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Exoplanet Science in the Classroom: Learning Activities for an Introductory Physics Course
- Source :
- The Physics Teacher. 56:170-173
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), 2018.
-
Abstract
- Discovery of planets outside our solar system, known as extra-solar planets or exoplanets for short, has been at the forefront of astronomical research for over 25 years. Reports of new discoveries have almost become routine; however, the excitement surrounding them has not. Amazingly, as groundbreaking as exoplanet science is, the basic physics is quite accessible to first-year physics students, as discussed in previous TPT articles. To further illustrate this point, we developed an iOS application that generates synthetic exoplanet data to provide students and teachers with interactive learning activities. Using introductory physics concepts, we demonstrate how to estimate exoplanet mass, radius, and density from the app output. These calculations form the basis for a diverse range of classroom activities. We conclude with a summary of exoplanet science resources for teachers.
- Subjects :
- Solar System
Physics education
Physics::Physics Education
General Physics and Astronomy
01 natural sciences
Exoplanet
Education
Interactive Learning
Planet
0103 physical sciences
Mathematics education
Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
010306 general physics
Computer aided instruction
010303 astronomy & astrophysics
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 0031921X
- Volume :
- 56
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Physics Teacher
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........c3b442f60b4be4272ca9a11756c6999e
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1119/1.5025299