NUE: Linking Introductory Physics Laboratories with Modern Technology by Restructuring Service Courses Around Investigations at the Nanoscale

该奖项的提案是响应纳米科学与工程教育（NSEE）公告，NSF 03-044，纳米技术本科教育（NUE）而收到的。加州州立理工大学波莫纳分校的研究人员发现，在入门服务课程中，为学生提供一个独特的机会，让他们有机会使用工业级的研究设备，在纳米尺度上阐明基本的物理概念。物理服务课程为来自众多学科的大量学生提供服务，这些学科的专业需要物理。这些服务课程将围绕原子力显微镜设计特定模块，这是一种能够成像原子的显微镜。每个模块将被设计来说明在纳米尺度的物理概念的测量或观察，这将补充学生在宏观尺度上这些概念的调查。应用将跨越科学和工程的所有领域，例子包括：细菌细胞膜上的微观摩擦，以补充现有实验室对倾斜物体宏观摩擦的研究；通过录像带上的磁条展示微观磁性，以补充现有的关于导线电流和螺线管磁场之间磁力的实验室；光面玻璃、毛面玻璃、衍射光栅和蝴蝶翅膀的微观形貌，以补充现有的光反射和干涉实验室；微观电容和静电，以补充现有的实验室绘制宏观电场。一旦这些核心模块被应用到入门课程中，它们将被修改以允许应用到更高级的初级和高级课程以及学生研究项目中。该奖项的资金由MPS理事会的物理部和地球科学理事会的地球科学部提供。

The proposal for this award was received in response to the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education (NSEE) announcement, NSF 03-044, Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE).Investigators at California State Polytechnic University Pomona recognize a unique opportunity to offer students in introductory service courses the chance to use industrial grade research equipment in ways that will elucidate fundamental physics concepts at the nanoscale. Physics service courses serve large numbers of students from a multitude of disciplines that require physics for their major. Specific modules will be designed for these service courses around an atomic force microscope, a microscope capable of imaging atoms. Each module will be designed to illustrate the measurement or observation of a physics concept at the nanoscale that will complement student investigations of these concepts at the macroscale. Applications will span all areas of science and engineering and examples include: microscopic friction on bacteria cell membranes to complement existing labs on macroscopic friction of a mass on an incline; microscopic magnetism exhibited by magnetic stripes on videotape to complement existing labs on magnetic forces between currents in wires and the magnetic field of a solenoid; microscopic topography of smooth glass, rough glass, diffraction gratings and butterfly wings to complement existing labs on reflection and interference of light; microscopic capacitance and electrostatics to complement existing labs on mapping macroscopic electric fields. Once these core modules have been implemented into the introductory courses, they will be revised to allow implementation into more advanced junior and senior level courses and student research projects. Funding for this award is provided by the Division of Physics in the MPS Directorate and the Division of Earth Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences.