Development of a Microcomputer Based Laboratory for Introductory Physics

为物理导论课建立了一个微机实验室。除了计算机，适当的接口和软件实验室设备，可用于各种计算机为基础的实验，在第一学期的课程已经购买。这个项目是围绕麦金塔电脑网络设计的。由车间物理项目和科学思维工具项目开发的通用实验室接口正在与适当的传感器一起使用，以输入来自空气轨迹和旋转力学装置的数据。本项目旨在向这些课程的学生介绍当今科学工作中数据采集和分析的主要方法。此外，我们还介绍了几个以前不在我们计划中的实验。高年级物理专业的学生在评估这些实验室的设备和实验可能性方面发挥了重要作用。我们计划继续让他们参与实验室的开发。最终，该项目将发展到计算机将在几乎每个实验室中以某种能力使用的地步。交互式模拟软件正在为学生提供，以模拟实验和研究影响，例如空气阻力，通常不被考虑在内。这些设备主要由学生在入门实验室中使用，但当不使用时，这些计算机也可供高年级学生使用。

A microcomputer-based laboratory for the introductory physics classes has been established. In addition to computers, appropriate interfaces and software lab apparatus that can be used for a variety of computer-based experiments in the first semester of the courses have been purchased. The project has been designed around a network of Macintosh computers. The universal lab interface developed by the Workshop Physics project and the Tools for Scientific Thinking project are being used with appropriate transducers to input data from air track and rotational mechanics apparatus. This project serves to introduce the students in these courses to what has become the main method for data acquisition and analysis in scientific work today. In addition several experiments that previously were not in our program have been introduced. Upperclass physics majors have been instrumental in evaluating equipment and experiment possibilities for these labs. We plan to continue to involve them in the lab development. Eventually the project will evolve to the point that computers will be used in some capacity in almost every lab. Interactive simulation software is being made available for the students to model experiments and study effects, such as air resistance, normally not accounted for. This equipment is being used mainly by students in the introductory labs, but when not being used in that capacity, the computers are available for the upperclass majors to use.