Physics 1AA3 Lab Introduction

Welcome to the Physics 1AA3 lab manual! This manual is designed to help you explore some of the fascinating ideas in modern physics through laboratory experiments. Whether you’re testing the proportions of the human body like Leonardo da Vinci did or investigating the physics of rotational motion, these labs are all about bringing the concepts you learn in lectures to life. We have designed each experiment to be engaging and informative, giving you a chance to see physics in action and understand how it shapes the world around us.

As you work through these experiments, you will have the opportunity to practice important skills like taking accurate measurements, analyzing data, and thinking critically about what your results mean. But more than that, we hope you will discover the thrill of scientific inquiry – where unexpected findings can lead to new questions and deeper understanding. This manual will guide you step by step, offering both the background you need and clear instructions to help you succeed. We are excited for you to dive in, explore, and see the beauty of physics for yourself!

The four labs in this course are:

• The Vitruvian Man
• Moment of Inertia
• Dipole Electric Potential
• Atomic Spectra

Completion of all four labs is mandatory. Before each lab, we encourage you to carefully read through the lab manual chapter for each experiment.

Pre-lab Quizzes

Each lab has a pre-lab quiz on Avenue associated with it. These quizzes are worth 10 % of the final lab grade are accessible under the Assessments > Quizzes tab on Avenue. Each pre-lab is open from the week before each lab begins until the beginning of the final lab section. You are expected to complete the pre-lab corresponding to each experiment before your lab session. Each quiz has been carefully designed to help you understand relevant concepts and equip you with the analytical techniques needed to complete each laboratory experiment.

Lab Session

For each lab, you are expected to work in groups of 4 -5, with the support of some Teaching Assistants who you can ask questions whenever you are unclear about something or would just like to have some engaging discussions.

There will be computers at each work station, where you will record your data in tables and make plots using the Capstone software already installed on the computers. You will work together with your group members when collecting data, brainstorming ideas and even making your plots; however, the lab reports will be submitted individually, with each student expected to answer the questions in their own words.

Each lab session lasts 3 hours and you are expected to take all your data and produce plots within that time limit.

Crowdmark assessments are timed. You will have 8 hours to submit your work from the time you open the assessment. Your submission is not necessarily due at 11:59 p.m.

Reference Material Manual

There is a reference material available on Avenue. The reference material contains important information about the topics in the lab manual and also provides guidance on how to navigate the technical and analytical aspects of the experiments. We strongly recommend reading the entire reference material before you start your first experiment, and also refer to it throughout the semester.