Physics 1252 Laboratory Manual Table of Contents

Introduction

Laboratory 0: Momentum and Energy Conservation

Problem #1: Perfectly Inelastic Collisions on an Air Track
Problem #2: Inelastic Collision on an Air Track
Problem #3: Collisions With Friction
Check Your Understanding
Laboratory 0 Cover Sheet

Laboratory I: Rotational Motion of Rigid Bodies

Problem #1: Designing a Mobile
Problem #2: Rotational Inertia of a Complex System
Problem #3: Rotational Inertia About Different Axes
Problem #4: Rotational Inertia With an Off-Axis Ring
Problem #5: Angular Velocity and the Moment (Lever) Arm
Problem #6: Conservation of Angular Momentum
Check Your Understanding
What is Expected in a Lab Report
Laboratory I Cover Sheet

Laboratory II: Mechanical Oscillations

Problem #1: Measuring Spring Constants
Problem #2: The Effective Spring Constant
Problem #3: Oscillation Frequency With Two Springs
Problem #4: Oscillation Frequency of an Extended System
Exploratory Problem #5: Damped Oscillations
Exploratory Problem #6: Driven Oscillations
Check Your Understanding
Laboratory Report Cover Sheet

Laboratory III: Conservation of Energy and Heat

Problem #1: Identifying Unknown Metals
Problem #2: The Composition of a Compound Object
Problem #3: The Unknown Metal in Nickel Coins
Problem #4: Latent Heat and the Mass of Ice
Problem #5: Electrical Energy and Heat
Problem #6: Mechanical Energy and Heat
Table of Thermal Properties of Metals, Water and Alcohol
Check Your Understanding
Laboratory III Cover Sheet

Appendices

Appendix A: Equipment

Appendix B: Significant Figures

Appendix C: Accuracy, Precision, and Error

Appendix D: Graphing

Appendix E: Graphical and Numerical Analysis of Spark Tape Data

Appendix F: Sample Problem Report

Appendix G: Instructions for Using the Computer Lab-prep Tests

---

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the people who have contributed to the development of the problems and appendices used in this laboratory manual:

Peter West
John Trammell
Prof. Pat Kenealy**

Igor Zutic
Prof. Dan Lottis*
Kristine Sigsbee

Joel Kindem
Michael Weber
Charles Henderson

David Dikeman
Prof. Ben Bayman
John Capriotti

Bruce Palmquist
Denise Leezer
Dave Demuth

Jaena Streets
Jennifer Blue

And all of the graduate students who helped to find the 'bugs' in these instructions.

Authors

Patricia Heller
Kenneth Heller
Tom Foster
Julia Stephen

* Miami University, Miami Ohio.

** Long Beach State University, Long Beach California

---

© This and all subsequent pages are copyrighted to the University of Minnesota, 1996

---

Return to Problem Solving Lab Introduction Page

Return to Physics Education Home Page

Comments: <Tom Foster>

Last Updated: Fri, May 22, 1996 12:00 PM EST