Electricity and Magnetism Projects - Physics 240

There are many projects which relate concepts in electricity and magnetism to physical systems. Each individual student should choose such a system to investigate in some detail. You should read about the system, design an experiment, do some theoretical calculations before starting, carry out the experiment, apply the appropriate mathematics, carry out an error analysis, and make conclusions. Each student should write his/her own written report and make an oral report to the class (Dec 5, 2007). The actual data taking should require about two hours.

The report should include:

• A. Objectives, clearly stated. Background information on the historical motivation.
• B. Equipment, listed, described, and sketched.
• C. Procedure, described so that it could be replicated by someone else.
• D. Data, original data sheets and well-organized spreadsheet tables of the same data.
• E. Analysis of the data, statistical, graphical, and error propagation of experimental uncertainties.
• F. Conclusions, discussion of the results, comparison with expected values if appropriate.
• G. Suggestion for future work in this field and for improving the experiment.

General topics for projects:
Many systems involve electricity or magnetism in some way.
Does the system ever become chaotic? Under what conditions?
Does the system display resonnance when driven? Under what conditions?

It is recommended that you consult me about the feasibility of a possible project and about borrowing books and equipment from the physics stockroom. Remember that SAFETY is a prime concern.

Some generally useful equipment we have at hand: Universal Lab Interface with LoggerPro and various probes and sensors (motion detectors, photogates, probes for temperature, force, magnetic field, sound, pressure, etc.), power supply, function generator, oscilloscope, electrical meters, microphone, magnets, solenoids, Radio Jove 20.1 MHz antenna and receiver, ham radio rig.

Ideas can be found listed below and also in the American Journal of Physics, and in The Physics Teacher magazine. Photocopies of instructions and of the articles listed below are in the notebook in RI-261.

References:
Enns, Richard H., and McGuire, George C., Lab Manual for Nonlinear Physics with Maple for Scientists and Engineers, Birkhauser Publishing, Boston, 1997
Kutscher, Eugene, Physics Research Activities, Alpha Publishing, Annapolis, MD, 1988

Here are a few specific ideas.

• 1. Piezoelectric crystal (see Mark Whitener, Chemistry)
• 2. Electrphoresis gel (see Jim Dyer, Chemistry)
• 3. Anharmonic potential, magnetism vs. gravity (Enns and McGuire, #3)
• 4. Build a photogate
• 5. Nonlinear LRC circuit (Enns and McGuire, #5)
• 6. Build a voice-to-light communication system
• 7. Tunnel diode self-excited oscillator (Enns and McGuire, #7)
• 8. Forced Duffing equation (Enns and McGuire, #8)
• 9. Focal point instability (operational amplifier) (Enns and McGuire, #9)
• 10. Build a theremin (kit) and play a song on it
• 11. Stable limit cycle (Wien bridge oscillator) (Enns and McGuire, #11)
• 12. Van der Pol limit cycle (Wien bridge oscillator) (Enns and McGuire, #12)
• 13. Relaxation oscillations (neon bulb) (Enns and McGuire, #13)
• 14. Build a crystal radio
• 15. Relaxation oscillations (tunnel diode) (Enns and McGuire, #15)
• 16. Observing radio bursts from the sun (Radio Jove 20.1 MHz))
• 17. Observing radio emissions from the Jupiter and Io system (Radio Jove)
• 18. Nonlinear resonance curve (electrical) (Enns and McGuire, #18)
• 19. Nonlinear resonance curve (magnetic) (Enns and McGuire, #19)
• 20. Subharmonic magnetic response and period doubling (Enns and McGuire, #20)
• 21. Diode period doubling (Enns and McGuire, #21)
• 22. Magnetic power spectrum (Enns and McGuire, #22)
• 23. Entrainment and quasiperiodicity in a diode (Enns and McGuire, #23)
• 24. Quasiperiodicity in a neon bulb (Enns and McGuire, #24)
• 25. Investigate a ferrofluid
• 26. Magnetic route to chaos (Enns and McGuire, #26)
• 27. Driven spin toy (Enns and McGuire, #27)
• 28. Measure the Coulomb constant
• 29. Motor with optical control
• 30. Magnetic torque oscillator
• 31. Test batteries in parallel
  Also you may
• a) Change a kit in some way and explain it clearly.
• b) Buy and make a more difficult kit such as a robot, and explain it.
• c) Change a lab experiment in some way. (Such as measure R vs. T for some other metal coils, for some other thermistors, for other non-ohmic circuit elements, or generate the EM fields of a complex molecule, ...)
• d) Make a capacitor with paper and aluminum foil and charge it with a high voltage. Measure the change in frequency of the discharge as the foil gets more and more holes in it.

• 1. Piezoelectric crystal - Cesar M.
• 3. Anharmonic potential, magnetism vs. gravity - John B.
• 4. Make a photogate - Mark B.
• 6. Build a voice-to-light communication system - Liz T.
• 10. Theremin - Ted G.
• 13. Relaxation oscillations (neon bulb) - Ed K.
• 14. Build a crystal radio - Kwang B.
• 19. Nonlinear resonance curve (magnetic) - Jose B.
• 20. Subharmonic magnetic response and period doubling - Nick M.
• 25. Investigate a ferrofluid - Tim B.
• 26. Magnetic route to chaos - Ed K.
• 27. Driven spin toy - Dawn H.
• 29. Motor with optical control - Will D.
• 30. Magnetic torque oscillator - Greg M.
• b. kit - Edme S.
• Coil gun - Jon N.
• Rail gun and Gauss rifle - Wesley W.
• CNC automation of stepper motors - Sam P.

Phil has not chosen a project yet.