AP Physics at BHS

Laboratory Index


Laboratory work should be a primary component of the AP Physics "experience". In physics lab, students should:


Experiments & Activities:

Below is a list of the "main-sequence" laboratory experiments. Not all of these labs can be performed in a single year, but it is a goal of the course to spend 20-25% of the available class time in lab.

  1. *A Simple Measurement - Simply measure the width and height of a photo, then calculate its area... How easy is that?
  2. *Target Practice - A simple activity about accuracy and precision
  3. Another Simple Measurement - Try some more-sophisticated analysis as a class, and explore random and systematic uncertainties. Another Simple Measurement - Version 2 uses the Pasco 4-sided meter stick instead of a paper ruler.
  4. *Measuring Common Objects - An introduction to measurement in physics. There is a version using only significant digits and a version using uncertainty intervals.
  5. *Measuring pi - measuring a well-known mathematical constant, pi.
  6. *Using the Law of Reflection to Measure Heights - is a good outdoor lab. Measure the height of the school's flagpole, or something similar.
  7. Kinematics Graphs - using a motion sensor to produce kinematics graphs of human motions.
  8. Accelerated Motion on an Incline (Galileo's Experiment) (Kinematics)
    1. *The "low-tech" version - well, sort of...at least it doesn't use a computer interface.
    2. Using Pasco DataStudio & interface
  9. Motion with Constant Velocity - graphical analysis of the motion of a cart moving with constant velocity. Uses a motion detector and Pasco's DataStudiotm.
  10. Motion with Constant Acceleration - graphical analysis of the motion of a fan-powered cart. Uses a motion detector and Pasco's DataStudiotm.
  11. Constant Acceleration? - use a graph of position versus time squared to determine whether various motions exhibit constant acceleration. Uses a motion detector and Pasco's DataStudiotm.
  12. Velocity & Stopping Distance- Does a car going twice as fast really take four times the distance to stop? Uses Pasco's DataStudiotm.
    1. Velocity & Stopping Distance - an older version uses Pasco's Science Workshoptm
  13. Measuring "g" in Free Fall - Pasco Free Fall Apparatus - A direct measurement of "g", by measuring the time it takes an object to fall a known distance from rest.
  14. Measuring "g" in Free Fall - Picket Fence - The "traditional" picket fence experiment.
  15. *The Inertial Balance
  16. *Addition of Force Vectors - Adding force vectors in three dimensions
  17. Projectile Motion
  18. Newton's 2nd Law - the Half Atwood Machine
  19. Newton's 2nd Law - the Atwood Machine
  20. *Stretch and Force for a Spring - How does the stretch of a spring depend on the applied force? (Measurement)
    1. Using DataStudioTM to Graph Experimental Data - Part 1 - Once the computer network is "up and running", we will reanalyze the data from the "Stretch and Force" lab as an introduction to the DataStudioTM software. 
  21. Air Resistance - What is the relationship between air resistance force and an object's velocity?
    1. *Falling in Air 1 - a low-tech, easy-math approach. Is the air resistance force on a falling coffee filter proportional to v or v2?
    2. Falling in Air 2 - using the Pasco motion sensor. Is the air resistance force on a falling coffee filter proportional to v or v2?
    3. Falling in Air 3 - using the Pasco motion sensor and more-interesting mathematics. If the air resistance force on a falling coffee filter is proportional to vn, what is n?
  22. Inelastic Collisions 
  23. Elastic Collisions 
  24. Elastic Collisions in 2D
  25. Work-Energy Theorem on an Airtrack 
  26. Work & PE in a Spring
  27. Conservation of Energy 
  28. *Uniform Circular Motion
  29. Moment of Inertia
  30. *Equilibrium
  31. *Period of SHM - How is the period of motion of a spring related to the attached mass? (Measurement)
    1. Using DataStudioTM to Graph Experimental Data - Part 2 - In this laboratory exercise, you will reanalyze the data from the "Period of SHM" lab. This time, however, you will set up your own experiment file on DataStudioTM and process multiple data sets.
  32. *Finding "g" using a Simple Pendulum

*These labs do not use a computer interface.


Other Labs:


Other:


last update January 21, 2008 by JL Stanbrough