Lab 1: Observing
Physical
Phenomena
PH215 Summer 2021
Kate Hendrick
Stages of Experimentation
Planning
-
Execution
-
Make predictions
Form a hypothesis
Design experiment
Analysis
-
Performs calculations
Interprets results
Forms conclusions
Runs experiments
Pays attention
Maintains consistent methods
Takes careful notes
Making predictions/analyzing WHILE doing an
experiment can damage your results!
Common issues:
-
Unconscious bias
Discarding unexpected results
Increased mental load
Lots of stress!
The human brain can only focus on one thing at a time. Put down
your thinking hat and put on your doing hat.
Run the Experiment:
-
Execute the plan as accurately as possible
Whatever you do, BE CONSISTENT
Write it down
Pay Attention:
-
Watch for any changes in the setup or
environment
Carefully observe the phenomena - what is
physically happening?
Take Careful Notes:
-
You don’t know what will be important
Even keep mistakes (cross out, don’t erase)
Example: Charged Balloons
Make Predictions:
After rubbing a balloon against fabric, you will bring it close to a wall. What
sort of interactions do you expect?
Experimeriment
Try it out! Is it repeatable? Write down your results.
Setting up your tape
You should have three
layers of tape:
●
●
●
Base tape (this will stay on
your desk when you peel
the others off)
Bottom
Top
Peel off the “bottom” and “top”
tapes