The C21 Project Real World Physics Problems for Undergraduate and High-School Students

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The C21 ProjectReal World Physics Problems for
Undergraduate and High-School Students
Why? Physics is often seen as something that
happens in the lab and as something that is not
relevant in everyday life, especially by
non-physics majors. Examples with strong
real-world connections and interactive teaching
methods have the potential to change students
attitudes towards science. Real-world examples
are also much more motivating for students to
carefully look at. Lack of such resources in
textbooks.
How it works We can ask this How long do you
have to ride your bicycle to burn off a
doughnut? Or As you probably know, cycling uphill
is a lot harder than cycling on a flat terrain.
How much harder? Consider the following
Obviously, bicycling questions are much more
interesting than questions about blocks on
frictionless ramps such as the one below. Our
resources show that we can answer such real-life
question with basic physics and a little bit of
information that is available on web. instead
of asking this A block starts at the bottom
of a frictionless ramp with the initial speed
v15 m/s up the ramp. It slides up the ramp and
then shoots into the air. Eventually the block
lands on a plateau, which is level with the top
of the ramp (see the figure below). The ramp is
L10 meters long and makes an angle ?  30o with
the horizontal. What is the magnitude of the
deceleration of the block on the ramp? What is
the velocity of the block when it leaves the
ramp? At what distance d from the top of the ramp
does the block land (on the plateau)?
What is it? Online teaching materials and
resources for university instructors and high
school teachers. http//c21.phas.ubc.ca All
resources deal with real-world phenomena or
real-world applications.
If high voltage is so dangerous, why transmit
electricity that way?
Does it pay to cover your roof with solar panels
in Vancouver?
Is it working? Data from workshops and teaching
evaluations Teachers find the web resources
useful and would use them in class Students find
the examples interesting and motivating
How much energy does our body use? How do we keep
cool when it is really hot out? Can we justify
eating more when studying?
Can plants be used to fuel my car?
Are cycle commuters, who take an extra shower,
doing more damage to the environment than those
who commute by car?
What compensation for doppler shifts do bats
perform to keep their echoes within their hearing
range?
What examples are shown? Show pictures and hooks.
These can be distributed all over the poster. The
rest of the points is in textboxes (except maybe
example).
How much energy does it take to move a person or
a tonne of freight from A to B?
When does a car have the same fuel efficiency as
a bicycle?
How far away can a cheetah be from a gazelle and
still be guaranteed to catch it?
How much force can the body withstand upon impact?
What physics is covered? The physics is still
the same but presented in different
contexts Conservation of energy, Newtons laws,
heat transfers, energy and work, electricity and
magnetism, kinematics, etc. are applied to
examples of sustainability and the environment,
the human body and animals, earth climate
It takes energy to fly. How much?
Why does your cat have a better chance of
surviving a fall from a large cliff than you do?
How long do you have to ride your bicycle to burn
off a doughnut?
Can wind turbines actually be used to harness a
substantial amount of power?
What resources are available Lecture notes,
multiple-choice question, problem questions,
take-home experiments (all with solutions),
videos.
Why do you feel dizzy if you stand up too quickly?
All bodies emit radiation. So why don't we all
shine in the dark?
What single system could be added to a gasoline
car to improve its city driving fuel economy by
30-40?
People Georg Rieger, Chris Waltham, Andrzej
Kotlicki,  Theresa Liao, Rachel Moll, Shaun
Dychko, Angela Ruthven, Janelle van Dongen, Oren
Rippel, Chenchong (Charles) Zhu, Brittany Tymos,
Claire Wheeler, Mathew (Sandy) Martinuk, Anoushka
Rajan    Acknowledgements This project is
funded by TLEF and SSHRC
How fast does a nerve signal travel?
The bigger the better?
Which planetary characteristics contribute to
producing a mean surface temperature that makes
Earth habitable?