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Lab methods

Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 12:34 am
by greatscott
How do you prepare for the "laboratory methods" part of the test? What books/materials do you use?

lab methods ...

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 8:31 pm
by Mick
no good single text. Just flip through Serway or that type of book, you'll find hundreds of problems that are related to lab methods. It's kind of a misleading category. They're not really testing you on laboratory methods, just on your understanding of methods that have been historically used to find various physical constants. If you understand the underlying physics, these problems shouldn't be too difficult.

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:29 am
by Ingrid
Four things to *definitely* have down:

(a) When it's appropriate and how to use different types of graph paper (log/log plain/log, etc)

(b) Basic error calculations (like the addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, powers, etc as seen on
http://www.rit.edu/~uphysics/uncertaint ... part2.html )

(c) Some basic electronics (op amps, high-pass & low-pass filters, that sort of thing)

(d) How to use an oscilloscope and how to interpret the resulting signals

The first two are *easy* marks; generally just recognising a formula or reading off a graph--a few easy points with very little effort.

Good luck! --Ing