Feb 8, 2005

Physics Department

Baldwin-Wallace College

Berea, OH

To whom it may concern:

Attached is a list of the labs that the AP students do at Mentor High School. I have developed this lab curriculum using ideas that have come from attending local and national meetings of the AAPT(American Association of Physics teachers) over the past 30 years. We use Vernier and Pasco interfaces to collect data. Excel and Mathematica are used to number crunch and model data. I have been greatly influenced by David Vernier and Pricilla Laws in my thinking about labs.

I certify that these were the labs performed by Andrew Miskimen when he

attended Mentor High. He was a very diligent student and did excellent work.

If you have any questions or need additional documentation, feel free to contact me by email.

Sincerely,

Mr. Thomas W. Ramsey

B.S. Physics Georgetown

M.S. Physics Case

AP Physics

Honors Physics

Mentor High School

AP Physics Mentor High School: Labs/Simulations

First Semester: Mechanics

  1. Motion at Constant Speed

Measure and graph position versus time of a toy bulldozer.

  1. MacMotion:Sonic Ranger

Using computer interfaced probe ware(Vernier): distance and velocity match

  1. Graphs and Tracks(Computer Simulation)

Build ramps to match x-t, v-t and a-t curves

4. Video Analysis of Motion

Students digtize and analyze a bouncing ball.

  1. F=ma

Pasco interfaced smart pulley

  1. Atwood Machines

Pasco interfaced smart pulley

  1. Friction
  2. Pasco interfaced picket fence
  3. Friction

Blocks/wood compare static and kinetic friction

  1. Air Resistance

Coffee filters used to determine relation ship between f and v.

  1. Hooke’s Law

Determine k; conservation of energy

  1. Horsepower

Measure horsepower of students running up stairs

  1. Marble Run

Build rollercoaster from strips of foam insulation; explain kinematic and dynamic concepts.

  1. Centripetal Force Lab

Relationship between F, v and r.

  1. Honey Bears

Work, Power and conservation of energy in a child’s toy.

  1. Top

Factors that affect the time a top spins

  1. Simple Machines

Pulleys, Inclined Plane

  1. Torques: Balancing With A Meter Stick

Static Equilibrium

Second Semester

Thermodynamics

1.Specific Heat Lab

Relate the rate at which an immersion heater heats water to the electrical power consumed.

2. Carnot Cycle Spreadsheet

Excel as a number cruncher

Waves/Optics

  1. Ripple Tanks

Reflection, Refraction, Diffraction, Interference

  1. Snell Law

Glass blocks

  1. Optical Bench

Mirrors and lens: focal lengths

  1. Diffraction Grating: Interference

Determine  of laser light

  1. Speed of Sound

Standing waves/oscilloscope

  1. Sonometer Lab

Log/log plots, oscilloscope, relate f to linear density/tension

Electricity/Magnetism

5 days of Pasco Labs on Electricity:

1-Resistors

2-Voltage Series and Parallel

3-Current Series and Parallel

4-Capacitors: Time Constants: Series and Parallel

5-Kirchoff’s Laws: Loop/Junctions

2 days: Magnetism: E & B fields

(Vernier Sim on how E and B fields work simulates mass spec)

Build an Electromagnet:

Shop project—factors that affect strength of B field.

Nuclear:

  1. Stopping Radiation

Compare difficulty in stopping radiation.

  1. Secular Equilibrium

Spreadsheet/gieger counter model radiation from Radon’s daughter species. Compare with sample from basement.