Fingerprinting Gravity

Fingerprinting Gravity
English Voice-over

Topic

Physics

Instructors

Bashar Lahlouh
Department of Physics
University of Jordan
Amman, Jordan

Lesson Feedback

Introduction

This very interactive video lesson uses the Simple Pendulum experiment to enable students to answer the fundamental question: What is the value of g in my school and in my home? Students will learn to calculate this value by working in groups to make pendulums of different lengths and by learning to count pendulum oscillations. Dr. Lahlouh also encourages students to contact students in other parts of the country or of the world with the goal of constructing a g-map. The only prerequisite for this lesson is a basic introduction to gravity. Supplies needed for this learning video include a 2-m long piece of light string; a mass (can be any small object e.g. some coins); measuring tape; stopwatch; nail; and a roll of scotch tape. The video lesson will take about one-hour. Some of the activities suggested for students between video segments include class discussions, the building of pendulums, and the working through of equations related to the measured oscillations of the students’ pendulums.

Instructor Biography

Dr. Lahlouh teaches physics for graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Jordan. Physics and science are the passion of his life. He really enjoys science and hopes all his students will enjoy it too.

Additional Online Resources

My Physics Lab: Simple Pendulum
This simulation shows a simple pendulum operating under gravity.