Make Your Computer Your Greatest Ally in Solving Physics Problems 

Physics Academic Software Releases The M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities

October 13, 1995-The M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities software package was created to
help students and instructors use the power of the computer to study
physics without requiring an extensive background in programming.
M.U.P.P.E.T. (which stands for the Maryland University Project in Physics
and Educational Technology) is a set of simple procedures for Turbo Pascal
designed to make it easier to program physics simulations. 

Created by Edward Redish of the University of Maryland, Jack M. Wilson of
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Ian D. Johnston of the University of
Sydney, The M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities easily handles the technical aspects of
programming. It provides simple, clear documentation that allows
non-programmers to produce their own competent and useful programs. The
288-page M.U.P.P.E.T. manual guides you through all the steps necessary to
produce a simulation, emphasizing the correlation between code and output.
In addition to the utilities, the package includes the source code for
sample programs that solve a wide variety of physics problems. These
programs are fully structured and well-commented, and they serve as
examples to illustrate good programming techniques. They can also be used
as is in the physics classroom. 

The M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities will make it possible to initiate student
programming in entry-level classes. It allows instructors to explore
subjects in introductory courses that are traditionally reserved for a
more advanced curriculum. M.U.P.P.E.T. also provides students with a
variety of professional skills early in their studies and gets them
involved in real science by enabling them to design and carry out their
own research projects independently on the computer. 

"We genuinely believe that the computer will soon play a major role in
physics courses in all universities and that it will have an enormous
effect on those courses," says Edward Redish. "We hope that The
M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities will offer a good way to join the trend." 

Educator response to the software's educational utility has been
enthusiastic. "M.U.P.P.E.T. is very helpful for facilitating student
programming exercises and reducing the amount of time required to get
interesting programs up and running," says Randall Jones of Loyola
College. William Wharton of Wheaton College states, "The large variety of
M.U.P.P.E.T. programs and general flexibility of the library routines will
allow its adoption in many different courses and situations." 

Additional information from the authors about The M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities
can be found on the World Wide Web at the following address:
http://physics.umd.edu/ripe/muppet/muppet.html. 

The M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities is published and distributed by Physics Academic
Software, which is a project of the American Institute of Physics in
cooperation with the American Physical Society and the American
Association of Physics Teachers. It is part of a continuing series of
educational software from PAS. 

The M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities operates on a PC computer with a hard drive that
is running Turbo Pascal Version 4 or later. Turbo Pascal is not required
in order to run the executable simulations included in the package. 

The M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities may be purchased from Physics Academic Software
for $34.95 plus $3.50 for shipping and handling for the first package
($12.50 foreign air mail) and $.75 ($4.00 foreign) for each additional
package. Physics Academic Software offers a no-risk guarantee by providing
a full refund for packages returned within 30 days.

Orders and requests for the Physics Academic Software 1995-1996 Catalog of
Programs should be directed to Physics Academic Software, Campus Box 8202,
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202. By telephone,
call (800) 955-8275 or (919) 515-7447; Fax (919) 515-2682; E-mail:
pas@aip.org. You can also order The M.U.P.P.E.T. Utilities from the
Physics Academic Software home page at the following address:
http://www.aip.org/pas/pashome.html. 
 
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