Essential Physics Experiments

The experiments and procedures in this laboratory manual are the results of over fifty years of combined personal experience by the authors. These procedures are geared toward the sophomore students who are taking a two semester introductory course in Physics. Thousands of students very similar to you have helped us refine the way in which we teach. We try to coordinate each experiment so that it re-enforces the material covered in lecture. This is a time honored teaching strategy, but on a higher level, a discipline must be able to demonstrate what it “knows” is true. This is the essential and defining characteristic of science.

At any rate, there are two experiments going on in each of the following procedures: You perform the experiment to better grasp the ideas, concepts and laws of Physics and we are still experimenting on you to see what works best. Please let us know how well this is being accomplished.