Peter Bohacek

Peter Bohacek is a high school physics teacher in Mendota Heights MN. With his education as an electrical engineer, Peter worked in industry for 15 years before becoming a physics teacher. An avid photographer and videographer, Peter is pursuing the opportunities of using video in physics instruction. He is compiling a library of Direct Measurement Videos that can be used to teach introductory physics mechanics.

Peter lives in Afton, MN with his wife and three children. He and his family love outdoor sports, like camping in the Boundary Waters and nordic skiing.

Website Contributor

Website Content Contributions

Activities (16), Teaching Method Module (1), Other Contributions (3)

Activities (16)

Measuring velocity of objects using video clips part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Teaching with Data:Examples
Students learn to determine the velocity of moving objects by doing simple analysis of video clips.

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Conservation of energy of while rolling down a hill part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Teaching with Data:Examples
Students analyze video clips of kids rolling down a hill on skates, scooters, and bikes to determine whether mechanical energy is conserved.

Conservation of energy of a rollercoaster using high speed video part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Teaching with Data:Examples
A high speed video clip of a roller coaster is used as an example of conservation of mechanical energy. Student use the video to determine whether mechanical energy is conserved while the roller coaster rolls up, and then back down a hil.

Analysis of simple harmonic oscillator in a single video clip part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Teaching with Data:Examples
One video clip, with embedded graphs, can be used to help students understand the mathematical relationships that describe simple harmonic motion.

A simple motor/generator demonstration for use in interactive lecture part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Teaching with Interactive Demonstrations:Examples
This activity describes a simple clear demonstration of electric generators (Faraday's Law) and electric motors (Lorentz Force). This demonstration can be used as an interactive lecture demonstration.

Contructing a projectile launcher and free falling target part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Teaching with Interactive Demonstrations:Examples
This activity describes the construction and use of a pneumatic cannon and free falling target used to teach the concepts of projectile motion in introductory physics.

An electrostatics puzzler part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Teaching with Interactive Demonstrations:Examples
An interactive lecture demonstration intended to help students use physics reasoning to predict the outcome of a puzzling electrostatics demonstration.

Lab: Horizontally Launched Projectiles (with uncertainty analysis) part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Measurement and Uncertainty:Examples
This is a version of the time-tested lab where students roll a ball off a table top and use kinematics in two dimensions to try to predict where the ball will land. While many versions of this lab have been ...

Introduction to Measurement (advanced high school/intro college level) part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Measurement and Uncertainty:Examples
30-page illustrated guide to fundamentals of measurement. This is intended to be a clear, comprehensive overview of effective measurement technique. Intended for advanced high school or introductory college level ...

Lab: Measuring the Speed of Sound in Air (with uncertainty analysis) part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Measurement and Uncertainty:Examples
Students use a microphone and Vernier LabQuest to record the sound of a finger-snap echo in a 1-2 meter cardboard tube. Students measure the time for the echo to return to the microphone, and measure the length of ...

Activity: Measure Your Reaction Time part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Measurement and Uncertainty:Examples
This is a lab activity that allows students to collect data to practice using effective measurement. While other authors have produced similar labs, this version includes uncertainty analysis consistent with ...

Direct Measurement Video of a Bouncing Ball part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Using Direct Measurement Videos to Teach Physics:Examples
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVujNG3jY9w This is an activity presents an opportunity for students to practice problem solving using a direct measurement video. The video shows an inflatable rubber ball bouncing ...

Direct Measurement Video of a Ball Sliding and Rolling part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Using Direct Measurement Videos to Teach Physics:Examples
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hkfi8QlMkcc This activity is intended to help students understand and apply rotational mechanics. Students will use a video of a billiard ball that is sliding and rolling along a metal ...

Direct Measurement Video of a Toy Car Accelerating part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Using Direct Measurement Videos to Teach Physics:Examples
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6dItT_Wob6k This is a short activity intended to allow students to practice kinematics using a video of a familiar object: a spring-powered toy car. Students measure displacement and ...

Conservation of Linear and Angular Momentum During a Collision part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Using Direct Measurement Videos to Teach Physics:Examples
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QAMidHWf8u0 This activity is intended as an introduction to the concept of the angular momentum of a particle moving in a straight line. Students will use a video of a marble colliding ...

Introduction to Direct Measurement Video: Measure the Velocity of a Roller Coaster part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Using Direct Measurement Videos to Teach Physics:Examples
This activity can be students' first exposure to using Direct Measurement Videos in physics. Students will use a video to make measurements that will allow them to calculate the speed of a roller coaster. ...

Teaching Method Module (1)

Integrating Measurement and Uncertainty into Science Instruction part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Measurement and Uncertainty
"When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre ...

Other Contributions (3)

Measuring the coefficient of friction of a skater on ice part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Teaching with Data:Examples
Students use video analysis of ice skaters gliding across the ice to determine the coefficient of friction between the skates and the ice. Materials include instructions and six videos that can be used for analysis.

Determining Measured Values and Uncertainty part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Measurement and Uncertainty:Examples
Student practice taking measurements with various instruments and learn to determine the uncertainty of their measured value.

Performing Calculations using Measured Values that Include Uncertainty part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Measurement and Uncertainty:Examples
Students measure the density of pennies to determine their composition. Students practice determining measured values that include uncertainty and practice calculations using numbers that include uncertainty.