Instrumentation for Freshman Physics Lab - The Study of Motion

华盛顿大学正在启动一项重大计划， 改进初级科学课程。 一个主要的目标，正如所述 由大学教务长，是改善实验室 课程，并要求所有学生报名参加 讲座课程还应采取相应的实验 当然了 该计划在物理解决这两个问题： 改进实验室课程， 增加实验室注册。 物理计划开始于 力学实验室实验的改进 入门课程。 参与者的教职员工 在过去的几年里， 开发基于计算机的实验， 学生有机会在一和二中研究运动 尺寸更准确和多功能的工具， 以前可用。 实验室迄今为止的经验 测试这些实验的部分显示， 学生能够研究更广泛的 更深入地理解了 议案 NSF的支持被用来匹配大学 提供资金购买工作站（PC 386/SX）和两台 运动数字化设备：视频系统和光学编码器。 这些元素被集成在一个“运动测量”中， 站”，并形成实验室测量的骨干， 国家科学基金会的赠款资金正在与基金相匹配 非联邦来源。

The University of Washington is initiating a major program to improve entry-level science courses. A major goal, as stated by the University Provost, is improvement of laboratory courses, and the requirement that all students enrolled in the lecture course shall also take the corresponding laboratory course. The program in Physics is addressing both issues: improvement of thelaboratory courses, and preparing for increased laboratory enrollment. The Physics plan begins with improvements in the mechanics laboratory experiments in introductory courses. Faculty and staff who are participants in this project have been working for the past few years developing computer-based experiments that provide new opportunities for students to investigate motion in one and two dimensions with much more accurate and versatile tools than were previously available. The experience to date with lab sections where these experiments were tested shows that students are able to investigate a much wider range of phenomena with a deeper understanding of the concepts of motion. NSF support is being utilized to match the University funds provided to purchase workstations (PC 386/SX) and two motion digitizing devices: a video system and optical encoders. These elements are being integrated in a "motion measurement station" and form the backbone of a laboratory measurement and analysis system.NSF grant funds are being matched with funds from non-federal sources.