Physics Experiment Execution and Analysis
10 weeks · 0 milestones
Design and execute a real physics experiment: state a specific testable prediction from physical theory, collect raw data with documented methodology and measurement uncertainty, perform error analysis (systematic and random errors, error propagation), and compare results to theoretical predictions with a quantitative assessment of agreement. The proof is the complete experimental record including raw data, error analysis, and a written conclusion discussing the comparison to theory. For students without lab access, analysis of a named real physics dataset from CERN Open Data Portal, NASA Exoplanet Archive, SDSS, or LIGO Open Science Center constitutes an equally valid proof — the methodology documentation requirements (data provenance, analysis steps, uncertainty quantification, comparison to theory or published values) are identical to lab work. Reviewed by a physicist who examines the error analysis methodology and asks how the results would change if a specific systematic error were introduced.
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Milestone map
3 milestones
Design a specific physics experiment, identify what physical quantity you will measure, define the measurement protocol, and select either a real physical setup or a computational simulation. Accessible alternative: if physical laboratory equipment is unavailable, a well-designed computational simulation using free tools (Python/scipy, GNU Octave, PhET simulations) can produce equivalent experimental evidence — the data analysis and error treatment are identical for both routes. Real experiments using household equipment (optics with a laser pointer, mechanics with a pendulum, thermodynamics with a water bath) are encouraged when feasible.
Proof required
Submit your experimental design document: the physical quantity being measured, the theoretical relationship being tested, the equipment or simulation tool being used, the measurement protocol (what you will vary, what you will keep constant, how many measurements at each condition), and your uncertainty budget identifying the main sources of measurement error.
What gets checked
- Physical quantity is specific and measurable — not 'investigate how pendulums work' but 'measure the dependence of pendulum period on length and determine g with uncertainty'
- Theoretical relationship is stated before the experiment — the expected mathematical relationship between the variables must be stated in advance so that the data can test it rather than fit it
- Uncertainty budget identifies at least three distinct sources of measurement error — random measurement uncertainty, systematic instrument uncertainty, and at least one physical source (e.g., air resistance in a pendulum, fringe detection in optics)