Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Physics

​​This course teaches laboratory skills and data analysis techniques useful for physics. Students do not need to have prior knowledge of the specific physics concept to complete the labs. Rather, they are told or will derive the relationships between variables as needed.

​Skills students acquire include experimental design to determine the relationship between two variables, linearization of non-linear graphs, use of the slope or y-intercept to determine a physical constant or controlled variable, mathematical modeling of physical situations, graphing by hand and with Excel, and accounting for experimental error. In the final week of the course, students engage in self-guided inquiry to answer a research question of their choosing using the laboratory and data analysis techniques they’ve acquired. This elective class is a prerequisite for AP courses.

Min-Max Credit Hours: 1.0-1.0