PHYS 1105 - Physics Laboratory I

Course Description

In this five-day lab course, students perform experiments that illustrate the principles learned in PHYS 1103: General Physics I.

Schedule: https://www.tru.ca/distance/courses/summer-science-lab-courses.html

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:

• Apply experimental methodology to investigate physical phenomena.
• Set up and use laboratory equipment to demonstrate certain aspects of mechanical physics.
• Apply the theory of physics to experimental situations.
• Explain differences between observed and expected results in experiments.
• Investigate motion in straight line.
• Investigate the conservation of thermal energy and conservation of momentum.
• Measure resonance and standing waves in a string.
• Use vector addition to add forces vectors.
• Use Hooke’s Law and simple harmonic motion to find the spring constant of a spring.

Course topics

• Lab 1: Measurement Error and Uncertainty
• Lab 2: Graphs and Pendulums
• Lab 3: The Lab Report and Air Track Experiment
• Lab 4: Vector Addition of Forces
• Lab 5: Collisions in Two Dimensions
• Lab 6: Buoyancy and Specific Gravity
• Lab 7: Specific Heat
• Lab 8: Hooke’s Law and Simple Harmonic Motion
• Lab 9: Standing Waves in a String

Required text and materials

Students are responsible for purchasing the required materials on their own:

Any edition of the textbook used in PHYS 1103 will be helpful for reference:

• Serway, R. A., & Vuille, C. (2018). College physics (11th ed., Vol. 1). Cengage Learning.

Other Resources

You need the following for this course:

• You must wear closed-toed shoes. No open-toed shoes or sandals are permitted in the labs for safety reasons.
• You are expected to bring a pencil, pen, and calculator to the lab.
• Microsoft Excel is used in Lab 3. Additional information can be found at Microsoft 365 Information for Students.
• You are expected to supply your own 5:1 sheets of graph paper for each lab that requires it. Quarter-inch squared paper is not acceptable for graphs.
• Many students find that it is very useful to bring their own inexpensive, clear plastic metric ruler. Such a ruler should have the graduations marked on the underside so that there is no parallax.

Assessments

Recommended Requisites

PHYS 1103 or equivalent