Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

Physics Labs

Late Nite Labs Description / WHF Textbook(s)
Measuring Error
Students will affix a meter stick to a clamp on a vertical stand. The meter stick will be release and the students will “catch” it and mark how far the meter stick has fallen taking careful note to measure correctly. Repeated trials of this action will result in a spread of values for the data that can then be analyzed for error. /

Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

Free Falling Bodies
Students will affix a ball to a clamp on a vertical stand as well as a photogate at a measured distance lower on the stand. The ball will be released from the clamp, fall through the photogate and a velocity will be measured. Repeating this process will allow students to measure and record data that should determine the acceleration on the ball due to gravity. Additional bodies besides the ball will also be available to test. /

Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

2D Kinematics
Analyze and perform calculations with position, velocity and acceleration vectors. Students place projectiles on the sling and fire them towards targets, occasionally maneuvering around barriers. Students will analyze, calculate, and manipulate vectors (shown on screen as arrow overlays / free body diagrams) as relating to position, velocity and acceleration throughout the trajectory by snapping screenshots of the projectiles in flight. /

Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

Newton’s Second Law
Students will attempt to replicate systems (a group of objects) as described in the lab manual by combining gliders with weights attached to strings hanging off pulleys with more weights. Resultant motion will be measured with photogate timers. Repeated measurements will be tabulated and the student will attempt to reconcile their results with Newton’s Second Law. /

Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

Conservation of Energy
Students will place the glider onto the track at various inclined angles. Using the plunger spring to apply consistent force to the glider they will measure the glider velocity as it passes through the Photogate. Repeated measurements over various angles will yield data from which students can calculate the various energies of the glider and determine if the laws of conservation of energy are upheld. /

Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

Conservation of Momentum
Students will set up an air track system with two gliders and run several collisions, measuring velocities of both gliders. Gliders will sometimes be outfitted with velcro to simulate inelastic collisions (stick together after colliding). Students will reconcile measurements to equations of motion as pertaining to momentum. /

Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

Centripetal Force
Students will attach masses to each end of a string and swing them horizontally in a circle. Calculate speed by measuring the time it takes for the stopper to travel a certain number of revolutions and knowing the length of the string. Performing and taking measurements with a variety of weights and lengths will allow for collection of enough data to properly examine the impact mass, velocity, radius, and force has on the system. /

Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

Hooke’s Law
Add weights to springs hanging from scales, measuring the starting and end distances and time elapsed for a large number of oscillations. Repeat these measurements using various weights in order to calculate the unknown spring constant used in the lab. /

Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

Harmonic Waves
Students will place a motorized oscillator on the lab bench with the string drawn out at various lengths. They will then adjust the frequency of the motor and record snapshots, length, and frequency at which they observe various harmonic wave patterns.
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Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

Torque
Students will hang various masses at variable distance from a center fulcrum along scales. Resultant measurements will allow students to derive forces being applied and calculate torque. Additionally students will compare forces applied by various masses attached to step pulleys and calculate torque in a similar manner. /

Freedman/Ruskell/Kesten/Tauck, College Physics

Buoyancy
Students will place various objects into water, record displaced amounts of water, calculate buoyant force acting on various objects from the resultant free body diagrams. /