Physics Hybrid Lab

PHYS 100AL is the laboratory that accompanies the first algebra-based introductory course on Physics. Due to increased demand, we are having difficulty offering enough sections of this laboratory course unless we renovate and create a new physical laboratory. A way to solve this problem is to “hybridize” the PHYS 100AL. This will allow us to double the capacity of these labs so we can offer fewer sections but still accommodate more students. Our hybrid lab comprises 6 in-class labs which are the traditional labs done in a controlled environment employing specialized and more sensitive equipment plus 6 take-home labs which are experiments that students perform outside on their own schedule. These take-home labs are "wet labs"; they are actual experiments performed with physical objects and not simulations performed on a computer. This reminds the students that science does not happen only inside a lab but is all around us. It also reinforces the importance of errors in any measurement as the take-home labs tend to be less precise due to the simpler equipment used. We also took this opportunity to update the lab manual to introduce the use of EXCEL in data analysis. In addition, although errors in measurements, their treatment and propagation of errors are emphasized in the old lab manual, we find that the majority of the students have a very poor understanding of what they are doing and are not able to interpret their use. The redesigned lab manual incorporates changes to address this problem.