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A Semester Of Physics Laboratories By A Variety Of Physicists, Robert G. Fuller

ADAPT Lessons: Physics

The ADAPT Program for college freshmen was offered at the University of Nebraska Lincoln from 1975 to 1997. The program always included two semesters of three credit hours of physics. The fall semester of laboratories is given in this pdf file. The physics topics were arranged to develop more and more advanced reasoning and data analysis skills, from linear functions to power law functions to exponential functions. These analysis skills required the students to master Cartesian graphs, log-log graphs and semi-log graphs. All of these laboratories were organized according to the Robert Karplus learning cycle. Near the end of the …

Energy In Perspective Laboratory #4: Finding Relationships, Robert G. Fuller

ADAPT Lessons: Physics

A group of ADAPT students took the Starship Enterprise to the planet Kunzonia. When they arrived, they felt funny. Their heads seemed light and their feet seemed heavy. To try to understand the force of gravity on this planet, they made a simple swinging device fashioned from equipment on the starship. It was a flat bar with a pivot at the top and three equally-spaced holes along its length. The students used masses of 200 g, 400 g, and 600 g (which could be attached in the holes), a meter stick, and a timer, and let the bar swing to …

Energy In Perspective Laboratory #8: Finding More Of Nature's Rules, Or Not Everything In The World Is Described By A Straight Line!, Robert G. Fuller

ADAPT Lessons: Physics

Using x as the independent variable, draw one graph plotting: x vs A, x vs B, and ,i>x vs C. For each plot, connect the corresponding points with a smooth, best fit line or curve. (One graph of a data set by each person in your group is sufficient for now.)

The mental power of a linear relationship is our ability to use it to predict behaviors that we have not measured!

So far we have used Cartesian (named for French mathematician René Descartes) graphs (see lab #3). Most of our labs have consisted of taking data, plotting …

Energy In Perspective Laboratory #9: A Variety Of Physical Systems, Or Determining Relationships For Four (Yes, 4) Experiments, Robert G. Fuller

ADAPT Lessons: Physics

Your task will be to collect data from a variety of physical systems and find the relationships between the manipulated (independent) and responding (dependent) variables using a graphical method. You now know two different ways of analyzing data using two different graphs, either Cartesian or log-log. It will be up to you to decide which to use. Remember: contrastive features, range of variation, and distribution in larger contexts are all necessary to be able to understand something. In physics language that means explore as wide a range of the manipulated variables as seems reasonable. In fact, every physical system is …

Energy In Perspective Laboratory #7: Predictability, Measurements, And Uncertainties, Robert G. Fuller

ADAPT Lessons: Physics

Not all repeated measurements of the same physical quantity will give the same numerical value. Consider the following case:

Two groups, morning and afternoon, of students went out on campus and made repeated determinations of the height of Hamilton Hall and Mueller Tower (on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus). The six morning teams made a total of 18 different determinations on the height of each structure. The eight afternoon teams obtained 24 values. Shown below:

1. List a variety of ways you can determine a "best" value for each height.
2. Select a method and do it for each height. …

Energy In Perspective Laboratory #11: Radiation, Robert G. Fuller

ADAPT Lessons: Physics

EXPERIMENTS
A) 1st Expt. Distance
1) Plot corrected counts/minute vs corrected distance.
2) Find the mathematical relationship from the graph.
3) Does doubling the distance cut the count rate in half? Check this mathematically.
4) Give a physical explanation of your results.
B) 2nd Expt. Shielding
1) Comment on the absorption of the various objects used in part A. Include count rates.
2) Plot corrected counts/minute vs shielding thickness for paper, aluminum, and lead. Make 1 graph with 3 plots.
3) Find mathematical relationships for each plot and label it clearly.
4) Which material shields the best? Why do you …

Energy In Perspective Laboratory #10: Investigations In Optics, Robert G. Fuller

ADAPT Lessons: Physics

1. In an old-fashion film-developing device, it is common to use an aperture to control the exposure area of a film. The following diagram is a simplified version. There is a point light source on the left side of the diagram. We place an opaque plate with a 1 cm-square hole in its center and 10 cm away from the light source. Then we place a screen 20 cm away from the light source. The plate and the screen are facing the light source and all these objects are arranged in a straight line.

2. This Halloween picture was taken …

Energy In Perspective Laboratory #6: Induction: Guessing A General Relationship From Specific Numerical Data, Robert G. Fuller

ADAPT Lessons: Physics

Exploration Activity
An ADAPT student used a mechanical device to lift some heavy load. She recorded the following results:
Effort She Exerted Load She Lifted
10 lb. 410 lb.
22 lb. 520 lb.
33 lb. 620 lb.
45 lb. 730 lb.
60 lb. 860 lb.
77 lb. 1000 lb.
97 lb. 1200 lb.

1) Describe a method by which the student could determine the GENERAL relationship between the load she lifted and the effort she exerted. Is there more than one way that she could do it?
2) Decide on a method for your group. Use it to determine the …

Energy In Perspective Laboratory #5: Working With Triangles, Robert G. Fuller

ADAPT Lessons: Physics

Dear ADAPT Students,
We think that these plane figures can be organized into groups that share common properties. We went to Pythagoras but he died before he could tell us much. His last words were,
"Take measurements and focus on ratios..."
Beside his death bed we found 27 different pieces of cardboard cut into a variety of right triangles of various sizes and shapes. Please put the triangles into different groups that display at least two common characteristics and be prepared to explain to your instructor how you did it. You may wish to make a table of your measurements …