LABORATORY MANUAL

for

Physics 2435 Waves and Heat

by

James R. Crawford 1999

Adapted by Wilhelmus J. Geerts, Nelson Koeck, and Carl Ventrice August 2007 Adapted by Wilhelmus J. Geerts and Ravi Droopad May 2010

Texas State University

San Marcos

Preface
This laboratory manual contains experiments which were originally developed to use equipment bought with funds provided by the National Science Foundation, Grant No. USE-9151787, along with matching funds provided by Southwest Texas State University. All the original experiments have been revised, and a few are newly developed to take advantage of new computing equipment. The new computers were purchased with funds obtained on a competitive basis through a proposal written by myself along with two other physics faculty to SWT Academic Computing Committee and funded by student computer use fees. The assistance of my physics colleagues, Drs. Galloway and Michalk, and these funding agencies is gratefully acknowledged. JRC 1999 In 2006 the department of Physics reorganized the introductory physics sequence, i.e. PHYS1430, PHYS2425, and PHYS2435. PHYS2435 now also covers heat and thermodynamics while there is less emphasis on Modern Physics. To reflect those changes the course name was changed from Waves and Modern Physics to Waves and Heat. New computers, interfaces, and lasers were purchased with departmental funds and funds obtained through the TxSTate ACC computer replacement program. WJG 2007

Introduction
This lab is the third in the three-semester introductory physics sequence. The purpose of the lab is many fold. We want you to think about the measurements you are making in the lab in terms of the instruments you are using and the phenomenon you are observing. We do not want you to disengage your thought processes and blindly follow instructions. It is possible you have had labs like that somewhere in the past, but you are now in your third semester of physics and quite sophisticated mathematically. We want you to use this itellectual maturity in addressing the experiments at hand. The labs you will do are mostly about heat, soundwaves and light waves. There is one experiment involving radioactivity at the end of the semester. The overlying central thread through most of the experiments is the use of your understanding of waves in the observation and explanation of the various phenomena. A few of the ideas you will encounter are beyond the content of your text. In the case of Fourier Series, we want to start building your familiarity with some of the concepts of this very important idea. You will see Fourier Series and Fourier Transforms again (and again) as you advance through your upper level physics courses. In the case of multiple slit interference patterns, we have a continuation in complexity of a phenomenon you have already studied. Youve got the talent and the tools to investigate multiple slit patterns, so why not continue? The lab reports will vary somewhat from experiment to experiment, some requiring more time than others. However, in all cases it is important you present your ideas in a clear and concise fashion. A significant portion of your grade will be based on the appearance, clarity, and conciseness of your report. Another significant portion of your grade will be based on the correctness and quality of your data, your theoretical fits, and its appearance. You will be asked questions at the end of the experiments. The quality of your answers to these questions will be graded. We want the labs performed and written up with your physics thinking engaged. Another note: The computers in your lab all have Microsoft Office-2003 installed for your use. You can get access to the lab anytime during the day you wish. There is no reason for lack of facilities to affect the quality and appearance of your lab report. Attention should be given to significant digits. By now, you have been exposed to the rules for using significant digits in past classes. You should continue reporting your results using appropriate significant digits. Dont misrepresent your results with precision greater or less than what you can justify. Quoting from your first lab: Think of your lab report as the result of an assignment given to you by the group or division in which you work. Thus, you are reporting to your colleagues the results of your investigations. Obviously this document should be more than just a reporting of the numbers. What you did and your results should be clear to someone reading your report. You need to tell what you were trying to measure and how you went about it with your data (tabular and/or graphical) an integral part of your report. Your report must be accurate, clear, well written, and concise.

Table of Contents
Experiment No. I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII Title Page

Heat of Fusion Simple Harmonic Motion Waveform Composition Waves on a Wire Polarization Refraction of Light The Thin Spherical Lens Laser Beam Characteristics Double Slit Interference Single Slit Diffraction Circular and Multiple Slit Diffraction Radioactivity and the Geiger Counter

I-1 II-1 III-1 IV-1 V-1 VI-1 VII-1 VIII-1 IX-1 X-1 XI-1 XII-1