Audio clips to use in introductory physics classrooms

 

Physics professors and teachers, if you would like a compilation CD, you may download zipped files for each of the three CDs I have so far created.  The zipped files contain enough MP3 files to fill a CD.  Just use Roxio or your favorite CD burner to create the CD; the files are numbered, so they should be ordered according to the contents file in each zipped directory.

 

CD #1 (54 Mbytes)

 

CD #2 (54 Mbytes)

 

CD #3 (54 Mbytes)

 

 

These are samples of the audio files you’ll find on these CDs:

 

1)Smoot.mp3:  From Talk of the Nation. An interview with George Smoot, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize.  They talk about the bridge across the Charles River that is measured in Smoots.  (364.4 Smoots + 1 ear long)

 

2) time.mp3: Description of the time standard.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6931507

 

3) Hookes_journal.mp3:  Interview about the discovery of Hooke’s journal from the Royal Society.  Discusses the scientific revolution of the time and Newton and Hooke’s strained relationship.

 

4) Gravity_moon.mp3:  A story by Ira Flatow about the measurement of g with a mirror on the moon.  Supports Newton’s equivalency principle.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4649458

 

5) shower_bernoulli.mp3:  A discussion of why the shower curtain comes in during your shower.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6430581

 

6) utility_pole.mp3: (All Things Considered) A description of what is on a utility pole.  Discussion of electrical lines, transformers, phone lines, etc.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6735420

 

7) Archimede’s Mirror:  A report about students who tried to recreate the story about Archimede’s attempt to destroy the Roman fleet with a converging mirror.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4964987

 

8)  Templeton_townes.mp3:  Interview with Charles Townes about his receipt of the Templeton Prize, for merging of science and religion.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4529310

 

9) Npr_story_nobel_06.mp3:  NPR snippet about the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics.  Brief description of Big Bang and COBE.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6189865

 

10) Supernova.mp3:  Weekend Edition story about the brightest supernova ever observed.  Seen by ROTSE at UT.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10150784

 

11) Fair_use.mp3:  NPR story about the Fair Use Act.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10040628

 

12) James_webb.mp3:  Model of JWST on tour of nation.  Talks about IR telescope technology and goals of JWST

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10116416

 

13)planet.mp3:  Discovery of Earth-like planet in Libra

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9796321

 

14) science.mp3: A book review about a book on scientific literacy (8 minutes)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10015616

 

15) calorimetry.mp3:  How many calories in fruit cake?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6700905

 

16) Emilie.mp3:  story about Emilie du Chatelet and her love affair with Voltaire (7min)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6542620

 

17) Emilie_short.mp3:  a clip from Emilie.mp3 about her duel with someone (1:30)

 

18) bball_launch_angle.mp3:  What is the best launch angle to get in the hoop?  

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9243416

 

19) bball_heat_friction.mp3:  What happens to the basketball as the game goes on? Rise in temperature.  Increased coefficient of friction.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9243416

 

20)  mythbusters.mp3:   Can yodeling cause an avalanche?  Can a singer break a wine glass?(8:20)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10255528

 

21) sand.mp3:  Lots of great discussion: energy, velocity, normal force, phases of matter…sand.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10279172

 

22) Mentos.mp3:  A description of why Mentos in soda explodes. Discussion of the chemistry.  CO2 collects on the surface of the mentos

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5341058

 

23) wintergreen.mp3:  Susan Stanberg and the wintergreen lifesavers.  They emit sparks when you chew.  Piezo-electric effect when you break sugar crystals.

http://www.npr.org/about/specials/sstamberg/wintergreen.html

 

24) snopes.mp3: A clip about debunking urban myths. (4:06)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4819108