Teaching resources
Lessons
Most lessons require minimal resources other than the smartphone, and are relevant to introductory physics in high school and college. Each one names the tool it uses, and most link to a worksheet, article, or post.
All lessons
62 lessons Linear Motion · Accelerometer Acceleration Due to Gravity What is the acceleration due TO gravity near the surface of the Earth? Fluids · Barometer Air Pressure in a Balloon What is the relationship between pressure and radius of an inflated rubber balloon? Earth & Space · Light · Light Meter Albedo How does light reflection and absorption influence climate change? Earth & Space · Biology · Sound · Sound Meter Ambient Noise How loud is my environment? Circular Motion · Accelerometer · Roller Coaster Amusement Park Physics Measure g-forces, acceleration, and circular motion on a variety of amusement park rides. Sound · Tone Generator Beats What is the relationship between two frequencies played at once and the observed beat? Chemistry · Light · Light Meter Beer's Law What is the relationship between solute concentration and light absorption? Light · Light Meter Binary Messages with Light How can information be conveyed via digital signals? Circular Motion · Accelerometer Centripetal Acceleration and Tangential Velocity What is the relationship between centripetal acceleration and tangential velocity? Measurement · Earth & Space · Inclinometer · GPS Circumference of the Earth What is the circumference of the Earth? Biology · Light · Color Generator Color by Addition What do projected colors of light look like when mixed? Earth & Space · Light · Color Generator Color by Reflection What do pigmented objects look like under monochromatic lights? Light · Color Generator Color by Subtraction What colors of light get absorbed by various filters? Linear Motion · Sound Meter Describing Acceleration with a Tin Pan What is the relationship between the position of objects and the time they take to fall? Linear Motion · Accelerometer · GPS Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration What is the vertical displacement traveled during an elevator ride? Earth & Space · Magnetism · Magnetometer Earth's Magnetic Field Which way does the earth's magnetic field point at my latitude and longitude? Earth & Space · Light · Light Meter Eclipses, Transits, and Exoplanet Detection How do astronomers detect exoplanets? Electromagnetism · Magnetometer Electromagnetism and Helmholtz Coil What is the relationship between current and magnetic field magnitude in three dimensions? Electromagnetism · Accelerometer · Magnetometer Electromagnetism and the Bio-Savart Law What is the value of permeability OF free space? Electromagnetism · Compass Electromagnetism and the Oersted Effect What is the relationship between current and magnetic field deflection? Earth & Space · Magnetism · Energy · Magna-AR · Accelerometer Energy in Magnetic Fields and Solar Flares Where does energy "go" when magnets and their fields interact? Sound · Tone Generator Forced Resonance of Sound How many harmonics can be created in a straw? Forces · g-Force Meter · Inclinometer Forces on an Inclined Plane What is the relationship between the incline angle and forces on an object placed on an inclined plane? Linear Motion · g-Force Meter G-"Forces" Under what circumstances do g-forces read "0" in all dimensions? Why? Measurement · Periodic Motion · Biology · Accelerometer Gait Patterns What is the relationship between the height and gait frequency for walking humans? Linear Motion · Fluids · Barometer Gas Pressure and Speed in an Elevator What is the speed of an elevator shaft? Sound · Spectrum Analyzer Harmonics What is the relationship frequency and harmonic number? Magnetism · Magnetometer Identifying Permanent Magnets What kinds of common metals can be permanent magnets? Forces · Accelerometer Impulse in Collisions How well do different materials decrease the force OF impact between two objects? Periodic Motion · Accelerometer Inertial Balance What is the relationship between mass and period of an oscillating inertial balance? Sound · Sound Meter · Tone Generator Interference What is the relationship between position between two sound sources and intensity? Intro to Sensors Introduction to Smartphone Sensors What sensors are available in a smartphone, and what do they measure? Intro to Sensors Introduction to Smartphones as a Teaching Tool What are some examples physics topics that can be taught with smartphones? Fluids · Barometer Investigating Elements of Bernoulli's Principle What is the relationship between pressure and depth below the surface of a liquid? Light · Light Meter Light Intensity What is the relationship between the light intensity and distance from a point source of light? Earth & Space · Fluids · Barometer Liquid Pressure and Stevin's Law What is the relationship between pressure and depth below the surface of a liquid? Circular Motion · Accelerometer Locating an Accelerometer with Circular Motion Where is the accelerometer located in my smartphone? Magnetism · Magnetometer Magnetic Field Intensity What is the relationship between the magnetic field strength and the distance from a magnetic "point source"? Magnetism · Magnetometer Magnetic Poles Where are the poles of a bar magnet? A horseshoe magnet? A spherical or irregular magnet? Linear Motion · Barometer Measuring Height and Displacement with Air Pressure What is the relationship between the pressure and height above ground? Earth & Space · Fluids · Barometer Measuring Height and Vertical Speed with Air Pressure What is the relationship between the pressure and height above ground? Measurement · Inclinometer Measuring Heights What is the height of any structure? Linear Motion · Motion Visualizer Motion Mapping with Your iPhone How can motion be represented on position vs. time graphs? Sound · Tone Detector Natural Resonance of Sound What is the relationship between resonant frequency of a bottle and the length of the resonating air column? (or the properties of a resonating rod?) Sound · Tone Detector · Spectrum Analyzer Natural Scale What is the relationship frequency and note number in the natural scale? Forces · Accelerometer Newton's Laws with an Atwood's Machine What is the relationship between mass, net force, and acceleration for an object? Forces · Accelerometer Newton's Laws with an Elevator Ride How does the normal force on my body change during an elevator ride? Biology · Sound · Sound Meter Noise Insulators What types of materials block out sound waves? Periodic Motion · Proximeter Pendula and Periods of Oscillation What is the relationship between length, mass, and period of a simple pendulum? Earth & Space · Magnetism · Magna-AR · Accelerometer Planetary Magnetism What do magnetic fields look like around planets? Light · Light Meter · Inclinometer Polarized Light and Malus' Law What is the relationship between light intensity and angle for polarized light observed through a polarizer? Periodic Motion · Energy · Circular Motion · Accelerometer Potential and Kinetic Energy of a Pendulum What is the relationship between potential energy and kinetic energy of a simple pendulum? Measurement · Ruler Precision and Accuracy What is the precision of our measurement tools? Earth & Space · Light · Light Meter Seasons and Flux What causes the seasons? Measurement · Earth & Space · Accelerometer Seismic Vibrations What is the relationship between seismic vibration strength and distance from the "epicenter" of the shake? Chemistry · Light · Color Detector Solute Concentration and Color Intensity What is the relationship between solute concentration and color? Sound · Sound Meter · Tone Generator Sound Intensity What is the relationship between the sound intensity and distance from a point source of sound? Periodic Motion · Accelerometer Spring Systems What is the relationship between effective spring constant and spring systems (series/parallel)? Periodic Motion · Accelerometer Springs and Period of Oscillation What is the relationship between mass and period of an oscillating spring? Sound · Tone Generator Surface Waves and Couder Spheres What do physical waves look like? Biology · Sound · Oscilloscope Waveforms Produced by Sound What kind of waveforms are representative of high/low pitch and high/low volume? Sound · Tone Generator · Oscilloscope What is the speed of sound in air? Speed of Sound in Air