Abstract: A tutorial device and method for teaching and learning how to determine a calculated drug dosage and/or unit conversions. The device includes a data entry device for entering data; a device for determining a calculated drug dosage in response to the entered data; and a display device for displaying the calculated drug dosage or unit conversion and for displaying the technique used for calculating the appropriate dosage. The data entry device allows the user to enter a proposed solution. The device would then indicate if the proposed solution is appropriate for determining the calculated drug dosage or unit conversion and supply a hint if the proposed solution is incorrect. The hint being something other than displaying the correct solution or next step.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of teaching mathematical problem solving includes using a series of containers, each consisting of an inherent problem requiring the use of mathematical skills for solution. The series of containers meets all conditions for the teaching of mathematics as recommended by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in their 1989 document "The Standards". The complete solution satisfying "The Standards" for each container ordinarily takes a period of days. A kit consisting of such containers is disclosed.

Abstract: A propeller-driven educational vehicle for teaching science, mathematics, technology, and research methodology. The educational vehicle includes a body, one pair of wheels at the front end of the body and a second pair of wheels at the front end of the body, and a number of interchangeable propellers of different sizes for attachment by means of a propeller shaft to the front end of the body. A rubber band connects the rear end of the body to the propeller shaft. Rotation of the propeller and the propeller shaft in one direction winds and tightens the rubber band, thus storing in the rubber band potential energy which is transformed into kinetic energy and causes the propeller and propeller shaft to rotate in the opposite direction as the rubber band unwinds and loosens, causing the vehicle to move at an acceleration and speed which are directly related to the size of the propeller, and illustrating the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy.

Abstract: The invention comprises an article useful in teaching the core construction of the Yin and Yang symbol, as well as various scientific theories. The invention includes a template mechanism useful in practicing the various methods described in the invention, as well as being useful for practicing the methods taught by the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vacuum teaching device (10) comprising: a housing (12) which comprises a housing top (12A) having a housing top opening (12AA) therein, a housing bottom (12B) and a housing middle (12C) having a housing middle neck piece (12CA) pneumatically sealed thereon. The housing middle neck piece (12CA) has a housing middle neck piece opening (12CAA) therein. A housing top cap (12D) is removably and pneumatically fastenable to the housing top (12A). A balloon (14) is positioned within a housing inside (12E) of the housing (12). The balloon (14) comprises a balloon opening (14A) which is stretched overlapping the housing middle neck piece (12CA) and housing middle neck piece opening (12CAA) forming a pneumatic seal therebetween. When air pressure is reduced within the housing inside (12E) by vacuuming air through the housing top opening (12AA), the balloon (14) automatically inflates.

Abstract: A changeable grid system kit for constructing three-dimensional toy and scale model designs, including a base component fabricated of a tough, resilient material, slots formed in the top face of the base, and slats which are insertable into the slots. The invention is designed to ensure that there is little or no loss in the tight fit between the slats and the base material after repeated insertion and removal of the slats. The base material is selected so as to avoid fracturing or splintering caused by repeated use or incidental contact. One such material is a closed-cell crosslinked polyethylene foam. In one embodiment of the invention, the base component is placed vertically such that the slats extend from the slots to form quasi-horizontal surfaces. In this orientation the present invention may be used as an educational tool to illustrate such physical principles as gravity, friction, and the like.

Abstract: A device comprising several highly elastic objects is presented whose purpose is to demonstrate an unobvious consequence of fundamental laws of physics--the acceleration of an object to high speed by multiple collisions among a series of heavier objects moving at slower speed. The objects, each of different mass, are arrayed in close proximity in order of decreasing mass with their centers lying along a straight line. This arrangement of the assembly of objects is maintained by a constraining element which permits the assembly axis to be oriented in any desired direction and permits the assembly to be moved or manipulated as a unit in any desired way without destroying the arrangement of objects. In the preferred embodiment the elastic objects are polybutadiene balls (12), the constraining element is an interior guide-pin (10) fastened in the largest ball and extending radially therefrom, on which the remaining balls can slide freely because of diametrical holes formed in them.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for demonstrating autorotation in conjunction with superconductivity. First and second discs constructed of superconductive materials are stacked one on top of the other in an insulated container. A disc-shaped permanant magnet is positioned generally in the center of the upper superconductive disc. Liquid nitrogen is poured into the container, and after the temperature of the discs is lowered to a temperature at which they become superconductive, the magnet is levitated by the Meissner effect and begins to rotate due to the stacked configuration of the superconductive discs.

Abstract: A hypersurface orbital model is presented that orbits a ball on a surface called a hypersurface. A stepper motor drive arrangement, with two-degrees of freedom, is used to change the hypersurface viewed by the ball as a function of time. System control is added to ensure that the ball will orbit in the proper orbit. Control consists of a stepper motor, a clock, a solenoid launcher and various logical circuits. Counters keep track of the period so that the exact rotational speed can be referenced to set the ball launcher.

Abstract: A device comprising several highly elastic objects (for example, steel balls (14)) hanging from a support structure (12) is presented whose purpose is to demonstrate an unobvious consequence of fundamental laws of physics - the acceleration of an object to high speed by multiple collisions among a series of heavier objects moving at slower speed. The objects, each of different mass, are arrayed in close proximity in order of decreasing mass with their centers lying along a horizontal straight line. When the heaviest object, hanging at one end of the line, is pulled back a small distance, rising to some small height above its rest position, and released the resulting impact leads to a transfer of energy through the line of objects to the lightest one, at the other end of the line, which is accelerated to high velocity. When appropriately directed, this high velocity can cause the lightest object to rise to a much greater height than that from which the heaviest object was released.

Abstract: A base supports a vertical pivot arm, one end of which supports a pivotal rotation means for a rotation support housing with a plurality of radial connector sockets. One of several pendulum arms can be fitted into each of the radial connector sockets, the pendulum arms supporting a pendulous mass on each pendulum arm. One such pendulum arm is articulated into two portions, each portion with a plurality of additional pendulum arms attached thereto. The apparatus consequently demonstrates the physical principles of not just a simple pendulum, but those of a variety of compound pendulum configurations.

Abstract: Disclosed is a self-reversing pendular-top formed as a symmetrical solid body of hard rigid material such as acrylic, the configuration being such that the center of gravity is oscillated relative to the geometric center of the pendular-top. The center of gravity may be further displaced from the geometric center by increasing the frequency with the symmetrical addition of counterweights at each end of the device. When rotated counter-clockwise on a smooth surface, the pendular-top will eventually stop rotating, and thereafter, without further input of energy will start to rotate in the reverse direction (clockwise). Similarly, when the pendular-top is oscillated end-to-end or side-to-side, the oscillations will eventually be converted, without further input of energy, into a rotational spin about the vertical axis, which is clockwise and counter-clockwise respectively.

Abstract: A chaos waterwheel teaching device is provided for demonstrating and illustrating to students that random appearing phenomena occurring in natural systems such as biological, chemical, physical, and mathematical may actually reflect the action of simple underlying non-random processes or deterministic systems that illustrate basic concepts of dynamics and chaos theory. A dual wheel device is provided in which one wheel is driven by a stream of water and the other wheel acts as a brake, resisting the rotation created by the first wheel by dragging a series of vanes through a water bath. The operation of the device can be varied and controlled by varying one or the other of the parameters, including the water level in the braking compartment to cause different states of operation, namely periodic or chaotic.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved rotational movement training device which includes a mounting board and a plurality of rotation devices which, when mounted on a mounting board, provide a training device which permits a user through experimentation to develop mathematical expressions and mechanical systems from elementary scientific facts and basic mathematics. The rotational devices includes gears or wheels of different diameters, pistons, torque levers, force and load pans, fulcrum-levers and devices to interconnect the wheels and pistons such as levers, belts, and adjustable spacers. The devices may be used in various combinations to develop and demonstrate mechanical movement concepts and expressions.

Abstract: According to principles of the invention, an educational device is provided for investigating and teaching about electromagnetic fields. The device includes a pair of toroid magnets each having a north pole and a south pole. As is known, a toroid magnet is generally doughnut-shaped with a hole in the middle; one side is north, the other south. The toroid magnets are held together by a magnet support member. The magnets are positioned with their holes aligned to form a common passageway. Like magnetic poles face each other so that the magnets of the pair repel each other. An electrically conductive, metallic, L-shaped rod extends through the common passageway formed by both holes of the pair of toroid magnets. A rod support member is coupled to the base of the rod in a manner to permit the rod to pivot about its base.

Abstract: A closed fluid containing device wherein precise and reversible controlled pressure is applied to a contained fluid and to a freely enclosed, variably bouyant, pressure sensitive submersible that transits a vertical travel guide reciprocably. Variance of the controlled applied pressure varies the fluid displacement and bouyancy of the pressure sensitive submersible. Within the limiting factors of displacement of the fluid, specific gravity, density, and vertical location, the submersible will then rise, fall, or remain freely suspended.

Abstract: Demonstration apparatus for showing the process of vapor phase deposition and extractive metallurgy is disclosed wherein a vacuum vessel is provided with an inner vessel containing a resistive heater and source material. A condenser is utilized to promote deposition of material on the inner vessel in a controlled manner. A furnace containing a resistive heater and the source material is supported in the inner vessel.

Abstract: A tactile teaching aid is disclosed in which fixed and variable arrays of elongate members having end face patterns are adapted to be fit together only when the label terms also have a conceptual relationship match, to enable demonstration and reinforcement of the conceptual relationships by manipulation of the arrays.

Abstract: A light weight elongated tubular structure is counter-balanced by a depending weight around a pivot formed by a sharp point in contact with a hard flat horizontal surface, rotating around its pivot point in response to a user's approach to the remote end of the structure.

Abstract: A system for directly displaying steady state waves, such as sound waves, ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, and the like, by instantaneously sampling the amplitude of the waves in a known phase relationship with some other portion of the wave train. The system includes a source of the waves, such as a speaker, and a transducer, such as a microphone, an electrical signal source being coupled to the wave signal source, and the transducer being connected to a sample and hold circuit whose output is applied to a light emitting diode (LED), or other display unit. The transducer is moved towards and away from the wave signal source in the path of the waves eminating from the wave signal source. In the following description the system will be described in conjunction with wound waves traveling in air, eminating from a speaker and transduced by a microphone.