Experiments in Mechanics, Wave Motion, and Heat Laboratory Manual for PHYS: 1511, PHYS: 1701, & PHYS: 1611

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Significant revisions were made to some of the “H Series” experiments before the 2011-2012 academic year and to many of the “M Series and W Series” experiments before the 2012-2013 academic year. These revisions were made by laboratory coordinator Anthony Moeller with feedback from TAs and lab setup crew members. Many of these changes reflect the significant advances in available technology since these series of experiments were first introduced. Some highlights of these revisions include: video analysis using high speed digital cameras and vastly improved video analysis software, a completed Ideal Gas Law and Heat Engine experiment, and an almost completely rewritten Standing Waves experiment. Additionally, this manual is now available to you in full color, which should improve the usefulness of many pictures and diagrams.

GLOSSARY OF LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS
COMPUTER USE GLOSSARY

M1: INTRODUCTION TO LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS
Part I: Measuring Average Velocity With a Stopwatch and a Ruler
Part II: Measuring Position Versus Time With Two Photogates
Part III: Approximate Measurements of Instantaneous Velocity

M2: KINEMATICS WITH CONSTANT ACCELERATION
Part I: A Falling Object
Part II: Using the Motion Detector
Part III: Uniform Acceleration on an Incline

M3: PROJECTILE MOTION
Part I: Characterize the Projectile Launcher
Part II: Target Shooting #1: Predicting the Range
Part III: Target Shooting #2: Predicting the Launch Angle†

M4: ACCELERATION, FORCE, AND NEWTON’S SECOND LAW
Part I: Constant Force and Newton’s Second Law
Part II: Time-Dependent Force and Newton’s Second Law
Part III: Friction - Part III is intended only for courses taken by physics and astronomy majors

M5: CONVERSION AND CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
Part I: Initial Measurements
Part II: Velocity and Kinetic Energy
Part III: Inelastic Collision and Conversion of Kinetic Energy to Gravitational Kinetic Energy

M6: COLLISIONS IN TWO DIMENSIONS
Part I: Inelastic Collisions (Two Pucks with Different Masses)
Part II: Elastic Collisions (Two Magnetic Pucks) †
 – Part II requires another lab session

M7: MOMENT OF INERTIA
Part I: Determine the Moment of Inertia
Part II: The Parallel-Axis Theorem

M8: CONSERVATION OF ANGULAR MOMENTUM
Part I: Angular Momentum and the Moment of Inertia

M8.5: CONSERVATION OF ANGULAR MOMENTUM IN COLLISIONS
Part I: Setup the Experiment and Analyze Movie
Part II: Working with O1 (Initial Center of Mass of Double Puck)
Part III: Working with O2 (Single Puck Center of Mass at Collision)

M9: SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION
Part I: Preliminary Experiments
Part II: Initial Displacement with Zero Velocity
Part III: Glider Mass and Simple Harmonic Motion†
Part IV: Energy in the Simple Harmonic Oscillator†

M10: UNDERDAMPED OSCILLATIONS
 Note - this Experiment is intended only for courses taken by physics & astronomy majors.
Part I: Measure the Spring Constant
Part II: Oscillations Damped by Air

H2: THE MECHANICAL EQUIVALENT OF HEAT
Part I: Measure Joule’s Equivalent

H3: SPECIFIC HEAT
Part I: The Specific Heat of Brass
Part II: The Specific Heat of An Unknown Metal Sample
Part III: The Specific Heat of Water

OS1: INTRODUCTION TO OSCILLOSCOPES I
Part I: Measuring a Periodic Signal
Part II: Measuring the Phase Shift Between Two Signals
Part III: Measuring a Non-Periodic Signal

W1: THE SPEED OF SOUND
Part I: The Speed of Sound in Air
Part II: The Speed of Sound in Metal Rods
Part III: The Speed of Sound in Water†

W2: STANDING WAVES IN AIR AND VIBRATING STRING
Part I: Standing Waves in Air
Part II: Simple Vibrating String
Part III: Hybrid Vibrating String†

W4: SOUND WAVES IN AIR
Part I: The Speed of Sound in Air
Part II: Standing Waves in Air

F1: FLUID FLOW WITH VISCOSITY
Part I: Setup
Part II: Preliminary Measurements
Part III: Taking Data on Descent Speeds in Fluids
Part IV: Transferring and Translating Video Files
Part V: Measuring Descent of Spheres Using Tracker Software
Part VI: Data Analysis

University of Iowa

Significant revisions were made to some of the “H Series” experiments before the 2011-2012 academic year and to many of the “M Series and W Series” experiments before the 2012-2013 academic year. These revisions were made by laboratory coordinator Anthony Moeller with feedback from TAs and lab setup crew members. Many of these changes reflect the significant advances in available technology since these series of experiments were first introduced. Some highlights of these revisions include: video analysis using high speed digital cameras and vastly improved video analysis software, a completed Ideal Gas Law and Heat Engine experiment, and an almost completely rewritten Standing Waves experiment. Additionally, this manual is now available to you in full color, which should improve the usefulness of many pictures and diagrams.

GLOSSARY OF LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS
COMPUTER USE GLOSSARY

M1: INTRODUCTION TO LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS
Part I: Measuring Average Velocity With a Stopwatch and a Ruler
Part II: Measuring Position Versus Time With Two Photogates
Part III: Approximate Measurements of Instantaneous Velocity

M2: KINEMATICS WITH CONSTANT ACCELERATION
Part I: A Falling Object
Part II: Using the Motion Detector
Part III: Uniform Acceleration on an Incline

M3: PROJECTILE MOTION
Part I: Characterize the Projectile Launcher
Part II: Target Shooting #1: Predicting the Range
Part III: Target Shooting #2: Predicting the Launch Angle†

M4: ACCELERATION, FORCE, AND NEWTON’S SECOND LAW
Part I: Constant Force and Newton’s Second Law
Part II: Time-Dependent Force and Newton’s Second Law
Part III: Friction - Part III is intended only for courses taken by physics and astronomy majors

M5: CONVERSION AND CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
Part I: Initial Measurements
Part II: Velocity and Kinetic Energy
Part III: Inelastic Collision and Conversion of Kinetic Energy to Gravitational Kinetic Energy

M6: COLLISIONS IN TWO DIMENSIONS
Part I: Inelastic Collisions (Two Pucks with Different Masses)
Part II: Elastic Collisions (Two Magnetic Pucks) †
 – Part II requires another lab session

M7: MOMENT OF INERTIA
Part I: Determine the Moment of Inertia
Part II: The Parallel-Axis Theorem

M8: CONSERVATION OF ANGULAR MOMENTUM
Part I: Angular Momentum and the Moment of Inertia

M8.5: CONSERVATION OF ANGULAR MOMENTUM IN COLLISIONS
Part I: Setup the Experiment and Analyze Movie
Part II: Working with O1 (Initial Center of Mass of Double Puck)
Part III: Working with O2 (Single Puck Center of Mass at Collision)

M9: SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION
Part I: Preliminary Experiments
Part II: Initial Displacement with Zero Velocity
Part III: Glider Mass and Simple Harmonic Motion†
Part IV: Energy in the Simple Harmonic Oscillator†

M10: UNDERDAMPED OSCILLATIONS
 Note - this Experiment is intended only for courses taken by physics & astronomy majors.
Part I: Measure the Spring Constant
Part II: Oscillations Damped by Air

H2: THE MECHANICAL EQUIVALENT OF HEAT
Part I: Measure Joule’s Equivalent

H3: SPECIFIC HEAT
Part I: The Specific Heat of Brass
Part II: The Specific Heat of An Unknown Metal Sample
Part III: The Specific Heat of Water

OS1: INTRODUCTION TO OSCILLOSCOPES I
Part I: Measuring a Periodic Signal
Part II: Measuring the Phase Shift Between Two Signals
Part III: Measuring a Non-Periodic Signal

W1: THE SPEED OF SOUND
Part I: The Speed of Sound in Air
Part II: The Speed of Sound in Metal Rods
Part III: The Speed of Sound in Water†

W2: STANDING WAVES IN AIR AND VIBRATING STRING
Part I: Standing Waves in Air
Part II: Simple Vibrating String
Part III: Hybrid Vibrating String†

W4: SOUND WAVES IN AIR
Part I: The Speed of Sound in Air
Part II: Standing Waves in Air

F1: FLUID FLOW WITH VISCOSITY
Part I: Setup
Part II: Preliminary Measurements
Part III: Taking Data on Descent Speeds in Fluids
Part IV: Transferring and Translating Video Files
Part V: Measuring Descent of Spheres Using Tracker Software
Part VI: Data Analysis

University of Iowa