Course logistics:
~14 weeks/semester
Introduction: 1 module
If 3 more modules: 3.5 weeks/module (~7 lab sessions)
If 4 more modules: 2.5 weeks/module (~5 lab sessions)
8 hours/week (6 hours lab + 2 hours data analysis)
Electronics module (6 days)
Concept objectives:
1. What are resistance, capacitance, and inductance?
2. Kirchoff's law
Lab skills objectives:
 Identify the most common components of a circuit board
 Use a multimeter to measure current, voltage, resistance, capacitance
 Use a soldering iron to remove and apply components
Problem solving objectives:
 Reason through voltage drops in a circuit diagram
 Rind the broken part in a broken circuit by checking voltage drops
Materials:
 Broken electronics parts and new electronics components (resistors,
capacitors, diodes)
 Soldering iron and solder
 Multimeter
 Breadboards
 Thermistors
 Batteries
Prior knowledge:
 Kirchoff's law
 Propagation of errors for speed of light
Experiments
1. What is resistance? What is capacitance? What is inductance? (2 day)
Build resistor, capacitor (Leyden jar), and inductor from scratch, measure resistance,
capacitance, and inductance
Goals:
1. Make a resistor from paper + graphite. Measure "resistance" using a
multimeter. Explore different lengths and widths of pencil marks on this
quantity called "resistance". Experimentally determine the relation of length
and width to the "resistance" to understand what resistance is.
2. Make a capacitor from salt water, and insulator (water bottle), and a
conductor (aluminum foil). Measure this quantity called "capacitance" by
bringing a metal object close to the aluminum foil and measuring the
maximum distance that a spark occurs at. How does "capacitance" depend on
the saltiness of the water and the area of the aluminum foil?
3. Build an inductor from scratch using a coil. Measure the value of a quantity
called "inductance". Need to think of an educational way to do this.
2. Make circuits: light bulb, RC, and LC (2 days)
1. Make a circuit with a battery and light bulb. Learn how to use a multimeter to
measure voltage, current, and resistance. Change the lightbulb to an LED.
Measure V, I, R again: what do you observe. Now change the LED to different
resistors. Experimentally find a relation between V, I, R. Now, try putting 2
resistors together. What happens if join just one of the ends? Both of the
ends? Try to find a quantitative law for both of these situations, so you can
always predict the current and resistance that you measure.
2. Make a circuit with a resistor and capacitor in 2 different ways: in series and
parallel. Apply an alternating current to each configuration and measure the
voltage before and after the resistor + capacitor. Do you observe a lag? How
does this lag change when you change the values of the resistor and
capacitor?
3. Now make a circuit with a capacitor and inductor in 2 different ways: in
series and parallel. Again apply an alternating current and observe.
3. Soldering tutorial (1 day)
1. Learn how to safely use a soldering iron to make a simple circuit.
2. Learn how to desolder parts of an existing circuit board + SMA circuit board
4. Make RC filters for speaker system (1 day)
5. Radio (+ antenna) (2 days)
1. Day 1: Build
2. Day 2: Debug + make antenna
Different kinds of radios: 3-penny, etc.
6. Arduinos? Arduino temperature controller
https://8.13.scripts.mit.edu:444/wiki/index.php/Arduino_Temperature_Controller
7. Measure the speed of light with a giant capacitor and giant inductor
Equipment to be made ahead of time, or as independent project:
1. Printed circuit boards from inkjet printer
http://electrons.psychogenic.com/modules/arms/art/10/PrintedCircuitBoardPCB
HOWTOAnIllustratedGuide.php
http://www.robotroom.com/PCB.html
2. Oscilloscope
Arduinoscope: https://code.google.com/p/arduinoscope/
Audio in/out:
http://homediyelectronics.com/projects/howtomakeafreesoundcardpcoscilloscope
/?p=1
Software: http://www.zeitnitz.eu/scope_en
Energy module (3 days)
1. Radiation law with incandescent light bulb (3 days)
Day 1: Apply different voltages, and measure current vs. resistance.
Day 2-3: Measure the temperature by using existing resistance vs. temperature
curve for Tungsten. Determine effect of temperature of power radiated. Determine
the Stefan-Boltzmann constant by breaking apart light bulb and measuring the
filament surface area.
 In what temperature regions can we neglect convection?
Resources:
1. http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/10/1/005/pdf/00319120_10_1_005.pdf
2. http://scitation.aip.org/docserver/fulltext/aapt/journal/ajp/36/9/1.19751
65.pdf?expires=1424018068&id=id&accname=2106337&checksum=79B65
E4DCA94CDEA4D4330F363B8A2C8
3. http://scitation.aip.org/docserver/fulltext/aapt/journal/ajp/46/4/1.11299.
pdf?expires=1424018086&id=id&accname=2106337&checksum=5DCA81B8
18A2258CA329DB031E5E641A
2. Make solar cell from beet juice (2 days)
Light and Optics (3 days)
1. Use flashlight and lenses to determine relationship between parameter that
characterizes lens (focus), object distance, and image distance. Can you think
of an easy way to measure the focal length of the lens? (1 day)
2. Young's double slit interference experiment with coherent sunlight through a
pinhole. What does this tell us about light as a particle? As a wave? Can you
experimentally determine a relation that tells you where to expect bright
spots and dark spots? (1 day)
3. Learn about polarization. Experiment with multiple sunglasses lenses
oriented at different angles in front of a light source. What do you notice?
What property of light can you deduce? (1 day)
4. Measure the speed of light with a Michelson interferometer
Possible Independent Project Ideas:
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Disassemble DVD drive to make laser
Make bike-powered cell phone (or other device) charger
o Can be used to make batteries or other electricity for other uses
Calculate where to place sound-absorbing boards in high-echo classrooms
Create mass spectrometer or device for UV-VIS spectroscopy. Extension of
any of the ideas we learned about: making a new electric circuit or building a
solar powered x.
More big data oriented projects: e.g. survey of water level at different
locations in Kigali
Fiber optics