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High School

PocketLab Voyager: Investigating Thermoelectric Generators & The Seebeck Effect

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Submitted by Rich on Thu, 09/21/2017 - 20:07

A thermoelectric generator (TEG) is a device that converts temperature differences directly into electrical energy.  In the past several years, there has been a great deal of research in the use of TEGs to recover electrical energy from waste heat produced in a variety of systems.  As a result of this research, the study of thermoelectric generators in physics and engineering curricula is well worth including in NGSS-based coursework.

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PocketLab Voyager: Investigating Thermoelectric Cooling

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Submitted by Rich on Tue, 09/19/2017 - 19:38

A French watchmaker and physicist, Jean Charles A. Peltier, observed that electric currents produce heating or cooling at the interface between two dissimilar metals.  This is now known as the Peltier effect and is used in numerous cooling applications, including air cooling of small refrigerators, beverage cooling in camping, cooling of electronic components, extraction of water in air by dehumidifiers, and cooling of CCDs in telescopes, spectrometers and cameras.

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PocketLab Voyager: Vibrating Meter Sticks and Music Boxes

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Submitted by Rich on Mon, 09/11/2017 - 17:38

The physics of the sounds produced by music boxes is definitely worth studying in curricula based upon NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards).   The prongs of a metal music box comb and an oscillating meter stick that overhangs a table are both examples of cantilevers--long projecting beams that are supported only at one end.  Other common examples include many suspension bridges, beams that support balconies on high rises, diving boards, airplane wings, and flagpoles mounted to the side of a building.

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Voyager & Ozobot: A Quantitative Experiment on the Doppler Effect

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Submitted by Rich on Mon, 09/04/2017 - 19:10

In this lesson we develop a laboratory experiment in which students quantitatively verify a major theoretical equation for the Doppler Effect when the wave source is at rest with respect to the medium and the observer is moving through the medium.  The waves are simulated waves on an iPad or similar device.  Ozobot keeps Voyager moving at a known speed, either toward or away from the wave source.

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PocketLab Voyager: A Quantitative Study of Torsional Harmonic Oscillators

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Submitted by Rich on Mon, 08/28/2017 - 17:40

PocketLab Voyager is perfect for performing an experiment on torsional harmonic oscillation.  Voyager is taped to a mass hanging from a spring.  The mass is given both an initial vertical translation and a torsional twist and then released.  While simultaneously bobbing up-and-down and twisting back-and-forth, the two motions are recorded by Voyager.  The period of the translational motion is recorded by the acceleration sensor.  The angular velocity sensor concurrently records information for measuring the period of the torsional oscillation. 

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PocketLab Voyager: A Study of Coupled Pendulums

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Submitted by Rich on Tue, 08/22/2017 - 20:26

This lesson deals with what are commonly referred to as coupled pendulums, in which energy is transferred back-and-forth between the pendulums via the coupling.  Pendulums coupled by springs are commonly studied in college physics classes during studies of simple harmonic motion.  However, our lesson makes use of string-coupled pendulums, as they are easier and less expensive to construct.

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PocketLab Voyager: Beat Phenomena with LED's and #50 Lamps

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Submitted by Rich on Fri, 08/18/2017 - 20:29

It is quite well known that when two frequencies of sound are close together, beats are produced and heard.  Demonstrations of this phenomenon are common in acoustical studies in physics classes.  In this lesson we investigate three laboratory techniques for seeing beats instead of hearing them.  These visual beats can be recorded and studied by the use of the PocketLab app and Voyager’s light sensor.  The first technique uses two #50 lamps that are driven at slightly different AC sine wave frequenc

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PocketLab Voyager: Light Intensity of a #50 Lamp vs. a Slow Sine Wave Current

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Submitted by Rich on Mon, 08/14/2017 - 18:32

In this investigation we study a slowly varying sine wave signal produced by a function generator and amplified by a power amplifier to light a small #50 lamp.  We are specifically interested in seeing the relationship between the light intensity of the lamp and the current it is carrying at any given instant of time.  PocketLab Voyager is a perfect laboratory for performing this investigation even though Voyager does not have a current sensor.

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PocketLab Voyager: Moment of Inertia and Conservation of Angular Momentum

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Submitted by Rich on Fri, 08/11/2017 - 21:32

As shown in the image accompanying this lesson, conservation of angular momentum can be investigated using a Lazy Susan (LS), PocketLab, and a compact weight.   Voyager is mounted to the LS.  The LS is given a spin and gradually slows down from friction.   The compact weight is dropped just above the edge of the LS.  The resultant sudden decrease in angular velocity is recorded by Voyager.  The accompanying video shows all of this action.  Taking into account the moment of inertia of the LS, and

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