This is a collection of information on the birth, life and even death of a black hole. It has simulations that put the user in the middle of the action. The main feature of the site is an interactive simulation of a journey to a black hole.
Type of Material:
Simulation with reference material
Recommended Uses:
Assignment to supplement high school or college entry level astronomy courses, or as a part of a presentation on black holes.
Technical Requirements:
Requires the Adobe Flash Player, and a high speed internet connection is recommended.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Conceptual understanding of the nature of black holes, the processes that form them, and the methods by which they can be detected.
Target Student Population:
Middle and secondary school students as well as lower division college non-science majors
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
None.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The heart of the site is an interactive simulation of a journey to a black hole. It includes a module that allows users to search for black holes and shows the appearance of objects using different wavelengths. Users may then journey either to Cygnus X-1 or the center of the Andromeda galaxy. Users are offered options to choose appropriate speeds at the various stages of the journey and then can view the consequences of their choices. Options are also available for orbiting and falling into black holes. Overall, the content is accurate and very informative.
Concerns:
The journey does not address relativistic effects that will occur at the speeds being used. Although not directly germane to the topic, it is somewhat misleading.
In the section on Do Black Holes Live Forever, it states that we "know" that they evaporate and that Stephen Hawking "proved" this. Instructors should understand that these statements are a bit strong.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This module functions very well as a non-technical introduction to black hole physics. The graphics are very well done (except for the special relativity issues mentioned in the previous section). The animations run smoothly and are ease to use.
Concerns:
The experiment to measure a black hole's mass is a little weak. The user simply sets the mass and then the animation reads it from a graph. This part of the site will probably have less impact on learning.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The site is intuitive and easy to use. Processes are simple and easy to follow and instructions are simple and easy to follow.
Concerns:
None
Creative Commons:
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