Collection, Analysis & Presentation of Data
Last modification September 1, 2009 11:57 AM by Byron Philhour
Mission
Over the course of the 1st semester, students in AP Physics C will learn the fundamentals of college-level laboratory research techniques, including the collection, analysis & presentation of data. We will focus on a certain set of computer software packages (Vernier Lab Pro, Excel, etc.) but these are not important in particular -- any such package would meet our goals.
Objectives
Objective 1: Collect data with the Vernier Lab Pro system
- Learn to use the LabPro Data Acquisition System (DAQ)
- Visit the website documenting the Vernier LabPro specs
- Familiarize yourself with the LabPro User Manual
- You are responsible for pages 1 - 6 and Appendices A - C
- Read about the large variety of LabPro probes (many of these can be found in the green cabinet on the northern wall of the lab room (Room 312)
- Recap & review material from previous physics courses by
- briefly measuring the position, velocity, and acceleration of an object using the sonic range finder; you'll want to save this data for use in later parts of this project
- calibrate a force probe with known masses and then determine the mass of an unknown object; you'll want to save this data for use in later parts of this project
Objective 2: Analyze and present data using Excel spreadsheet software; make best-fit lines for linear data
- A linear relationship between two variables is a relationship where, if you plotted one vs. the other, a line should form. For instance, if you measure the voltage V across a resistor R carrying current I, then the linear relationship V = IR means that if you plotted V on the vertical axis and I on the horizontal axis, a line would form, with slope R (since V = RI has the same form a y = mx). Other examples of linear relationships are F = ma (plot F vs. a and m will emerge as the slope), d = vt, etc.
- A nonlinear relationship (explored later, in objective 5 below) between two variables is a relationship where, if you plotted one vs. the other, a curve will form. For instance, the power P dissipated by a resistor R carrying current I is a nonlinear relatonship: P = (I^2)R -- note that if you plot power vs. current you would get a parabola, not a line.
- If you have the pre-2007 version of Excel (the one without 'ribbons' at the top, just drop-down menus), work this Excel tutorial and the quiz that follows
- If you have the more recent version of Excel (w/ Office 2007 or later), work this Excel tutorial (skip the parts on Macros)
- Copy the data from the work you did in Objective 1 into an Excel spreadsheet
- Select relevant data points; plot the data on an X-Y scatterplot without any fit-line (see example below) - do not add error bars; print your chart - I'm looking for something that looks like the following (doesn't have to be exactly the same)
- Now add a trend-line and display the function of the trendline (see example below); print your chart
- For your reference, my original Excel file for the work above is attached here (Office 2007 .xlsx format and older .xls format)
Objective 3: Use significant figures
- Work this tutorial, take the quiz at the end, and self-grade the quiz after completion (don't peek!); this should represent a short review of the use of significant figures.
Objective 4: Analyze error
Objective 5: Graph nonlinear data and make best-fit lines through the process of linearization
Objective 6: Write a research report that makes presents data clearly, accurately, and in a way that appeals to the reader
- Check out the "Chicken" paper by Doug Zongker from the University of Washington
