Experiments
Experiment 1
We measure the air exchange rate in the Weniger labs using dry ice and a carbon dioxide sensor. It's certainly relevant to COVID practices and is an interesting test of exponential decay models.
Experiment 2
We measure x-ray emission from metals and x-ray absorption by metals. We uncover some fascinating quantum mechanics of multi-electron atoms and we learn how this technique is applied in modern chemical analysis of solids. It is also an ideal situation to apply some basic statistics to quantify the uncertainty in the measurements. Understanding the underlying physics of the apparatus is a key part of making sense of the entire experiment. Writing about the physics, the apparatus, the analysis and communicating with graphs and pictures takes place all through the experiment. You keep an electronic lab notebook (OneNote) and present your results and analysis weekly to your peers. We spend 3-4 weeks on the experiment, so you can refine data, retake it, analyze carefully, just as we do in a research lab. Those who have time to explore independently can design an experiment to investigate x-ray diffraction.
Experiment 3
We measure the diffusive motion of micron-sized polystyrene spheres in water. We find evidence for atoms! We learn to quantify this random motion. We learn how this technique is important in modern biophysics. We use advanced microscopes and learn the basics of image analysis, a highly sought-after skill. We again have an ideal situation to apply some basic statistics. Writing about the physics, the apparatus, the analysis and communicating with graphs and pictures takes place all through the experiment. You keep an electronic lab notebook (OneNote) and present your results and analysis weekly to your peers. We spend 3-4 weeks on the experiment, so you can refine data, retake it, analyze carefully, just as we do in a research lab. Those who have time to explore independently can investigate the motion in another fluid (pond scum?) or design an extension of the basic experiment.