Please take the page to read this page through, we'll give you a bit of information on how to navigate your way through our pages, as well as any external software/plugins you require to view our pages. Don't forget, you can check back to this page at any time, if you are having trouble navigating around the site. Of course, if your questions are unanswered here, don't hesitate to mail us.

General Information:

First, a bit of general information about our pages. These pages are based on the NSW board of education syllabus for senior Physics (particularly the Electrodynamics, Mechanical Interactions, and Describing motion topics), and hence it is a very valuable resource for high school students. This is not to say that it won't be just as valuable for anyone, anywhere in the world who has an interest in physics.

Configuration:

You will have noticed that when you first visit our pages, you are presented with configuration options, based on the web browser you are using, as well as the bandwidth of you internet connection.

The full version is for high-bandwidth (28.8 and higher) connections, and the latest browsers (such as Netscape Navigator 3, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3). The full version contains frames, high graphics, Java programs, Java Script, as well as Real Audio, and other forms of media. This is by far the best version of our pages, and we strongly recommend you use it. You can download all the software you need for free off the internet (See below).

The medium version is for those who have access to graphical browsers, but not the latest, or for those whose bandwidth is slightly slower than others. It still contains graphics, although not as many as the full version, but does not use frames, or java (as these require the latest browser), javascript is only used for non-essential functions, and it does not use background images, background sounds, or other multimedia elements which may take up valable bandwidth. If your problem is slower bandwidth, we recommend you turn off auto-loading of images in your browser, and you can then load only the images you need. You still have the option to listen to the Real Audio at your discretion.

The small version of the page is the least enjoyable, but still contains all the valable information you need to learn physics, and is very good for low bandwidth connections, or text-only browsers such as Lynx. The small version doesnt contain any graphics, frames, java, javascript etc, just simple and efficient information. Of course, at times graphics are required for some examples and questions, and in this situation you will be able to click on the graphic and download it to your computer, and then view it with any common graphics application.

Here is a summary of what is required for each version, complete with links to the sites that you can download the software from if applicable. Note: we have purposely limited the amount of external software required so that this site may be viewed by a wide range of people, and with a minimum of fuss.

Navigating:

Ok, after the small introduction to our pages, you will arrive at the main page. From here you have the choice to begin lessons, view the user contributions page, view the help page (which you are reading right now), read about Escopia, and view some links and other related resources from around the internet.

After reading the main screen, you will begin making your way through the site. We recommend you use the menu on the left hand side of the screen, with buttons which will take you to the most commonly used sections of the site.

Clicking on lessons will give you a choice of the three topics this tutorial covers. After reading a breif description, you can make your selectiong by clicking on the name, and you will be taken to the introductory page. From there, you can navigate your way through. (see lessons below).

Clicking on the user contribution button will take you to the user contribution page. This is the most rapidly changing section of our web site, as it grows as more and more users contribute their experiments and ideas. You can also view late breaking information from the Escopia team. Please visit this section, and add your own ideas to this site. You will feel great knowing you are helping with the education of people world wide.

The help button, as you would have realised, brings you to this page. You can use this button to jump back here at any time.

The about escopia button will take you to a page where you can read about the Escopia team. Please visit if you would like to learn more about the people who are bringing you this site.

Finally, the links and resources button will show you some links to other resources around the internet, related to this tutorial.

Completing the Topic:

Upon completion of a topic, you will be presented with a graduation page, signifying that you have finished. Here, you are presented with an experiment suggestion, which you can try out at home or at school, as well as an interactive java game, as your reward. You may play this game for as long as you like, but when you are finished, click on the first button of the button bar, which (as you recall) will take you back to the main page, and from there, you can venture somewhere else in the site.

Well, that's about all the help we can offer you at the moment. We hope we have answered any questions you may have. You will find this site is intuitively easy to use, as it has been designed that way, but if you have any further questions, please, drop us a mail.

You may now want to return to the main screen.