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Phy 121
Your 'collaborative labs' report has been received. Scroll down through the document to see any comments I might have inserted, and my final comment at the end.
** Collaborative Labs_labelMessages.txt **
9/8 12:15 pm
???I saw this assignment on the Table of Assignments but not on the Brief Assignments. Are we doing this???
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Yes, we are.
Thanks for noting the omission from the Brief Assignments Page.
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You will participate during the semester in two series of collaborative lab activities.
The first is designed to be relatively painless, and to begin to develop a degree of teamwork and collaboration.
These activities are designed for teams of four individuals, each with a specific function:
The designer will come up with the idea for the activity and will specify for other team members how the activity is to be conducted.
The experimenter will follow the designer's instructions to set up the experiment and collect data.
The analyzer will analyze the data.
The interpreter will describe what the results mean.
For each series of activities, you will participate in four different investigations, one as designer, another as experimenter, another as analyzer and another as interpreter.
As each investigation progresses, you will follow the work of your fellow team members.
Please summarize the above, as best you can, in your own words:
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This is the first of two collaborative lab activities to be performed in groups of four. Each person in the group will have a specific function. The desiner will come up with the idea for the experiment and the plan for carrying out.
The experimenter will follow the instructions and collect the data
The analyzer will analyze the experimenter's results
The interpreter will interpret what this results mean.
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The first series of activities will be spread out over the first half of the semester, the second series over the second half of the semester.
The first series will be based on systems you have seen in the Key Systems videos.
You will begin by describing at least three ideas for investigations related to the Key Systems videos. Valid ideas will ultimately be developed proposals, each of which will describe a question that could be investigated and tested using simple materials such as those seen in the videos. You will eventually develop three proposals, one of which will be chosen for an investigation. You will be the designer for that investigation.
At this point we're just beginning to explore ideas for the first series of investigations. Your instructor will work with you to further develop your ideas, and perhaps to explore other related possibilities.
Right now you don't have a wide variety of experimental techniques available to you, so this first series of investigations will be relatively simple.
List below three ideas for things you think might be fairly easy to test, based on the systems you have seen so far.
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Discuss your first idea. How do you think it might be tested? What sort of items do you think might be required? How do you think your idea might be tested?
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I'd like to see how long it would take a pendulum put in motion to stop moving and remain at the equilibrium point. More importantly, how will the length of the pendulum affect the time until equilibrium is reached
All that would be required would be a simple pendulum, a Timer program and a ruler.
Start with a pendulum of 10cm in length, bring to an extreme position and release.Start timer. Do not nudge pendulum, stop timer when pendulum comes to rest. Record results, repeat at 20cm, 30cm, 40cm, and 50cm.
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Very good idea. It might be difficult to determine when motion actually becomes imperceptible, but there are interesting ways to deal with this difficulty.
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Compare results.
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Discuss your second idea. How do you think it might be tested? What sort of items do you think might be required? How do you think your idea might be tested?
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A take on the object rolling down the book. If we set up two books with different slopes, how does that affect final velocity. Is there is difference if the first book is the steeper one, or if the second is the steeper one?
Required items: Two books, timer program, rolling object, ruler, supports.
Build a course of two books, the first steeper than the second, allow the object to roll and simultaneously start the timer. Click on the timer when the ball rolls off the second book. Record at least three trials.
Then, make the first book less steep than the second. Allow the object to roll and simultaneously start the timer. Click the timer when the ball rolls off the second book. Record at least three trials.
Find average velocities for each set of trials. Compare.
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Using the metal tracks and steel balls that come with the full lab set will make this study even more precise.
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Discuss your third idea. How do you think it might be tested? What sort of items do you think might be required? How do you think your idea might be tested?
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I'd like to see the difference in average velocity if we change direction on a rolling objects.
Required items: Two books, timer program, rolling object, ruler, supports.
Create a course of two books. allow the object to roll and simultaneously start the timer. Click on the timer when the ball rolls off the second book. Run at least three trials and record.
For the second set of trials, maintain the same slope for each book, but have the second book under the first and slanting in the opposite direction. Ensure length of course is the same. Time at least three trials in the same manner as the first set.
The supports here are trickier than the second idea. Since we are changing directions we need to make sure the ball doesn't come off the course which means the books must be arranged such that the the bounce that may occur on the transfer from one book to the next doesn't cause the book to come off course. Also, the supports must be placed wider than the width of the second book with a horizontal support piece lying on top of the veritcal supports. The first books lowe end rests on this horizantal piece.
If we do this one, I will include a diagram.
Determine average velocity for each set and compare.
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Good. The metal tracks will make the setup simpler and more stable.
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Your instructor is trying to gauge the typical time spent by students on these activities. Please answer the following question as accurately as you can, understanding that your answer will be used only for the stated purpose and has no bearing on your grades:
Approximately how long did it take you to complete this activity?
About 45 minutes.
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Copy your document into the box below, be sure you have filled in your name and other identifying information at the top of this form, and submit:
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Excellent ideas. We will follow up in about a week, once everyone has had the opportunity to contribute their ideas.
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