Sensei Physics

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Updated by: MR
On: 2023-12-23 19:29:45
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What is Sensei Physics?

Sensei Software is a division of Broderbund that specializes in high-quality, interactive educational programs. Like their first product, Geometry, Sensei Physics is a capable, intelligent, well-designed educational tool, patterned after high school level textbooks. What Physics on the Macintosh docs that a textbook can’t do is provide animated demonstrations and explanations so that complex, abstract ideas become real and easy to understand.

Physics is not a replacement for a one-year course in physics, but rather a study aid to supplement, augment and amplify such a class. It is a nice blend of instructional material, examples, problems and animated experiments on the topics that you would normally find covered in an introductory physics class.

There are 12 “Chapters”: Vectors; Velocity and Acceleration; Newton's Laws; Motion; Momentum, Work and Energy; Thermodynamics; Electric Charge; Electric Current; Magnetism; Waves; Properties of Light; and The Nature of Light. The chapters do not have to be followed in sequence—you can jump from any place to any other place whenever you like. You can close out the problems and look at the tutorial pages only, or review your knowledge by closing out the tutorial and working through just the problems.

Each “page” in a chapter is one screen full of information. Dog-eared corners show the number of the current page, and you move from place to place by turning the pages at the corner. You can also go directly to a specific topic. The first pages of a chapter introduce the basic concepts that arc covered with clear explanations and diagrams. Many of the diagrams are linked to key phrases in the text so that parts of the diagram are highlighted when you select the phrase. Some pages have background material or additional explanations attached that you can access bv pressing a button labeled NOTE or MORE.

Animated experiments follow the explanations and let you try out the concepts discussed. For instance, a pendulum hangs from a string. If you drag the ball at the end of the pendulum and let go, it starts swinging. Change the length of the pendulum or the weight of the ball to sec how these variables affect the swing. There are 43 animations in all.

When you think you understand a topic, you can attack the problems. Even here the emphasis is on learning, not just testing. If you have forgotten how to work a problem, you can call up a Reference page that goes over the concept again. The program also offers help in the form of a Hint or the Solution. And a small scientific calculator becomes available when you’re on any of the Problems pages.

Sensei Physics is extremely well designed and implemented, but it is even more than a sound, capable teaching tool: it has a sense of humor, which makes it fun. Although the examples and problems are pretty standard, there are places where the programmers have been clever and witty, or sometimes just off the wall. For example, the first animation happens on a page filled with a text explanation of the Laws of Physics. Click in the Chaos button at the bottom of the page and the text dissolves into small bits that move randomly about the screen. Apply a force that sends a heavy ball across the window and watch what happens when it hits the edge. If you have the good sense to look at this program, try some of the animations at different times of day and see what happens.

Wesley, Michael D. (January 1988). Sensei Physics. MacUser. (pg. 90).


Download Sensei Physics for Mac

(286.79 KiB / 293.68 KB)
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Architecture


Motorola 68K



Compatibility notes

Minimum Requirements

  • Macintosh 512K
  • Two 400K or one 800K floppy disk drive

Notes: Hard disk compatible; Not for Macintosh II


Emulating this? It could probably run under: Mini vMac





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