CONTENTS

10.3 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

10.4 Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
10.5 Report Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
10.6 APPENDIX: Moment of Inertia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
A. Physical Units 117
B. Using Vernier Graphical Analysis 121
C. Using Microsoft Excel 123
C.1 Creating plots and curve fits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
C.2 Performing Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
D. Using Microsoft Word 127
E. Composing a Report 129
E.1 Title and Partner Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
E.2 Purpose or Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
E.3 Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
E.4 Apparatus and Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
E.5 Data and Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
E.6 Analysis of Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
E.7 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
F. Submitting a Report in Canvas 133

4
Foreward

Welcome to the general physics laboratory! This laboratory experience is designed to guide
your learning of fundamental concepts of experimentation and data collection, delivered
through the medium of hands-on experiments on why and how objects with mass move and
interact with other objects. As a student, you should be aware that you and your colleagues
will have a broad set of backgrounds in math, science, and writing and a similarly broad
set of career trajectories. Even with the diversity of participants in a course such as this,
everyone can share an appreciation of the scientific process. It is our job as instructors (TAs,
faculty, and other assistants) to help facilitate this learning independent of your preparation
level. Some will find this easier than others, but we will have done our job if you, regardless
of background, walk away appreciating a little more deeply what it means for a scientist to
claim that “I know something” based on experiments.
Some passages of text have been emphasized and color coded to make finding them later
more convenient.

Checkpoint
Checkpoints are intended to cause the student to be sure he is understanding and
remembering the material before continuing to waste his time.

Helpful Tip
Helpful tips offer the student an opportunity to learn a shortcut or otherwise to make
better use of his effort.

Historical Aside
A Historical Aside informs the student of some of the history associated with the
discussion topic. History itself is not helpful in performing the experiment or in
understanding the physics; however, it sometimes helps the student understand why
we do things as we do.

5
CONTENTS

WARNING
Warnings are exactly what they seem. Defying warnings can result in some personal
injury (likely not serious), in some disruption of the apparatus (time-consuming to
repair), etc.

General Information
General Information is usually very helpful with respect to understanding the
discussion topic in the broader context of the physical world.

We hope these decorations improve the student’s experience and help him/her to learn
to experiment more effectively.

6
Chapter 1

Introduction to the Laboratory

Physics is an experimental science. As part of a basic education in Physics, students learn

both physical principles and problem solving (130/135 lecture) and concepts of experimen-
tal practice and analysis (136). Physics 136-1 is designed to provide an introduction to
experimental techniques in the laboratory, focused on experiments on forces, masses, and
motion. We will build on algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and world experience to introduce
laws of motion and conservation that seem to permeate the physical world. These laws are
expressed using algebra and trigonometry and we will utilize these equations as examples of
how scientists gather and process data to test an idea’s validity. The process of using a set
of tools to yield data and then of analyzing the data to reach conclusions is the same for
life-sized mechanics as for more abstract subject areas that will follow in later courses.
The primary purpose of the Physics Laboratory is NOT to duplicate the concepts of
lecture, although reinforcement is certainly beneficial and intended. This lab is an indepen-
dent course from lecture covering independent concepts. The topics of the lecture serve as
examples that we will explore in the lab to learn how to trust and to believe in physical
principles. The schedule of topics in each lecture may not correspond directly with the
material in the lab, which will be focused on observing and measuring physical phenomena.
These two components complement each other, but they seldom track each other. Taken
together, the 130/135 and 136 physics courses should provide the knowledge, problem solving
skills, intuition, and practical experience with apparatus and data collection expected of a
first year in college-level physics.

1.1 Objectives of Introductory Physics Laboratories

In this course, students should expect to advance several learning goals that are broadly
relevant in science, technology, and general understanding of human knowledge. These
objectives are outlined by the American Association of Physics Teachers at
www.physics.usu.edu/dennison/3870-3880/References/AAPT%20Lab%20Goals.pdf :
• Develop experimental and analytical skills for both theoretical problems and data.
• Appreciate the “Art of Experimentation” and what is involved in designing and
analyzing a data-driven investigation, including inductive and deductive reasoning.