Physics Laboratory Manual

by Loyd,David

• ISBN13: 9780030245619
• ISBN10: 0030245613
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-07-29
• Publisher: Brooks Cole

Summary

This logically organized manual is intended for use in a two-semester introductory physics course, either calculus- or algebra/trigonometry-based, and may be used in conjunction with any physics text. Each experiment develops the students' intuitive abilities in physics. Most labs (35 out of 45) give students hands-on experience with statistical analysis.

Table of Contents

General Laboratory Information Purpose of lab, significant figures, accuracy and precision, systematic and random errors, mean and standard error, propagation of errors, linear least squares fit, percentage error and percentage difference	1	(18)
For each laboratory listed below the symbol preceding the lab means that lab requires a calculation of the mean and standard deviation of some repeated measurement. The symbol preceding the laboratory means that a linear least squares fit to two variables that are presumed to be linear is required in the laboratory.
1. Measurement of Length Measurement of the dimensions of a laboratory table to illustrate experimental uncertainty, mean and standard error, propagation of errors	19	(10)
2. Measurement of Density Measurement of the density of several metal cylinders, use of vernier calipers, propagation of errors	29	(10)
3. Force Table and Vector Addition of Forces Experimental, graphical, and analytical addition of force vectors	39	(12)
4. Uniformly Accelerated Motion on the Air Track Analysis of displacement versus (time)(2) to determine acceleration, determination of acceleration due to gravity g	51	(10)
5. Uniformly Accelerated Motion on the Air Table Analysis to determine the average velocity, the instantaneous velocity, acceleration, and acceleration due to gravity g	61	(12)
6. Kinematics in Two Dimensions on the Air Table Analysis of x and y motion to obtain acceleration in y direction, motion in x direction essentially at constant velocity	73	(10)
7. Coefficient of Friction Determination of static and kinetic coefficients of friction, independence of the normal force, verification that XXX(s) greater than XXX(k)	83	(12)
8. Newton's Second Law on the Air Table Demonstration that F equal to ma and determination of the frictional force from linear analysis	95	(12)
9. Newton's Second Law on the Atwood Machine Demonstration that F equal to ma and determination of the frictional force from linear analysis	107	(10)
10. Torques and Rotational Equilibrium of a Rigid Body Determination of center of gravity, demonstration of equilibrium conditions, determination of an unknown mass	117	(12)
11. Conservation of Energy on the Air Table Spring constant, spring potential energy, kinetic energy, conservation of total mechanical energy (kinetic + spring potential)	129	(12)
12. Conservation of Spring and Gravitational Potential Energy Determination of spring potential energy, determination of gravitational potential energy, conservation of total mechanical energy (spring potential + gravitational potential)	141	(10)
13. The Ballistic Pendulum and Projectile Motion Conservation of momentum in a collision, conservation of energy after the collision, independent measurement of projectile initial velocity by free fall measurements	151	(12)
14. Conservation of Momentum on the Air Track One-dimensional conservation of momentum in collisions on a linear air track	163	(10)
15. Conservation of Momentum on the Air Table Vector conservation of momentum in two-dimensional collisions on the air table	173	(12)
16. Centripetal Acceleration of an Object in Circular Motion Relationship between the period T, mass M, speed V, and radius R of an object in circular motion at constant speed	185	(10)
17. Moment of Inertia and Rotational Motion Determination of the moment of inertia of a wheel from linear relationship between the applied torque and the resulting angular accleration	195	(12)
18. Archimedes' Principle Determination of specific gravity for objects that sink and float in water, determination of the specific gravity of a liquid	207	(10)
19. The Pendulum-Approximate Simple Harmonic Motion Dependence of the period T on the mass M, length L, and angle 0 of the pendulum, determination of the acceleration due to gravity g	217	(12)
20. Simple Harmonic Motion-Mass on a Spring Determination of the spring constant k directly, indirect determination of k by analysis of the dependence of the period T on the mass M, demonstration that the period is independent of the amplitude	229	(12)
21. Standing Waves on a String Demonstration of the relationship between the string tension T, the wavelength XXX, frequency f, and mass per unit length of the string p	241	(12)
22. Speed of Sound-Resonance Tube Determination of the speed of sound using a tuning fork to produce resonances in a tube closed at one end	253	(12)
23. Specific Heat of Metals Determination of the specific heat of several metals by calorimetry	265	(10)
24. Linear Thermal Expansion Determination of the linear coefficient of thermal expansion for several metals by direct measurement of their expansion when heated	275	(10)
25. The Ideal Gas Law Demonstration of Boyle's law and Charles' law using a homemade apparatus constructed from a plastic syringe	285	(10)
26. Equipotentials and Electric Fields Mapping of equipotentials around charged conducting electrodes painted on resistive paper, construction of electric field lines from the equipotentials, quantitative evaluation of the dependence of the electric field on distance for a line of charge	295	(12)
27. Capacitance Measurement with a Ballistic Galvanometer Ballistic galvanometer calibrated in terms of known capacitors charged to standard voltage, unknown capacitance determined in terms of calibration, series and parallel combinations of of capacitors	307	(12)
28. Measurement of Electrical Resistance and Ohm's Law Demonstration of the relationship between voltage V, current I, and resistance R; dependence of resistance on length and cross sectional area; series and parallel combinations of resistance	319	(12)
29. Wheatstone Bridge Demonstration of bridge principles, determination of unknown resistance, introduction to resistor color code	331	(12)
30. Bridge Measurement of Capacitance Alternating current bridge used to determine unknown capacitance in terms of a known capacitor, series and parallel combination of capacitors	343	(8)
31. Voltmeters and Ammeters Determination of galvanometer characteristics, construction of voltmeter from the galvanometer, comparison of constructed voltmeter and ammeter with standard voltmeter and ammeter	351	(14)
32. Potentiometer and Voltmeter Measurements of the emf of a Dry Cell Principles of the potentiometer, comparison with voltmeter measurements, determination of the internal resistance of a battery	365	(14)
33. The RC Time Constant Determination of RC time constant using a voltmeter as the circuit resistance R, determination of an unknown capacitance, determination of an unknown resistance	379	(12)
34. Kirchhoff's Rules Illustration of Kirchhoff's rules applied to a circuit with three unknown currents and to a circuit with four unknown currents.	391	(12)
35. Magnetic Induction of a Current Carrying Long Straight Wire Determination of the induced emf in a coil as a measure of the B field from an alternating current in a long straight wire, quantitative demonstration that the B field is proportional to 1/r	403	(12)
36. Alternating-Current LR Circuits Determination of the phase angle, inductance L and resistance r of an unknown inductor	415	(10)
37. Alternating Current RC and LCR Circuits Determination of Phase angle in an RC circuit, determination of unknown capacitance, demonstration of phase angle relationships in an LCR circuit	425	(12)
38. Oscilloscope Measurements Introduction to the operation and theory of an oscilloscope	437	(14)
39. Joule Heating of a Resistor Determination of the heat (calories) produced from electrical energy dissipated in a resistor (joules), comparison with expected ratio of 4.184 joules/calorie	451	(10)
40. Reflection and Refraction with the Ray Box Demonstration of law of reflection, Snell's law of refraction, focal properties of reflection and refraction	461	(12)
41. Focal Length of Lenses Determination of converging lens focal lengths directly, focal length of diverging lens by combination with converging lens in close contact	473	(12)
42. Diffraction Grating Measurement of the Wavelength of Light Determination of grating spacing assuming known discrete spectrum wavelengths, determination of characteristic wavelengths for other unknown heated gases, wavelength measurements of colors in a continuous spectrum	485	(14)
43. Bohr Theory of Hydrogen--The Rydberg Constant Comparison of the measured values of wavelengths of the hydrogen spectrum with Bohr theory to determine the Rydberg constant	499	(12)
44. Simulated Radioactive Decay Using Dice "Nuclei" Determination of the number of "nuclei" that have decayed and the number that have not decayed for simulated decay using 20-sided dice "nuclei," determination of the decay constant and half-life	511	(12)
45. Geiger Counter Measurement of the Half-Life of (137)Ba Geiger counter plateau, determination of the half-life from activity versus time measurements	523	(14)
46. Nuclear Counting Statistics Determination of the distribution of a series of repeated counts around the mean count, demonstration that XXX(N) is a measure of the uncertainty in the count N	537	(10)
47. Absorption of Beta and Gamma Rays Comparison of the absorption of beta and gamma radiation by different kinds of materials, determination of the absorption coefficient for gamma rays	547	(12)
Appendix I	559	(2)
Appendix II	561	(1)
Appendix III	562