An experience model for anyspeed motion

Extreme physics data and simulations (e.g. of high speeds and small sizes), delivered modeling-workshop style with self-discovery rather than rote-learning the goal, can provide explorers of any age with clues to how science adapts to new phenomena. In particular, high speed airtrack simulations offer clues to relativistically informed patterns of thought (e.g. local rather than global time), and data for non-trivial experiments describing motion at any speed. For example, with a compressable spring plus a ``fast'' clock-equipped glider and timer gate-pair, Minkowski's spacetime version of Pythagoras' theorem (the flat-space metric equation) is there to be found. With a second glider, ``anyspeed'' expressions for momentum and kinetic energy emerge experimentally as well.

Modeling motion at any speed

Below are some screenshots of our web-LAB's "fasTrack" unidirectional anyspeed modeler.

Places to read more about the kinds of data it will generate include:

• this exercise page for introductory physics students at UM-StL
;
• our latest draft paper PDF;
• "Tier 1" handout: dialog on differing clocks PNG;
• an earlier class note on the challenge
;
• a previous archived draft
;
• a draft lesson plan
;
• unidirectional constant proper acceleration applet / sample problems; and
• the table of contents to a larger set of notes on map-based motion at any speed.

This exercise might help you answer some of the extreme physics questions about lower lightspeed given on our wuzzler's page:

• What if the speed of light was smaller, e.g. c = 55 miles per hour?
• Would refrigerator magnets hold up more paper, or less?
• Would parachutes still work?
• Who wrote "Mr. Tompkins & his Relativistic Bicycle?"
• Are days likely to be longer or shorter?
• Would speed limits be in distance per unit map, or traveler, time?

More ambitous explorers might even stumble upon Minkowski's space-time version of Pythagoras' theorem, or perhaps the same rose by a different name...

* i.e. outlining specific data sets, followed by graphing, followed by mathematical analysis, that would lead students to a set of common take-home conclusions.

Access to our live simulator in Adobe Atmosphere is available in [PDF form] through Adobe's most recent (v6.0.1+) browser. Those running w98 or later and Internet Explorer can visit it directly [here], or using Adobe's now defunct standalone player: [here]*. Hint: If you first turn on collision and reduce the speed of light to 55[mph], no data analysis is needed to see that something is strange when glider energy is increased. Even more enlightening: Compare equal-energy launches with different values for the speed of light. This is tough to do with the air tracks found in most high school labs!

* Note: If Adobe's new Plug-in does not load after a few minutes, and there is only a blank screen, they suggest downloading the viewpoint/atmosphere minimal installer, running it, and then trying again. Also a version of the lab for pre 8/12/2002 browsers may be found here.

draft PDF

BiBTeX reference:

@article{fasTrack,
author = "P. Fraundorf et al.",
title = "An experience model for anyspeed motion",
eprint = "arXiv:physics/0109030"}

Here's a top-down view of the experiment station, with small and large Magellanic clouds in the background...

Here's a discussion of unidirectional proper acceleration at the blackboard...

Here's closeup of the rigid nano-composite spring which makes such high energy glider launches possible...

It looks like a crowd is starting to gather here, just as the station is about to eclipse our view of Andromeda...

This is a now rather ancient image of fasTrack...

...and here's what the new browser version of fasTrack looks like...

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