school score
first Cave Spring Jr. High 100
second Fike High 94
third Lee High 91
THE SUPER COLLIDER IN BRIEF
Information provided by Southern Methodist University
--The Superconducting Super Collider (SSC), once completed, will be
the largest scientific instrument ever built. It consists of a series
of five accelerators ending in an 87 km underground collider with
two, 20 trillion electron volt, proton beams (20 times the energy of
current facilities).
--SSC goals include determining the mechanism by which particles
acquire mass, exploring the quark structure of protons, searching for
the "dark matter" which is thought to make up 90% or more of our
universe, and seeking phenomena beyond today's "standard model" of
elementary particles.
--SSC cost is estimated at $8 to $10 billion. Texas is expected to
provide about $1 billion, foreign governments $.7 billion, and the
U.S. Government the remainder. Approximately $2 billion will have
been spent by the end of FY93. Construction is proceeding on schedule
and on budget.
--The SSC met a major milestone on August 17,1992 (six weeks ahead of
schedule) when a Congressionally-mandated test of a collider
half-cell was successful. A half-cell consists of five
superconducting bending (dipole) magnets, one (focusing) quadrupole
magnet, and associated support hardware.
--Excavation for about half of the 87-km collider ring tunnel is
already under contract. Tunnel boring began in January 1993; to date,
more than 11 miles (20%) of tunnel have been completed.
--The tunnel for the linear accelerator, the first of the four
boosters, is complete. The LINAC is scheduled to produce beam by the
end of 1994.
--Laboratory staff number slightly more than 2,000 employees
distributed among 12 buildings. About 7000 more are employed by
industrial contractors in 48 states around the country.
--The SSC will use more than 10,000 superconducting magnets.
Successful design and testing began at Fermilab, Lawrence Berkeley
and Brookhaven; the technology has now been transferred to industry
which is dcvelopir,g new infrastructure to mass produce high quality
superconducting magnets. Development of improved superconducting wire
for SSC magnets has lowered the cost of such wire by about a factor
of 10.
--More than 60 Records of Invention have already been reported based
on SSC technical activities with 10 patents issued or under
application, and spin-off/licensing/commercialization opportunities
are being actively pursued.
--Each of the two major detector collaborations (GEM and SDC) is
composed of about 1000 scientists from close to 100 institutions in
about 20 countries. Just about every high energy physics group in the
U.S. is a member of one collaboration or the other.
--Government to government agreements for participation in the SSC
have already been signed by DOE with the Russian Federation and with
the People's Republic of China; negotiations are underway with other
countries. Fifteen interlaboratory agreements have been signed by SSC
with foreign institutions.
DEMO MANUAL
by Fred Hoffman
Dick Minnix and Rae Carpenter have taken matters into their own
hands. They have published their demo notebook themselves with 465
pages, 660 demos, and 710 screened photos. Many of us have been
waiting almost as long as Dick and Rae for this publication. The
quality is great.
To order:
Send a check for $40 per copy to Dick and Rae, Inc., VMI Mallory
Hall, Lexington, VA 24450-0304. (tax, shipping, and handling are
included)
We are going to try and have these available for sale at the
meeting.
ANNOUNCING THE RADON BUSTERS!
by Brion G. Patterson
1) Teachers may sign up for their class to participate in this
project, up to a limit of eight schools. Participation will be first
offered to Virginia schools, and then opened up to a wider area. Most
appropriate: middle schools and high schools. Special note: VA law
requires all public school buildings to be tested for radon by July
1, 1994.
2) Most will use Star School (TERC) electret and cannister equipment
to test for radon. If you are buying equipment new, you will need
several (maybe four) electret-cannister sets, and have or borrow a
"reader". Purchase of an electret and cannister from Rad Elec, Inc.
is $45.
3) We will emphasize the team concepts that are fundamental to the
"quality" revolution which originated in corporations like AT&T,
Zerox, and "Japan, Inc.", and which are now being adopted by
education and government as well as business. Therefore team building
exercises will be the first Radon Busters activity. We will develop
team skills among the eight geographically separate classes. These
are skills' students need to prepare for the world of work. Radon
Busters will communicate via email. Students will become familiar
with this technology, and with disparate geographies, and will find
practical reasons to improve their communication skills
4) Our first activity will be to exchange survey information
describing our schools and locations.
5) Then we will exchange airborne radon measurements. So far as
possible, each member-school of the Radon Busters will take ownership
of one measurement activity. One school, for example, may ask
member-schools to collect radon measurements of basement locations.
Another school may take charge of a project investigating radon
levels in buried structures. Within each school, students will need
to brainstorm ideas for investigation; work with member-school to
obtain data; then analyze, report and share results. Finally, all the
projects will be consolidated into one final Radon Report.
6) Then the eight schools will close the project and say good bye to
team-schools.A closing date will be determined by team discussion,
but it will probably be around the end of December.
Note : I am a teacher at Rappahannock County High School,
Sperryville, VA. Radon Busters is an extension of a project from last
year, which in turn was a revival of the old Star School radon
project. The private firm, Rad Elec, Inc., was contacted to obtain
reduced prices of their products for educational purposes. Feel free
to post questions or comments on the VIP newgroup, or email directly
to Brion Patterson. Sign up now: first come, first served.
Brion Patterson, Rappahannock Co. High School, Sperryville, VA
22740
Contact Brion Patterson--email to bpatters@mwc.vak12ed.edu or US mail
to B. Patterson, Rappahannock CHS, Rt 211, Box 295, Sperryville, VA
22740, faxJ703-987-9331; voice phone 703-987-8575.
SCIENCE DAY AT KING'S DOMINION IS COMING!
by
Brion G. Patterson
VIP is again sponsoring Physics Field Day activities in conjunction
with Science Day at Paramount's Kings Dominion. Kings Dominion
expects to announce the exact date of Science Day by approximately
the middle of September. Brion Patterson is coordinating the Field
Day activities and welcomes your suggestion, by phone, email or snail
mail. (See the article above for Brion's address).
EDITOR
Tony Wayne
PUBLISHED by
Dr. Bascom Deaver, Physics department, Universtiy of
Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22901
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