Hi, Aaron. I give LAB situations on every exam. Sometimes they are just
"set-up" questions like:
"Find the distance to the clear image" or "Find the focal length of the
lens". (The 'set-up' is a basic optic bench with lens or concave mirror and
candle.) The kids have to measure all necessary quantities without moving
anything and pop out the missing quantity.
Others are more complex. I just gave this one two weeks ago. They had
previously used the basic Newt's 2nd Law stuff with a cart on a table and a
mass hanging over a pulley at the edge. On the exam, I changed the cart to a
mass of their choice in the range 0.25 kg - 2 kg. They then had to, using
the rest of the previously used set-up, calculate the coefficients of
friction between the mass and table. This not only requires them to go one
step above what was done in class, but to be the LAB designer. They must
choose a hanging mass that will actually provide motion and decide if they
want constant velocity or acceleration then what to do with all that data.
Of course, this type of exam question will require the exam itself to last a
little longer, but...
If you need a specific topic, get back to me. I have LAB exam questions for
just about everything. (Still trying to figure out one for that pesky string
theory, but...)
Daryl L. Taylor, Fizzix Guy
PAEMST '96
Internet Educator of the Year '03
Williamstown HS & Engineering Academy, Rowan University NJ
www.DarylScience.com <http://www.DarylScience.com>
609.330.9571
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-----Original Message-----
From: Forum for Physics Educators [mailto:PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu]On Behalf
Of Aaron Titus
Sent: Friday, November 28, 2003 4:49 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: lab final exam
For the first time, I'm going to give a final exam in the lab that
assess students' "lab skills". Does anyone have a final exam they use
or does anyone have good ideas for questions and exercises. I want the
lab to be "hands-on".