Physics 310 Classical Mechanics Spring 2000
Guidelines for in-class presentations
With another student, you will be asked to give a 10-15 minute oral presentation
concerning classical mechanics, with up to 5 minutes for questions. The topic is of your
choosing, but it must relate to classical mechanics. The presentation should give you an
opportunity to improve on your speaking skills. The presentations will be scheduled
mostly for Mondays or Wednesdays, beginning the fourth week of class and extending to
the end of the semester. You should have chosen your topic at least a week before your
scheduled presentation. (Choosing a topic earlier than later ensures that no one else will
take your topic before you!) For your presentation, you should also prepare a
handout which outlines the key features (derivations or calculations) of your topic.
Some guidelines:
1) Choose a topic that is narrow enough so that you can present something meaningful in
the time allotted. Discuss just one article, one problem, or one demonstration…
2) Read/think about it enough so you can talk about the main features of the
article/problem/demonstration…Trying to explain something to someone else is a very
good way to force you to understand really the guts of a problem.
3) Decide how to organize the presentation. "Tell us what you're going to tell us, tell us,
tell us what you've told us" is the standard rule of thumb. Make it as clear for us to
follow as you can.
4) Decide how to divide up the presentation. One person introduces the topic; the second
explains. Alternate even further: one introduces, the second discusses certain features,
the first other features, the second conclusions. See what makes the most sense.
5) Decide what types of audio-visual aids might help the presentation as well as prepare
your handout.
6) Practice! Time yourselves. Work out the awkward pauses. Anticipate questions.
Some possible sources for topics:
1) The American Journal of Physics and the Physics Teacher are two good journal
sources. Here are some articles of interest listed below (roughly in the order in which
we'd encounter the relevant ideas in class):
• Robert Weinstock, "Laws of Classical Motion: What's F? What's m? What's a?" Am.
J. Phys. 29, 698 (1961). If you have any questions, you may speak to the author in
person!
• B. Denardo, C. Pemberton, and K. Bhatt, "Raising a Circular Body over a Step," The
Physics Teacher 35, 278 (1997).
• John C. Pratt, "A Circular and Projectile Motion Puzzle: An Amusing and Character-
Building Problem," The Physics Teacher 32, 287 (1994).
• I.H. Redmount and R.H. Price, "The Weight of Time," The Physics Teacher 36, 432
(1998). Some interesting things to think about with an hourglass.
