[Edu-sig] Oregon Curriculum

Javier Escobar jiescobar@net-uno.net
Mon, 17 Feb 2003 22:13:13 -0400


Hi Terry, thanks for your feedback.  You have a lot of ideas.  I would like
to see how you develop them.  For me, it is necessary to define the physics
course the programing workshop will be related to.  In other words, this
project will be associated with a universitary physics course.  I think
suggestion #1 is a good example in which computer programming is useful to
solve physics problems.  I will have it in mind.

-----Mensaje original-----
De: Terry Hancock [mailto:hancock@anansispaceworks.com]
Enviado el: Miércoles, 12 de Febrero de 2003 05:30 a.m.
Para: Javier Escobar
CC: edu-sig@python.org
Asunto: Re: [Edu-sig] Oregon Curriculum


Hi Javier,
On Tuesday 11 February 2003 06:35 pm, Javier Escobar wrote:
> I would like to receive some comments, ideas, sugestions.
> At this point, I'm just figuring out the most general ideas about the
work,
> and I haven´t started jet using Python.
[...]
> I'm involved in teaching physics.

Well, you understand this is totally self-interested, but I would really
like to see some of the following things (or find them if they already
exist).  I suspect that PyGame would come in handy for doing
them, though there may be other options:

1) 2-D (or projected 3-D) n-body integrator for orbital mechanics
   demos.  Especially a good interface for inputing objects, masses,
   and velocities of test objects.

2) A flat-space demonstrator of some kind -- basically like "Asteroids"
    but a little more straightforward, and possibly 3-D subjective.  A
    docking simulator would fit really well.

3) Something that deals with the launch + staging problem -- with or
   without atmospheric drag considerations, but definitely considering
   ground collision.  Probably a 2-D simulation is best.

4) Ballistic lander sim in 3-D (e.g. maybe building on FlightGear).

5) Use rocket nozzle parameters, fuel+oxy, and other physical
    parameters to compute thrust and specific impulse of an
    engine. That is, a rocket engine design simulation.

These would all figure into a series of space technology classes
we are planning to teach.  Eventually, I'd probably plan to write
them myself, but you did ask for suggestions. ;-)  Obviously, a
really cool program could put all these together in one simulator,
but that sounds pretty complicated to me.  I think a simple sim
for each concept is probably better.

Cheers,
Terry

--
Terry Hancock ( hancock at anansispaceworks.com )
Anansi Spaceworks  http://www.anansispaceworks.com