PHYS310(O) iLab Experiment 1 Equipment Checkout and DataStudio Tutorial

PHYS310(O) iLab Page 1 Experiment 1

Part 1: Equipment Checkout (required, but not graded)

Physics is an experimental science. Physical concepts are only held to be conditionally true

as long as they are supported by experiment or observation. The beginning of modern physics can be traced back to Galileo. Galileo systematically used experiments to guide and test his theoretical ideas. He proved experimentally that Aristotle’s hypothesis on free fall

(heavy objects fall faster than the light ones) is wrong. He showed that two objects of different masses that are simultaneously dropped from the top of Pisa’s tower hit the

ground at the same time. He then discovered the law of free fall in a gravitational field by studying the motion of objects rolling or sliding on the inclined plane and used these results to formulate the first principle of mechanics (later included by Newton in his Principia

Mathematica).

The laboratory is a workshop in which students can gain firsthand knowledge of the physical principles and experimental methods used in physics. For the student, some of the objectives of a laboratory exercise are to

 train in scientific methods of observation;  acquire experience handling scientific and other electronics equipment;

 collect scientific data; and  compute reliable results and draw valid conclusions from data.

For these reasons, all physics students should have the opportunity to participate in some form of laboratory experiment or exercise.

At the start of the course, you should order the required equipment kit as soon as possible. During Week 1, you should receive your kit and check the contents against this packing list. See

PHYS310 Lab Equipment and Supplies. Report any discrepancies to your instructor. Please remember to read through the laboratory exercises well in advance of the due date to make sure

that you have everything that you need.

PHYS310(O) iLab Page 2 Experiment 1

Required Equipment:

PS-2100A PASCO USB link: This component is used to interface PASCO PASPORT sensors with your computer to allow real-time data

acquisition. The USB link is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: PASCO USB link

PS-2103A PASCO Motion Sensor: This component is used with the USB link and DataStudio to measure distance, velocity, and acceleration.

The motion sensor is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: PASCO Motion Sensor

PS-2189 PASCO High Resolution Force Sensor: This component

is used with the USB link and DataStudio to measure force.

This sensor is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: PASCO High

Resolution Force Sensor

PHYS310(O) iLab Page 3 Experiment 1

DeVry PHYS310 Laboratory Supplies Kit, eScience Labs

This kit (KIT2533) contains the balance of the equipment and supplies needed to complete the laboratory portion of PHYS310.

The contents of the kit are listed here.

1 Caliper

1 Fan Cart

2 AA Batteries

1 Mass Set

1 Spool Thread

1 Fishing Line, 10 ft.

1 Polypropylene Graduated Cylinder (250 ml)

1 Table Clamp Pulley

1 S-clamp

1 #8 Rubber Stopper With Hole

1 #6 Rubber Stopper With Hole

1 Safety Glasses

1 PVC or Aluminum Tube 0.5 in. o.d. 12 in. Long

2 Plastic Beaker (250 ml )

2 Styrofoam Cup

2 Plastic Cup

2 Paper Cup

1 Wooden Ruler, 12 inch With cm Marking and Central Groove

5 Marbles

1 Hardware Bag (including 6 hex nuts, 2 bolts, 15 washers, 3 fishing sinkers, 1 large hex nut)

1 Cardboard Ramp Part 2: DataStudio Installation (required but not graded)

DataStudio is the software that will allow you to acquire, analyze, and present data from the experiments in this course. Download and install DataStudio from the Student Software Store by

following the instructions given here. See Data Studio Install directions.docx.

Part 3: DataStudio Tutorial (graded) Objective

The objective of this exercise is to become familiar with some of the data analysis tools of the

DataStudio software.

PHYS310(O) iLab Page 4 Experiment 1

Parts and Equipment Required

 Computer with PASCO DataStudio installed

Introduction Computer acquisition and analysis of experimental data offers many advantages. Data are

measured automatically and with greater precision than data measured by hand. The data are immediately stored in an electronic format and are available to be quickly graphed. There are

also a wide variety of computerized data analysis tools available. DataStudio is the software that we will use in this course to acquire and analyze experimental data. The purpose of this tutorial is for you to become familiar with DataStudio and some of its tools.

Procedure

 Start DataStudio by clicking on the program name in the Start menu.  When DataStudio opens, click on the Graph Equation Icon as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: DataStudio Opening Window

 Type the equation y = exp(-x) and set the range from 0 to 10 in 100 steps in the

calculator window, as shown in Figure 5. Click the Accept button and the curve will appear on the graph.

Figure 5: DataStudio Calculator Window

 Copy the graph from DataStudio by making the graph the active window and selecting

Copy from the Edit Menu.  Paste the graph into the datasheet (PHYS310_W1_lab1_datasheet.docx) at the

appropriate location by selecting Paste Special from the paste menu and then selecting Device Independent Bitmap. The graph should appear on the datasheet and can then be

formatted and resized if you choose.  Use the Smart Tool shown in Figure 6 to find the coordinates of the graph at the point x =

0.5, and use the Slope Tool to find the slope of the curve at the point x = 2.0.

 Record the results to answer question 2 on your datasheet.

PHYS310(O) iLab Page 5 Experiment 1

 Click on the New Activity button, and then click on the Enter Data icon to open a new activity.

 Type the x and y values from the table below into the Table 1 window.  Select Linear Fit from the Fit menu to find the best straight line fit to the data.

 Record the values of the slope and the y-intercept on your datasheet.  Save your datasheet.  Turn the datasheet in to your instructor.

Table 1 Sample Data for Graph

x y

-1 0.43

-0.5 1.435

0 2.38

0.5 3.435

1 4.32

1.5 5.355

2 6.51

2.5 7.445

3 8.44

3.5 9.455

4 10.43

4.5 11.455

5 12.44