2008-PHYS-339 Project
From McGill University Physics Department Technical Services Wiki
The project section of PHYS-339 Measurements Lab is the final big pay off. For the last 3 to 4 weeks (depending on the calendar and political winds) the students are able to apply the techniques they have learned to a project of their choosing. While there are some experiments which are listed for students who lack the enthusiasm to propose their own project, students are strongly encouraged to find something which fits the requirements and capabilities of the course and in which the students are personally interested.
Introduction
As mentioned in the course description, the last four weeks of this course form a project experiment which you select from the attached list or devise yourself. In either case you will retain complete control over the techniques and objectives of the experiment as we will not be preparing the handout/guide -- you will.
When you have selected a project, you should do some background reading a prepare a proposal. We will be happy to discuss the project and proposal at any time after you have done some preparation and have some concrete suggestions of your own. By the submission deadline you should have a fair idea of what you can do in four weeks so keep your expectations realistic.
The proposal should outline the physics involved in the experiment and contain a detailed list of objectives and expected results. The should also be a discussion of any analysis procedures you expect to use. It should serve as a guide both to you, when conducting the experiment, and to us. when grading the report. A key part of the proposal is the agenda: a description of what you expect to get done each week -- this will serve to keep you on track and allow us to monitor your progress. Finally it should contain a list of references you have consulted during the preparation of the proposal and expect to use while you are carrying out the work. The proposal must not exceed four pages in length.
Available Projects
The following projects are available. Where applicable, equipment limitations are indicated. Remember that none of these experiments provide a guide on how to proceed, this is your responsibility. You may note that Peltier/Seebeck Effect has been removed since last year, this is not an oversight, it was deliberate.
Resonant RLC Circuits
The Labmaster can be configured to trigger ADC conversions upon a TTL edge which can be generated by the i9513 timer/counter; this will allow more precise time control than was evident in the function generator exercise. Both the frequency response and temporal response of various RLC circuits can be measured. This starting point could be extended in a number of possible directions such as a high-precision capacitance / inductance meter or studies of the effect of dielectric/ferromagnetic cored upon inductance.
Capacitance of the P-N Junction
A reverse-biased diode exhibits a capacitance which is a function of the reverse bias. Since the capacitance is of order 50~pF some care needs to be taken in the design of the measurement.
Franck-Hertz Experiment (1 setup)
In 1925 James Franck and Gustav Hertz were awarded a Nobel prize for "their discovery of the laws governing the impact of an electron upon an atom." Their results can be replicated by observing the energy distribution of electrons after being accelerated through mercury vapour. The effect of electrons transferring kinetic energy to mercury atoms by promoting bound electrons into excited states can be observed as periodic fluctuations in the current as a function of the accelerating potential.
Characteristics of Transistors
With some simple additional electronics it is possible to automate the process of generating "handbook" characteristic curves for bipolar and field-effect transistors.
Resistance of a Thermistor
Thermistors are narrow band-gap semiconductors which are used as thermometers due to the great sensitivity of the resistance as a function of temperature.
Optical Polarization
Certain molecules, for example glucose and fructose, have the property that they rotate the polarization of transmitted light. The angle of rotation if a function of wavelength. Using an stepping motors to control both an interferometer and polarizing filters, it would be possible to investigate this phenomena.
Differential Thermal Analysis
DTA is a technique where a a test sample and an inert sample are heated or cooled under identical conditions, while recording the temperature difference between the samples. When a phase change occurs in the sample the absorption or liberation of heat will be observed in the temperature difference between the sample and the reference. Applying the techniques demonstrated in the servo control lab, a DTA system can be implemented.
Selected Projects
- Optical Polarization - Kulkarni-Whiteway - Ashish and Eric
- Rotation of Plane Polarized Light by Glucose and Fructose - Mitrou-Tacik - Ellis and Nick
- Optical Activity of Enantiometers - Carr-StLouisLalonde - Bryan and Bastien
- Characteristic Curves of Transistors - Quill-Hwang - Kimberly and Juliene
- Temperature Dependence of the Speed of Sound - Hanna-Taucer - Trevor and Marco
- Monochromator - Tyler-AlHashimi - Jonathan and Sayed
- On the Charge-to-Mass Ratio of an Electron - Griffin-King - Sean and Samuel
- Franck-Hertz - Cielecki-Moros - Arthur and Marc
- Optical Polarization - Ellis-Leskewitch - Katelyn and Travis
- Speed of Standing Waves in Gases - Desgagne-Julien Vanessa and Philippe
- Chaos in a Faucet - Bezbora-Chalcraft - Arhan and Christopher
Projects performed in previous years
- 2006
- 2005 - this part is a bit incomplete, it was supposed to be updated by the students involved ... they lost interest around the time of report submission!
- 2002
- 2000
