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Experiments for Physics 241 The following is a list of experiments, most of which have been done in the past. A question mark indicates an experiment which hasn't been tried yet, but for which I think we have the necessary equipment. I've organized the experiments by general topic area, and it would be a good idea to sample at least two different areas. You are welcome to suggest experiments not on the list, and in the past, some of the most successful experiments have been student-initiated. I will try to support your efforts to carry out your idea, and I might be able to make suggestions about the equipment we have on hand that could be used. The American Journal of Physics, available in the SMC library, is a great source of ideas for experiments (this journal specializes in advice for setting up experiments at the college-level, rather than reporting new research findings). Although I might advise against doing particular experiments, given our time and equipment constraints, it doesn't hurt to ask. General advice Meet with your lab partner as soon as possible to decide on an experiment and set some times to meet together. Let me know as soon as possible what experiment you want to try, and I'll try to find the necessary parts and get you copies of whatever documentation I can find. It's very important to get acquainted with your experiment early. If you need to take a break (and you will from time to time), do so after you have gotten a feel for your next experiment. Finding references for the theory and even experimental details can be very helpful: this is best done early too. The science library and the American Journal of Physics are good starting points, although occasionally you may want to request a journal article via interlibrary loan. Experiments don't always turn out the way we expect, not only in the nature of the results obtained but also in what turns out to be possible to measure. It is a good policy to be flexible and open-minded as you work on your experiment: if it looks like you won't be able to measure what you set out to measure, oftentimes it is possible to think of some other attainable goal that is somewhat different, but still interesting. And in the worst case, often even a failed experiment can be a useful learning experience. Optics Faraday effect (magnetic-field-induced rotation of polarized light) Optical diffraction patterns Poisson's spot Gelatin photoelastic modulator Coherence length of a laser or other spectral source Magnetic-field-induced birefringence in a liquid crystal Light scattering from a liquid crystal Freedericksz transition (magnetic-field-induced reorientation) in a liquid crystal Michelson interferometer Newton's rings Fabry-Perot spectrometer ?Deuterium-Hydrogen isotope shift Mechanics Coupled oscillations: Pendula with elastic coupling Foucault pendulum: Measurement of earth rotation Measurement of the gravitation constant G (Cavendish balance) Crater formation Rotational inertia of asymmetric body Effect of air-resistance on projectile motion Temperature dependence of viscosity Wind tunnel experiments ?Capillary waves on a water surface ? Dynamics experiments on falling chains ? Elastic modulus of metals Acoustics/Waves Resonant modes of a pendulum chain Vibrational modes of a rubber membrane, steel plate, or steel rod Vibrational mode frequencies of a loaded string Position detection by sonar Multi-source interference patterns with ultrasound ?Acoustic modes of a resonant chamber [AJP 77 (10) 882 (2009)] ?Sound dispersion in an acoustic waveguide ?Elastic constant of air Atomic/Nuclear Millikan Oil Drop experiment Absorption of radiation in matter ? x-ray diffraction ? Rutherford scattering Thermodynamics Heat flow along a rod (one-dimensional heat diffusion) Temperature-dependence of the electrical conductivity of metals Hall effect (magnetic-field-induced voltage during current flow) Thermoelectric effect (Peltier device) Thermal or blackbody radiation (Stefan-Boltzmann law) Cooling of metals by forced convection Temperature-dependence of diode behavior ? Mechanical equivalent of heat ? Thermal conductivity Computer interfacing/Electronics Resistor-capacitor-inductor resonant circuit AC Bridge circuit for capacitance measurement Stepper-motor-controlled scanner for laser beam characterization Stepper-motor-controlled Hall-effect probe for magnetic field mapping ?Lock-in detection capacitance measurement [P. Photinos, in Kumar, Liquid Crystals, Experimental Study of Physical Properties and Phase Transitions, Cambridge, 2001] ? Position detection with ultrasound ? Computer-controlled temperature controller for melting temperature measurement