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STEMinAR

AR Application Under Construction: Our goal is to continually expand our AR applications that illustrate concepts in introductory level physics courses. If you'd like to be a part of testing these simulations in the future or if there are any glitches in the simulations, please email Dr. Rosengrant at rosengrant@usf.edu

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Multiple augmented reality (AR) simulations – Newton's Cannon, Thermodynamics, Rotational Motion, Optics, and Force/Motion – are available for open beta testing on Android and Apple devices. In the project STEMinAR application, users can use augmented reality technology to observe concepts and manipulate variables in every simulation so that educators can create engaging activities for lab exercises or demonstrations.

A printable AR Cube template is needed to run the simulations, which educators can freely print for use in the classroom (linked below). Supplemental curricular material is available that follows the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) approach; students make observations about the world around them, which leads to patterns and testable models. 

Link to download AR Cube Template – .docx file

 

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Force Motion AR Simulation

The Force simulation begins with the view of a spaceship; students will choose the initial velocity, size of the force, force delay (how long before the rockets turn on), and force duration in any of the XYZ coordinates. In the simulation, a rocket blast represents force and an arrow represents the direction of motion. Students can view the effects of their inputted variables and come to conclusions about how force affects acceleration, the relationship between the direction of the net force and direction of motion, etc. On the left side, students have access to real-time data and can create graphs of displacement, velocity, or acceleration.

Here is a free lab to get you started. This lab is designed for conceptual physics to help students learn how force is related to acceleration, not necessarily motion.

Here is a tutorial on how to use the app:

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Newton's Cannon AR Simulation

The Newton's Cannon AR simulation captures how objects move in space. Students will see a cannon positioned on top of their selected planet. Depending on their inputted variables (elevation and velocity), students can observe whether the fired cannonball will either strike the ground at some distance, fly off into space, or go into an orbit around earth. Through experimentation, students learn that if they keep firing the cannonball at higher and higher velocity, eventually, the cannonball will be falling as quickly as the surface of Earth is curving away from the cannonball. This classic thought experiment comes from Issac Newton, who published the first explanation of orbital motion in his book Principia Mathematica. Students will enjoy learning about the fascinating concepts of gravity, velocity, and orbits as they explore this Newton's Cannon AR simulation.

Link to download Gravity Lab – .docx file

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Thermodynamics Simulation 

The Thermodynamics simulation begins with users choosing values for Mass, Initial Temperature, and Heat Flow. When the simulate button is pressed, users will see three things depending on the side of the cube they are viewing: a molecular respresentation based on the temperature, a view of what the water will look like depending on the phase, or a graph of thermal energy over time. The simulation allows users to see how this graph can be modified but also shows similar trends based on the input variables. 

Link to download Thermodynamics lab - .docx file

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Rotational Motion

In this simulation, users will initially get to choose from a variety of shapes. Next, they can manipulate the Mass, Radius, and Length. When users scroll down, they can also adjust the size of the force applied as well as the length of time the force is exerted on the object. Once users hit the simulate button, they will see the object and how it rotates around an axis.

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Optics

In the Optics simulation, users will see a laser beam directed towards the cube. Users will be able to adjust the material (value for index of refraction) and the ability to change the angle at which the laser beam enters the cube. Users will see how the laser beam travels through the cube and then what happens if it exits the cube.

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Special thanks to my partners at Kennesaw State University: Rongai Guo, former Assistant Professor in the Department of Software Engineering and Game Development Devan Patel, former student in the Department of Software Engineering and Game Development for the initial simulation development. Jacqueline Kelly Bondell and Jessica Strauss for research and work on the Newton's Cannon. Finally, many thanks to the team at the Advanced Visualization Center at USF for the development of the simulations.