Physics lab

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In my physics lab, I perform many experiments intended to compliment the lecture material. Doing these experiments not only improves my general understanding of the lab material and how physics equations apply to the real world, but also teaches me many things about experimental procedure and data collection. Overall, it is a very enriching experience.
The labs are performed in groups, usually of three to four people each. Four TAs are present during labs, to assist students in completing the lab procedures correctly. At the beginning of each lab, a TA explains the lab procedure and the equations necessary to do the lab.
In the lab, several rules are in place to ensure a safe and productive experience for those who are working. For example, open-toed shoes, dangling jewelry, food and drinks are prohibited in the lab to prevent both accidental injury of the students as well as potential damage to the lab equipment.
In addition to safety rules, many requirements exist to ensure that students do sufficient work to pass the lab component of the course. Lab attendance is mandatory for the course, and missing more than two labs, excused or not, results in failure of the course. Being at the lab on time is extremely important as well, and being more than 10 minutes late for a lab may be considered the same a missing the lab.
Beyond arriving at the lab on time, successful completion of a lab requires that all students submit a pre-lab before the lab begins. The pre-lab usually consists of a brief outline of the lab, including lab objectives, procedure, and relevant equations. After following the lab procedure and recording data, it is also necessary to write a lab report to summarize the results of the lab. The lab report contains the...

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... the acceleration of the mass and the inertia of the weights, it was possible to determine the moment of inertia of the rotor itself.
The last experiment performed (as of this writing) was Experiment 10, which explored simple harmonic motion. This experiment was actually two experiments, one examining harmonic motion using a spring (call this Experiment 10A) and the other using a simple pendulum (Experiment 10B). For part A, a mass was attached to a spring hung vertically, causing the spring to elongate. By measuring the difference between the spring's rest length and its length with the mass attached, it was possible to find the spring constant. The procedure was repeated several times with different masses, to obtain a more accurate value for the spring constant. Next, various masses were attached to the spring, pulled down, then released and allowed to oscillate.

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