Physics Calculator: Difference between revisions

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The idea of a physics calculator is to allow experimentation when physics equations are introduced.
The idea of a physics calculator is to allow experimentation when physics equations are introduced.


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One idea that is interested to ''me'' at least, is to allow a wide variety of interesting units, with contributed units. Newtons are a unit of force. So is a pound. But a 100HP car is another unit of force. The arm strength of a grown man is a possible unit. A unit of distance might be time to walk. A unit of weight may be a 10 year old boy. These units allow children to express (or read) values in meaningful ways, while also seeing a normalized form.
One idea that is interested to ''me'' at least, is to allow a wide variety of interesting units, with contributed units. Newtons are a unit of force. So is a pound. But a 100HP car is another unit of force. The arm strength of a grown man is a possible unit. A unit of distance might be time to walk. A unit of weight may be a 10 year old boy. These units allow children to express (or read) values in meaningful ways, while also seeing a normalized form.


== Prototype ==
[[Category:Software Ideas]]

This is an HTML/Javascript prototype of a calculator, for the equation F=ma: [http://svn.colorstudy.com/home/ianb/physics-calculator.html physics-calculator.html]

== References ==

Someone put together something similar to this in [http://www.weirdconverter.com/ Weird Converter].

[[Category:Software ideas]]
[[Category:Mathematics]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Physics]]

Latest revision as of 03:34, 26 March 2008

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The idea of a physics calculator is to allow experimentation when physics equations are introduced.

Such a calculator would take inputs in a variety of units, and display the results of the calculation in different units.

One idea that is interested to me at least, is to allow a wide variety of interesting units, with contributed units. Newtons are a unit of force. So is a pound. But a 100HP car is another unit of force. The arm strength of a grown man is a possible unit. A unit of distance might be time to walk. A unit of weight may be a 10 year old boy. These units allow children to express (or read) values in meaningful ways, while also seeing a normalized form.

Prototype

This is an HTML/Javascript prototype of a calculator, for the equation F=ma: physics-calculator.html

References

Someone put together something similar to this in Weird Converter.