Our Physical Science Labs
7 focused lab activities that integrate seamlessly with your curriculum and learning objectives. Students are randomly assigned unique datasets to enhance academic intergrity.
Complete background readings, procedures, and lab report forms are included.
Lab experiments may be repeated as often as needed.
Motion and Forces
Covers position, velocity, acceleration, forces, and Newton's laws.
Learning Objectives Include
- Describe motion in terms of position, velocity, and acceleration
- Distinguish between scalar and vector quantities
- Apply and interpret Newton's laws of motion
- Apply free-body diagrams to determine net force
- Use Newton's second law to determine coefficients of static and kinetic friction
- Interpret and use velocity vs time data plots
Energy Conservation
Students explore potential energy, kinetic energy, and conservation of energy.
Learning Objectives Include
- Define energy, kinetic energy, and potential energy
- Discuss the different types of potential energy
- Explain the law of conservation of energy
- Contrast mechanical energy and total energy
- Apply conservation of energy principles to solve problems
- Determine spring constants
- Determine coefficients of restitution
- Interpret and use energy vs time data plots
Heat Transfer and Specific Heat
Students explore temperature, internal energy, and heat transfer.
Learning Objectives Include
- Define temperature, internal energy, and heat transfer
- Discuss and explain thermal equilibrium
- Compare and contrast different methods of heat transfer
- Determine heat transfer
- Calculate specific heat capacity
- Interpret and use temperature vs time data plots
Lenses and Mirrors
Students explore image formation, magnification, lens and mirror equations.
Learning Objectives Include
- Discuss converging and diverging lenses
- Discuss converging and diverging mirrors
- Define and determine focal distances
- Explore real image formation by lenses and mirrors
- Measure object and image distances
- Define and calculate magnification
- Calculate focal distances of a lenses and mirrors
Radioactive Decay
Students explore atoms, isotopes, elements, types of radiation, and half-life.
Learning Objectives Include
- Define atom, isotope, and element
- List and discuss the components of atoms
- Describe radioactive decay
- Identify types of radiation
- Describe the concept of radioactive half-life
- Determine radioactive half-life
- Interpret and use decay rate vs time data plots
Heat of Reaction
Students explore chemical reactions, exothermic and endothermic reactions.
Learning Objectives Include
- Define temperature, internal energy, heat transfer, and thermal equilibrium
- Contrast different methods of heat transfer
- Determine heat transfer during chemical reactions
- Contrast exothermic and endothermic reactions
- Calculate number of moles
- Calculate heat of reaction per mole
- Interpret and use temperature vs time data plots
Acids and Bases
Covers acids, bases, pH, neutralization reactions, and titration curves.
Learning Objectives Include
- Define acids, bases, and pH
- Describe hydrogen ion transfer in acid and base aqueous solutions
- Discuss the pH range of common solutions
- Interpret and explain pH changes during a chemical reaction
- Explore strong acid-base reactions
- Calculate number of moles
- Determine concentration
- Calculate pH from concentration
- Interpret and use acid-base titration curves
Our Physical Science Labs
7 focused lab activities that integrate seamlessly with your curriculum and learning objectives. Students are randomly assigned unique datasets to enhance academic intergrity. Complete background readings, procedures, and lab report forms are included. Lab experiments may be repeated as often as needed.
Motion and Forces
Covers position, velocity, acceleration, forces, and Newton's laws.
Learning Objectives Include
- Describe motion in terms of position, velocity, and acceleration
- Distinguish between scalar and vector quantities
- Apply and interpret Newton's laws of motion
- Apply free-body diagrams to determine net force
- Use Newton's second law to determine coefficients of static and kinetic friction
- Interpret and use velocity vs time data plots
Energy Conservation
Students explore potential energy, kinetic energy, and conservation of energy.
Learning Objectives Include
- Define energy, kinetic energy, and potential energy
- Discuss the different types of potential energy
- Explain the law of conservation of energy
- Contrast mechanical energy and total energy
- Apply conservation of energy principles to solve problems
- Determine spring constants
- Determine coefficients of restitution
- Interpret and use energy vs time data plots
Heat Transfer and Specific Heat
Students explore temperature, internal energy, and heat transfer.
Learning Objectives Include
- Define temperature, internal energy, and heat transfer
- Discuss and explain thermal equilibrium
- Compare and contrast different methods of heat transfer
- Determine heat transfer
- Calculate specific heat capacity
- Interpret and use temperature vs time data plots
Lenses and Mirrors
Students explore image formation, magnification, lens and mirror equations.
Learning Objectives Include
- Discuss converging and diverging lenses
- Discuss converging and diverging mirrors
- Define and determine focal distances
- Explore real image formation by lenses and mirrors
- Measure object and image distances
- Define and calculate magnification
- Calculate focal distances of a lenses and mirrors
Radioactive Decay
Students explore atoms, isotopes, elements, types of radiation, and half-life.
Learning Objectives Include
- Define atom, isotope, and element
- List and discuss the components of atoms
- Describe radioactive decay
- Identify types of radiation
- Describe the concept of radioactive half-life
- Determine radioactive half-life
- Interpret and use decay rate vs time data plots
Heat of Reaction
Students explore chemical reactions, exothermic and endothermic reactions.
Learning Objectives Include
- Define temperature, internal energy, heat transfer, and thermal equilibrium
- Contrast different methods of heat transfer
- Determine heat transfer during chemical reactions
- Contrast exothermic and endothermic reactions
- Calculate number of moles
- Calculate heat of reaction per mole
- Interpret and use temperature vs time data plots
Acids and Bases
Covers acids, bases, pH, neutralization reactions, and titration curves.
Learning Objectives Include
- Define acids, bases, and pH
- Describe hydrogen ion transfer in acid and base aqueous solutions
- Discuss the pH range of common solutions
- Interpret and explain pH changes during a chemical reaction
- Explore strong acid-base reactions
- Calculate number of moles
- Determine concentration
- Calculate pH from concentration
- Interpret and use acid-base titration curves