Contents

• Contents
• TRIBOELECTRICITY
  • Introduction:
  • Procedures:
  • Questions:
• ELECTRIC FIELDS AND EQUIPOTENTIALS
  • Introduction:
  • Procedure:
  • Questions:
• Current and Voltage Measurements
  • Introduction:
  • Procedure:
  • Questions:
• THE DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUIT
  • Introduction:
  • Procedure:
  • Questions:
• THE DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUIT
  • Introduction:
  • Procedure:
  • Questions:
• INTRODUCTION TO THE OSCILLOSCOPE
  • Introduction:
  • Procedure:
  • Questions:
• FARADAY'S LAW of INDUCTION
  • Introduction:
  • Procedure:
  • Questions:
• AC CIRCUITS
  • Introduction:
  • Procedure:
  • Questions:
• OPTICS - Simple & Compound Lens Systems
  • Introduction:
  • Procedure:
  • Questions:
• WAVE PROPERTIES OF LIGHT
  • Introduction:
  • Procedure:
  • Questions
• ATOMIC EMISSION SPECTRA
  • Introduction:
  • Procedure:
  • Questions:
• APPENDIX I-Notes on Lab Report Grades
• APPENDIX - General Instructions and Helpful Hints
• About this document ...

Forward

The following is a collection of experiment descriptions for laboratory experiments often done by students of introductory physics at the University of San Diego. The descriptions are written in a manner that makes them independent of the particular textbook used for the course. Ideally, each experiment is well correlated with the sequence of subjects covered in the accompanying lecture course (Ha!), so that the student does not need a lengthy theoretical introduction as a part of the experiment description. However, we require that the student perform the assigned readings prior to doing the experiments. Who knows, there may even be a quiz. See the table below.

Table 1: Laboratory Reading assignments from the text, Contemporary College Physics, by Jones & Childers

Laboratory	Text Sections
Triboelectricity	[16.1-16.3] + appendix I
Electric Fields and Equipotentials	[16.4-16.6] + [17.1-17.4]
The Direct Current Circuit	[18.1-18.7] + appendix II
Oscilloscope	(just show up)
Faraday's Law	[20.1]
AC Circuits	[20.4-20.5] + [21.1-21.6]
Optics	[22.1-22.6] + [23.2-23.5]
Wave Properties of Light	[24.1-24.3] + [24.5-24.7]
Atomic Spectra	[27.1-27.2] + [27.6-27.7]

The equipment used for each experiment is more or less specified, yet there will be changes in the details of equipment from time to time. Typically the instructor will discuss any changes there may be, and give suggestions for the use of the equipment on hand for the particular experiment being performed, so stay tuned. Perhaps a word about lab reports is worth saying at this point: use just enough explanation and description to make the experiment clear to someone who did not perform it, or to one's self when one looks at the report weeks later. One should be able to repeat the experiment knowing what is in the report, knowing just what to do and why. Refer to the first appendix often to become familiar with the standard of grading.

The existence of the manual is primarily due to Professors Estberg, White and Warren (ret.). Any errors or deficiencies in the manual are the responsibility of the editor, Professor Severn. The editor would also like to thank Professor H. Richards of the Physics department of the University of Wisconsin for permission to reprint their ideas on laboratory experiments, which includes a discussion of experimental error. All of the physics faculty welcome any suggestion for improvement of this document.