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Level 1 Skills Sessions

During the first half of Michaelmas term, you will conduct a set of experiments designed to familiarise you with the absolute basics of experimental physics: good laboratory practice and record keeping, basic data analysis, and commonly used equipment. The second half of the term consists of three further experiments to continue developing skills, as well as an Enterprise Seminar. The tiles below are examples of past experiments completed by students in previous years. 

Throughout the term, you will receive continuous feedback on all aspects of your work as you develop as scientists, including experimentation, data analysis, and record-keeping.  

Experiments

Circuits 1

This session is an introduction to simple electrical circuits and measurement of voltage, current, and resistance. You will also learn about basic data analysis.

Projectile Motion

You will revisit the simple laws of motion using a projectile launcher, carrying out a simple experiment to analyse different sources of error.

Circuits 2

This session builds on Circuits 1 by introducing oscillatory voltages that are studied using an oscilloscope.
Circuits 2 img link

Bifilar Pendulum

Using a bifilar pendulum, you will become familiar with dimensional analysis and planning your own data collection in a team.
Bifilar Pendulum img link

LRC Circuits

This session investigates AC circuits containing resistors, capacitors, and inductors.

Semiconductors

This session explores semiconductors, including investigating current-voltage characteristics and determining the energy gap of silicon.
Semiconductor image

Radioactivity

This is an introduction to radioactivity and analysing data from random events using Poisson stats. You will also learn about the safe handling of radioactive sources.

Enterprise Seminar

This session is an opportunity to practice thinking outside the box, networking, and seizing opportunities outside of the laboratory.

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