Regular Physics 100 Labs
The regular lab portion of the physics 100 is intended to give students a more concrete familiarity with the portions of the physics 100 curriculum which are accessible in an introductory level laboratory environment. In the fall semester the basic ideas of Newtonian mechanics and conservation laws are explored through the use of digital data aquisition software and the simple kinematic motion of everyday objects such as balls, springs, and rolling masses. The springs semester deals with the wave properties of matter and light as well as simple circuitry, electricity and magnetism. Lab manuals are printed and distributed at the beginning of each semester and can also be found below in the section entitled "Course Materials."
Physics 100 Open Ended Projects
The open-ended project is an exciting new element of the physics 100 curriculum. We hope that the increased flexibility provided by these labs will help you to engage your creativity and strong intellects in the process of learning physics. The projects will also allow you to focus at the precise depth and range of your own interests. A few comments about what open-ended projects are and are not:
- As the end of each quarter of the school year nears, you will be provided with a list of physics labs from which you can choose the topic of study for your next two lab sections. This project will still be guided, but unlike the standard lab projects you have done at the beginning of the quarter, it will require you to work out some of the experimental and theoretical details on your own. The "open-ended" projects will also allow you to continue to pursue a subject to greater depth after you have mastered the basic concepts of relevance.
- Please keep in mind that two weeks is an extremely short period of time. Although the open-ended project will contribute to the development of skills you will call upon to implement your senior thesis, the open-ended project is not a senior thesis or anything close to it. It is a two-week loosely guided project. You must plan ahead and think small. A well-written lab that thoroughly addresses a small subject is much more impressive than a complex lab that is perfunctory and poorly written.
- The lab ticket for the open-ended projects will be an outline of exactly how you plan to spend each of the two lab periods. The lab ticket for the second week of the project will be a revision of your original outline to meet your further needs after having been through the first lab period.
Course Materials
Write-up Information
Laboratory Schedule
Condensed Manual for the High-Speed Video Camera
Complete Manual for the High-Speed Video Camera
Fall Semester Open-Ended Projects
Spring Semester Open-Ended Projects
Lab Extras
