Physics Labs for Scientists and Engineers - Electricity and Magnetism

Electrostatic Charging
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topic: Methods of charging...
- Equipment List
  
  PASCO Interface (for one sensor), Charge Sensor, Charge Producers and Proof Planes, Faraday Ice Pail
- Introduction
  
  The purpose of this activity is to investigate the nature of charging an object by contact as compared to charging an object by induction...
- Background
  
  Electric charge is one of the fundamental properties of matter...
Electric Field Around a Conductor - Gauss' Law
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topics: Electrostatic charge distribution...
- Equipment List
  
  PASCO Interface (for one sensors), Charge Sensor, Charge Producers and Proof Planes, Faraday Ice Pail...
- Introduction
  
  This lab has two parts. The purpose of Experiment 1 is to investigate electric charge distribution on a conductive sphere...
- Background
  
  Like electric charges repel and unlike charges attract...
Capacitance
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topics: Capacitance, Combination of capacitors
- Equipment List
  
  Multimeter, Metallic Plates, Book,...
- Introduction
  
  This lab has two parts. The purpose of Experiment 1 is to investigate how capacitance depends on separation of the two plates of the capacitor...
- Background
  
  The capacitance C of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of the magnitude of the charge on either conductor to the magnitude of the potential difference between the conductors...
Ohm's Law
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topics: Ohm's Law...
- Equipment List
  
  PASCO 750 Interface, AC/DC Electronics Lab, Banana Plug Patch Cord...
- Introduction
  
  This lab has two parts. The purpose of Experiment 1 is to confirm the relationship of current, voltage, and resistance in an electric circuit...
- Background
  
  Ohm discovered that when the voltage (potential difference) across a resistor changes, the current through the resistor changes...
Kirchhoff's Laws: Voltage and Current in Circuits
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topic: Kirchhoff's Laws...
- Equipment List
  
  PASCO Interface (for two sensors), Voltage Sensor, Current Sensor...
- Introduction
  
  The purpose of this activity is to explore Kirchhoff's two laws of electrical circuits...
- Background
  
  Ohm's Law describes the relationship between current, voltage, and resistance in simple circuits...
Charging and Discharging an RC Circuit
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topics: RC circuit...
- Equipment List
  
  PASCO 750 Interface, Voltage Sensor, AC/DC Electronics Laboratory, Banana Plug Patch Cord
- Introduction
  
  The purpose of this activity is to measure the voltage across a capacitor as it is charged and then discharged through a resistor that is in series with the capacitor...
- Background
  
  When a DC voltage source is connected across an uncharged capacitor, the rate at which the capacitor charges up decreases as time passes...
Earth's Magnetic Field; Mag Field of Perm Magnet
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topics: Earth's magnetic field; dip angle...
- Equipment List
  
  PASCO Interface (for two sensors), Magnetic Field Senser, Rotary Motion Sensor, Zero Gauss Chamber...
- Introduction
  
  This lab has two parts. The purpose of Experiment 1 is to measure the magnitude and direction of the Earth's magnetic field...
- Background
  
  The magnitude of the Earth's field varies over the surface of the Earth...
Induction - Magnetic Field of Current Carrying Wire
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topics: Electromagnetism, magnetic field in a coil...
- Equipment List
  
  PASCO Interface (for one sensor), Magnetic Field Sensor, Power Amplifier, Double Rod Clamp, Large Rod Base...
- Introduction
  
  The purpose of this activity is to measure the magnetic field generated by a current-carrying wire shaped as a coil...
- Background
  
  A current-carrying wire experiences a magnetic force when placed in a magnetic field produced by an external source such as a permanent magnet...
Faraday's Law
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topics: Electromagnetic induction; Faraday's Law...
- Equipment List
  
  PASCO 750 Interface (for one sensor), Voltage Sensor, AC/DC Electronics Lab...
- Introduction
  
  The purpose of this activity is to measure the potential difference induced in a coil of wire by a bar magnet dropping through the center of the coil...
- Background
  
  When electricity is passed through a conducting wire, a magnetic field can be detected near the wire...
Resonant Frequency of the LRC Circuit
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topics: LRC circuit and alternating current...
- Equipment List
  
  PASCO 750 Interface, Voltage Sensor, AC/DC Electronics Laboratory, Banana Plug Patch Cord
- Introduction
  
  The purpose of this activity is to study resonance in an inductor-resistor-capacitor circuit (LRC circuit) by examining the current through the circuit as a function of the frequency of the applied voltage and determine what happens to the amplitude of the current in the LRC circuit when the frequency of the applied voltage is at or near the resonant frequency of the circuit...
- Background
  
  When a vibrating mechanical system is set in motion, it vibrates at its natural frequency...
AC Circuits
- Topics and Files
  
  E&M Topics: LRC circuit and alternating current...
- Equipment List
  
  PASCO 750 Interface, Voltage Sensor, AC/DC Electronics Laboratory, Banana Plug Patch Cord...
- Introduction
  
  The purpose of this activity is to study AC circuits with a resistor, a capacitor, and inductor...
- Background
  
  An AC circuit consists of circuit elements and a power source that provides alternating voltage Δv...
Object and Image Distances for Thin Lens
- Topics and Files
  
  Optics Topics: Thin lens formula, Concave mirror
- Equipment List
  
  Light Source, Basic Optics, Optics Bench, Basic Optics, Viewing Screen, Basic Optics...
- Introduction
  
  This lab has two parts. The purpose of Experiment 1 is to determine the relationship between object distance and image distance for a thin convex lens...
- Background
  
  All of the technological pieces of equipment you see pictured here make use of lenses...