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Imam Mohammed bin Saud University
Science Collage
GENERAL PHYSICS
LAB MANUAL
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Physics 101
Lab
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 General physics course is mainly about mechanics
and electricity. You will perform basic
experiments.
 Hope you enjoy your physics lab ….
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
physics
Lab Rules
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All students must attend the lab section.
No food. No drinks.
The lab must be clean at all time.
Ask your teacher to check all electrical circuits
before turning on the power supply.
Before making any adjustments on your
electrical circuit make sure it is turned off.
At the end of each lab switch off and unplug any
electrical equipment and disconnect all circuits
and arrange all equipment tidily on the bench.
Lab reports must be submitted in a week’s time.
Lab reports writing must be an individual effort
although the experiments will be performed in
groups.
The lab is worth 20% of the course’s grade.
A missed lab will receive a zero grade.
A make up lab must be performed during the
same week of the missed lab if your instructor
accepts your excuse.
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Lab report
guide
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Your lab report should consist of:
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Title Page :
The following information must appear all by itself on the
first page:
the title of the experiment
your name
the names of your partners, if any
the performance date
the course and section numbers
the name of your Lab Instructor
Introduction:
Objective, method and results.
Experimental procedure:
Description of apparatus and outline of technique.
Discussion uoy woh nialpxe ,atad ruoy tneserp uoy ereH :
tcelfer dna ,EVITCEJBO eht rof eulav a ot atad ruoy decuder
.tluser ruoy fo ytilibailer eht no
Data summary ni ,ereh atad war detcelloc eht tneserP :
ni dedulcni eb dluohs detaerc uoy shparg ynA .mrof ralubat
laiceps no nward eb dluohs shparG .osla ,noitces siht
dna selbat ,shparG .gnilacs etairporppa htiw repap gnihparg
.snoitpac dna seltit elbigel evah tsum serugif
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Lab report
guide
5
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Analysis: lacitamehtam eht ,hpargarap eno ni ,ebircseD
eulav lanif eht otni atad war eht trevnoc ot desu spets
eht rof detroper objective.
Errors: ycarucca eht no tnemmoc hpargarap elgnis a nI
fo noissucsid a edulcni dna sutarappa eht fo noisicerp dna
ruoy ni rorre eht fo etamitse na dna srorre latnemirepxe eht
.tluser lanif
The two principal sources or error are:
Physical phenomena similar to the phenomena being
measured that affect the measured quantity (e.g., stray
magnetic or electric fields, unaccounted for friction).
Limitations of the observer, the analysis and/or the
instruments.
Conclusion eht gnidulcni ,stluser ruoy etatseR :
tluser ruoy erapmoC .stluser laciremun yna ni ytniatrecnu
.eulav detpecca eht htiw
Appendices snoitseuq ot srewsna eht ereh edulcnI :
ni derewsna eb dluohs yehT .launam bal eht morf dengissa
.ygolonimret cifitneics etairporppa gnisu secnetnes etelpmoc
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 1
Balancing force (force table)
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 Objective:
Using the force table to experimentally find the
balancing force of two forces.
 Theory:
Forces are vector quantities which have both
magnitudes and directions.
An object with different forces acting on it is
considered in equilibrium when the vector sum of all
individual forces acting on it is zero, or in other
words when the resultant force acting on the object
is equal to zero.

F  0
F
x
0
F
y
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
0
Experiment 1
Continued
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An object moving as a result of different forces can
be balanced by an equilibrant force which is equal
and opposite of the resultant force of all forces
acting on it.
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FR   FE
Where FR is the resultant force and FE is the
equilibrant force.
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 1
Continued
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There are two methods to fond the resultant force of
two forces graphically:
1- Tip to Tail Method:
We can add any two forces, F1 and F2, by placing the
tail of F2 so that it meets the tip of F1.
The sum, F1 + F2, is the vector from the tail of F1 to
the tip of F2.
F2
F1
FR
Note that you’ll get the same vector if you place the
tip of F2 against the tail of F1. In other words, F1 +
F2 and F2 + F1 are equivalent.
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 1
Continued
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2- Parallelogram Method:
To add F1 and F2 using the parallelogram method,
place the tail of F2 so that it meets the tail of F1.
Take these two forces to be the first two adjacent
sides of a parallelogram, and draw in the remaining
two sides. The vector sum, F1 + F2, extends from the
tails of F1 and F2 across the diagonal to the opposite
corner of the parallelogram.
F1
FR
F2
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 1
Continued
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 Equipment:
Force table – stand base – pulleys – hangers –
weights (slotted masses) – strings – center ring –
protractor .
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 1
Continued
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The force table is a circular table that has the angles
0 degrees to 360 degrees inscribed on the edge.
Pulleys are placed at different angles with strings
attached to a center ring running over the pulleys.
Masses are placed on mass hangers attached to the
end of the strings to provide the forces needed.
By adding the vectors (applied forces), the resultant
vector is found. To balance the force table, a force
that is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction
must counterbalance the resultant. This force is the
equilibrant force.
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 1
Continued
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 Procedure:
1- Your lab instructor will provide you with two
different forces (magnitude and direction). Attach
suitable slotted masses with the thin strings to the
center ring of the force table.
Remember that:
F1=M1g
and
F2=M2g
where g=9.8
m/s2 which is the gravitational acceleration.
2- Consider the direction of each force which is
represented by the angle. The force table’s edge will
help you identify the angle accurately.
3- In order to balance the ring; a third force should
be attached.
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 1
Continued
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4- Record the magnitude and direction of the
equilibrium force.
5- Plot both original forces on graphing paper by
setting a drawing scale (1 cm = 1 N).
6- Find the resultant force graphically. The
magnitude of the force is represented by the length
of the vector and should be converted using the scale
you have chosen. The direction is represented by the
angle which you can measure using the protractor.
7- Now find the equilibrant force which is equal and
opposite to the resultant force.
8- Record all values in the following table.
9- Find the percentage error.
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 1
Continued
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 Data:
Force 1
Force 2
Percentage
error
Balancing force
graphically
experimentally
Magnitude
Angle
 Percentage Error:
PE 
Re alValue  ExperimentalValue
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Re alValue
x100
Experiment 2
Acceleration of Linear uniform motion
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 Objective:
To calculate the acceleration of an object moving in
a straight line with a constant acceleration using
equations of motion.
 Theory:
Equations of motion are used to study the linear motion of
a uniformly accelerated body.
1 2
d  v 0 t  at
2
v f  v 0  at
where:
d:
v f2  v 02  2ad
Displacement or change in position
vf:
Original velocity, the velocity at the start of
the acceleration
Final velocity, the velocity at the end of the
acceleration.
a:
Acceleration, this is a constant acceleration
t:
Time, this is the time period of the
acceleration.
vo:
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 2
Continued
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 Equipment:
Track – trolley – holding magnet – electronic stop
clock – light barrier – pulley – mass hanger –
slotted weights – cables.
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 2
Continued
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 Procedure:
1- Set the equipment, use the cable to connect the trolley
with the pulley and the hanging mass.
2- You can perform this experiment by using either one or
two light barriers.
3- If you are using a holding magnet and one light barrier.
Connect the holding magnet to the stop clock and adjust
the voltage so that the trolley is held.
4- Put the light barrier at a certain distance.
5- Release the trolley by stopping the magnet and record the
time the trolley took to pass the light barrier.
6- Repeat and record the time three times then calculate the
average time and the final velocity.
7- Change the distance and repeat the previous steps for
each distance.
8- If you are using two light barriers, place each barrier at
certain distance and hold the cart at the first barrier then
release it and record the time.
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 2
Continued
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9- Repeat and record the time three times then calculate the
average time and the final velocity.
10- Change the distance and repeat the previous steps for
each distance.
11- Whether you used one or two light barriers, tabulate
your data.
Distance
m
Time 1
s
Time 2
s
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Time 3
s
Average
Time
s
Time
square
s2
Final
Final
Velocity
Velocity
Square
m/s
m2/s2
Experiment 2
Continued
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12- Plot three different graphs; a graph between the
square time (x-axis) and the distance (y-axis) or
displacement traveled by the trolley. And a graph
between the time (x-axis) and the final velocity (yaxis). And another graph between the distance (xaxis) and the final velocity square (y-axis).
13- Draw the best line and find its slope at each graph.
14- Calculate the acceleration from each slope using
equations of motion.
15- Find the real value of the carts acceleration using
Newton’s second law which states that the force is
proportional to the acceleration. F=ma where F
could be found from the mass causing the motion of
the cart.
16- Find the percentage error of the acceleration.
PE 
Re alValue  ExperimentalValue
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Re alValue
x100
Experiment 3
Free fall
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 Objective:
To calculate the gravitational acceleration of free
falling ball.
 Theory:
Under free fall all objects have the same constant
acceleration, which in metric system is equal to 9.8 m/s2
at sea level. Equations that describe free fall are:
1
Δy  v 0 t  gt 2
2
v f  v 0  gt
v f2  v 02  2g Δy
where:
Δy:
vo:
vf:
g:
t:
Vertical displacement
Original velocity, the velocity at
the start of the acceleration
Final velocity, the velocity at the
end of the acceleration.
Acceleration due to gravity
Time, this is the time period of
the acceleration.
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 3
Continued
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 Equipment:
Steel ball – contact plate – holding magnet –
holding magnet adapter with a release mechanism –
electronic stop clock – stand base – rods – scale –
connecting leads.
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Experiment 3
Continued
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 Procedure:
1- Set the equipment and hold the steel ball using the
holding magnet at a certain height.
2- Release the ball and read the time the ball took
traveling the vertical distance, then reset the stop
clock and reattach the ball and read the time again ,
you should take three readings of the time then find
the average time the ball has traveled.
3- Reduce the height and repeat the previous steps.
4- Tabulate your data.
Height
m
Time 1
s
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University
Time 2
s
Time 3
s
Average
Time
s
Time square
s2
Experiment 3
Continued
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5- Plot a graph between the square time (x-axis) and
the height (y-axis) or displacement of ball.
6- Draw the best line and find its slope.
7- Calculate the gravitational acceleration from the
slope using equations of free fall.
8- Find the percentage error.
PE 
Re alValue  ExperimentalValue
Re alValue
x100
9- Repeat the previous steps using a different mass
ball.
10- State your observation
Physics Lab
Science Collage-Imam University