Exoplanet Science in the Classroom: Learning Activities for an Introductory Physics Course
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Devin Della-Rose [1] ; Randall Carlson [1] ; Kimberly de La Harpe [1] ; Steven Novotny [1] ; Daniel Polsgrove [1]
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[1] United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
Estados Unidos
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- Localización: The Physics Teacher, ISSN 0031-921X, Vol. 56, Nº. 3, 2018, págs. 170-173
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
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
