Coming Soon: Position and Velocity Meter
Coming Soon:
Position and Velocity Meter
Updates for Motion Visualizer
If you own an iPhone 12 or 13 Pro/Pro Max, or an iPad Pro 2020/2021, you can look forward to using the Motion Visualizer mode within Physics Toolbox.
This new LiDAR feature will allow you to measure distances up to around 3 meters. Soon we hope to add position-time and velocity-time graphs and a game mode!
Updates for Magna-AR
If you have been making use of the Magna-AR mode or stand-alone app, which plots magnetic field vectors in 3-D space, you might have noted the annoying "offset"—vectors that appear to be consistently set 2-5 cm to the side of the expected location. This consistent error is due to the fact that the magnetometer is located a significant distance away from the center of the screen, where the vectors are visualized.
iPhone users with the most recent versions of these app can now modify the Visual Offset from the Settings menu. This update will come to Android soon!
Educational Applications
Undergraduate Texts in Physics
This new book covers many aspects of data collection with Arduino and smartphones, from dealing with statistics and uncertainties, to addressing how to explore specific topics, from kinematics to waves.
Using a Half-Pendulum to Measure Frequency Change
This article describes how a swinging smartphone producing a constant tone can be analyzed with another smartphone recording changes in frequency to observe the Doppler effect.
A Potentially Thought-Provoking Didactic Experiment Involving Light Reflection in an Apparently Mysterious Case
This Portuguese-language article explores the role of critical angle in situations where objects immersed in water appear to disappear. Smartphones can be used as light meters to assist with this investigation.
Analyzing Particularities of Sensor Datasets for Supporting Data Understanding and Preparation
What are the caveats of using sensor datasets? This article discusses the importance of data cleaning and how to identify potential errors.
"Hands-online" Geophysics Field Camp: A Virtual Experience and New Reality
Educators from Texas describe how they carried out a virtual geophysics field camp, making use of various sensors and at-home experiments, including the use of Physics Toolbox.
In the News
Animal Movement Monitoring with Physics Toolbox
Researchers in France have been using Physics Toolbox to analyze the movement of various animals. A 2019 study about horses recently inspired a 2021 study about pet dogs. Learn more about these French-language studies below!
Motor Behavior in Adults with Autism Spectrum and Neurotypicals
Researchers in Portugal used Physics Toolbox to attempt to measure differences in mobility for individuals with and without autism as they completed a rotation task.
Lessons in the Use of Technology for Science Education during COVID-19
How have teachers and students responded to new science teaching and learning approaches, including the use of smartphones? This article explores the experience at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico.
How Technologies Assisted Science Learning at Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic
"Clearly, smartphones have been the star of DIY [do it yourself] projects in the past 5–10 years" (p. 2).
Tech-Light Feedback System for Cyclists
This article describes how Physics Toolbox was used to develop an audio-based feedback system to minimize danger when cycling through curving, downhill paths.
Have Physics Toolbox Apps been useful to you? We'd love to get your feedback on this quick 5-minute survey.
Have a great story to share about how you are using Physics Toolbox Apps? We'd love to feature you and your ideas in our newsletter or on our website! Drop us a message at any time to share your story.
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