Physics 244 is a crucial course as it explains more about the modern physics and how carry out certain experiments in the laboratory. Ideally, this course offers the students a chance to learn practical application of different concepts in physics. In this way, they are able to engage microscopic world and learn various elements, such as electrons and atoms among others, and how they influence the physical world. Through laboratory sessions, students are able to comprehensively understand the qualities, characteristics, and application of these elements in to daily activities and objects. Therefore, theoretical and practical experience will equip the students with the necessary knowledge to learn more about electrons, atoms, nuclei, and molecules, which have a significant impact on the physical world.

Typically, the laboratory experiments provide suitable knowledge for students to have a broader perspective regarding the modern world, as well as gaining an understanding on different scientific concepts. Such opportunities will also help me to have a clear understanding of all the ideals and concepts leant in this course. Technically, laboratory experiments represents an ideal environment for students to apply and gain important knowledge, which they can use to develop other crucial concepts and scientific materials. These experience help students to gain essential skills not only in the academic atmosphere but also in real life; therefore, making students develop all-rounded life skills.

Typically, the following laboratory policies play a very crucial role in the laboratory area.

For example, a particular policy for the students to always follow instructions when in the laboratory can play a significant role in preventing them from endangering themselves as well as other students. Moreover, the following guidelines help in preventing the students from ruining the experiments which are being performed. The cases of accidents to occur in the laboratory are also put at the minimal which are likely to cause damages to the equipment and eventually causing harm to the students. As a student when one fails to follow instructions he or she may stand a chance of being suspended from school; therefore policies play a significant part.

Additionally, knowing the location of the safety equipment is also a lab policy that should be followed. This policy will assist the students in being aware of where the laboratory equipment are stored and their uses. Students will also be able to check whether the equipments are in the working order. Dressing appropriately for the lab is also an important policy that should be followed. Proper dressing for the lab experiments will help in preventing injuries in case an accident may occur in the laboratory. For examples, during performing laboratory experiments there are great dressing that should be worn.They include the following; protective gear is one of them, gloves and hearing protection, as well as protective clothing.

Drinking or Eating in the laboratory is another crucial policy that should be followed. Eating in the laboratory is prohibited as there is the likelihood of the food being contaminated with chemicals as well as experiments. Moreover, when dining in the lab, it is likely to disrupt students as they perform; therefore, it is not advisable.

Another laboratory policy that should be followed involves disposing of the waste after the experiment is done. It is not right to leave the waste after the experiment is done for the next student to clean them. Additionally, knowing what to do in case an accident in the laboratory occurs is very crucial. For example, students are usually advised to inform the instructors in case such an accident happen.

Experiment entails the coulomb balance. Therefore, the objective of the lab was to assist the students in gaining an understanding of how the Coulomb law works through taking measurements of the force between two charged spheres as a function of distance. Additionally, the lab was aimed at investigating the impact of systematic errors found on the measurements. Furthermore, at the end of the experiment, the students would be able to understand the challenges of modeling real charged systems as point charges. Therefore, the required equipments include the coulomb torsion balance. In this case, there was the placing of the balance in place as demonstrated in the figure below.

Additionally, the twisting of the wire back again was done by the experimenter to accomplish the equilibrium. The high voltage was employed in charging of the identical spheres. The experiment was used to confirm the coulomb that was studied in class. The Coulomb law discusses about the existing force between two charged particles.

In experiment 2, field mapping was covered. The primary purpose of the lab was to learn how the electric field can be mapped in regards to the field lines as well as the exponential surfaces. Additionally, the experiment was aimed at assisting the students in learning how they can determine the field magnitude as well as its direction by measuring the potential gradient.

Therefore, the DMM was employed in measuring the potential difference at different points. Additionally, the conductive surface with electrodes was also required. Besides, a power supply and a recording material which in this case a graph paper was necessary. When measuring the potential difference, the ground is considered, and the negative terminal is supposed to be always connected to the ground. Therefore, the impacts of how the charge is distributed can be realized by using the electric fields. From the results and the graph which was drawn from the results, the potential difference represents the gradient of the electric potential. Moreover, the magnitude of the electric field is used to determine how fast the electric potential is. Typically, the electric field moves from the more substantial potential to the lower potential. The electric field is visible on the electrical field lines. The students were given a warning not to put any mark or write on the conductive surface to prevent from interfering with the uniformity of the conductive paper.

In experiment four, it involved electrostatic capacitance. The experiment explores how Guss law is applied to the conductive object. Additionally, the lab is aimed at exploring the relationship of the charge stored in a parallel plate capacitor and its geometry. Apparatus and equipment include a source of charge, a proof of plane as well as an electrometer. The experiment was conducted with guidance provided and the help of the lab technician.

Additionally, the teams were cautioned not touch any conducting material directly as it may be under high potential. The topic assisted the students in understanding the topic of capacitance better. Therefore, they were able to utilize those concepts learned in class in real life.

R= ρ  L A

Where;

L= length

ρ= resistivity

A= cross sectional area

In experiment 6, it involves measuring the current in a multiloop circuit and comparing them with the values of the current that was calculated. The experiment is based on the principle Of Kirchhoff's rules. Therefore, this rule tells about the sum of the currents in a junction that adds up to zero. In this lab, a circuit which has known values of resistance is built in the protoboard. Using the circuit, the current as a function of the voltage at different locations were measured. A graph was plotted for emf against the current to help in determining if the slope was equal to the resistance values of the resistors. The concept of electric potential and an electric field is applied in this experiment. The electric potential infers to the potential energy per unit charge. Therefore, finding the potential difference, determining the work on a unit charge was done. The work performed represents the potential difference between the final as well as initial points. The concepts of this experiment are fundamental in the day to day engineering activities in the field of design of electric circuits. Additionally, the idea is employed in troubleshooting for electronic faults in electronics and the electrical circuits with a mesh loop topology.

In experiment seven it is about the Rc circuits. Then the lab aims to explore the discharge behavior of an RC circuit. Therefore, it would involve, measuring the value of the capacitor from the discharge feature of the RC circuit. Finally, the experiment aims at applying the LCR Bridge when measuring the capacitance. For an RC circuit, a capacitor charges when a voltage source is connected to the capacitor. The charged capacitor can discharge through the resistor when the voltage source is disconnected. Thus, the law of the. Kirchhoff’s voltage can be employed in finding the expression of the voltage drop across the capacitor.

In the lab, a known value of the resistor was employed in discharging a capacitor. The capacitor was connected to the circuit and as the capacitor was being removed. Then the drop in voltage was recorded for every 20 seconds. Additionally, a graph of the natural log of voltage drop initial voltage was plotted whose slope would provide the inverse of the time constant of the RC circuit. An RC circuit is an essential component of power automatic regulation devices. The discharge and the charging of the capacitor are employed as inverters to help in smoothening of the output voltage. The capacitor is also employed in reactive power regulation. Additionally, the capacitor bank is applied in control of the reactive power. The capacitor plates are the same as electric dipoles. Additionally, some charges exist of equal size with opposite charges in the plates of the capacitor. Some distance, d separate the charges.

The experiment is about the e/m apparatus, electron source, glass bulb, and Helmholtz coils to measure the mass charge ratio of an electron using the deflection of particles in a magnetic field. This lab represents the velocity selector application. Additionally, the mass charge ratio was determined at the point when the magnetic force exactly cancels with the electric force. The equation of the motion of the electron in a magnetic field helps in determining the expression of the ratio of charge to mass. Besides, the experiment of the measurement of e/m needs a good knowledge of the magnetic field. Moreover, the equation of the motion of an electron represents a magnetic field to what was covered in class in assisting in determining the forces in the magnetic field. Therefore, the equation begins from the Lorentz law. In determining the charge to mass ratio that may be utilized in mass spectrometry. In such an instance, the mass of a particle can be determined by studying the electron charge of the particle.

Experiment 10 is about the law of Faraday. The objective of the experiment is to investigate the generation of the electromotive force found in the coil when it is exposed to a time-dependent magnetic field. Additionally, the experiment examines emf which is produced in a rotating coil in a fixed magnetic field. The experiment is base on Faradays’s represents the emf induced expression. Usually, an emf is generated when the electromagnetic is induced.

Therefore, the produced emf is provided by;

E=−N d ∅

dt

In this case, N represents the number of loops found in a coil. Additionally,   ∅   it means the magnetic flux and dt is changed in time. The knowledge of magnetism and the magnetic field is used in this experiment. Then the experiments that are employed in the experiment are obtained from the equations of Maxwell and Helmholtz. Additionally, Lens’s laws support the continuity of the generation of emf. This experiment is very crucial in electrical engineering as the electric energy is produced basing on the law of Faraday.