Relativity and Quantum Mechanics: Modern Physics from an Elementary Viewpoint

物理学的入门教学倾向于把相对论和量子力学当作与该领域的其他部分完全脱节的东西来对待。该项目旨在修改传统课程，集中于那些将古典物理学与二十世纪物理学联系起来的基本概念，从而弥合两者之间的差距，消除后者的神秘性，使初学者更容易理解两者。基于认知科学研究的最新成果，该项目将以两种互补的方式使用技术：（1）创建复杂而廉价的实验，能够展示一些相关的物理效应和原理，以及（2）建立强大的基于计算机的环境，学生将在其中设计自己的模拟实验，远远超出实验室可以实现的范围。计算机工具将使学生不仅能够模拟纯粹的经典系统，但通过改变参数，从经典到相对论或量子制度不断通过。因此，学生将能够研究只有在高速或小尺度下才能观察到的效应，并从任何参考系中以多种表示形式显示它们。与高中和本科教师合作，我们将创建课程材料，使我们的软件和实验适用于许多不同层次的物理课程。

Introductory physics teaching has tended to treat relativity theory and quantum mechanics as though they were totally disconnected from the rest of the field. This project seeks to modify the traditional curriculum by concentrating on those fundamental concepts that link classical and twentieth-century physics, thereby bridging the gap between them, demystifying the latter and making both more accessible to the beginning student. Building on recent results from cognitive science research, the project will use technology in two complementary ways: (1) to create sophisticated yet inexpensive experiments capable of demonstrating some of the relevant physical effects and principles, and (2) to build powerful computer-based environments within which students will design their own simulated experiments that go far beyond what can be achieved in the laboratory. The computer tools will enable students not only to model purely classical systems but, by varying parameters, to pass continuously from the classical to the relativistic or quantum regimes. Students will thus be able to investigate effects that are observable only at high speeds or small scales, displaying them in multiple representations from any frame of reference. In collaboration with high school and undergraduate teachers, we will create curriculum materials to make our software and experiments applicable to physics courses at many different levels.