Virtual and Real Labs for Introductory Physics II
Optics, modern physics, and electromagnetism
By (author) Daniel Erenso

Publication date:
02 November 2021Length of book:
384 pagesPublisher
Institute Of Physics PublishingDimensions:
254x178mm7x10"
ISBN-13: 9780750337137
Virtual and Real Labs for Introductory Physics II: Optics, modern physics, and electromagnetism provides the lab component for Introductory Physics II taught in a remote, on-ground, or a hybrid environment with little or no instructor guidance. The book offers the opportunity to realize these purposes by providing virtual and real lab components. The virtual lab primarily uses free publicly available PhTH online simulation packages for topics commonly covered in Introductory Physics II (optics, electricity, magnetism, and modern physics).
With an individual or combined approach to virtual and real lab activities supplemented by summaries of the basic theory to these topics in each chapter's first section, this book's ultimate purpose is to give students a deeper conceptual understanding of optics, electricity, magnetism, and modern physics.
Key Features
- Addresses the need for virtual and hybrid learning labs brought on by the COVID19 pandemic.
- This book provides virtual lab component that utilizes the PhET online publicly and freely available simulation software.
- Presents virtual labs that replicate on ground real lab activities with the objectives and the step-by-step procedures described in a way for students to complete the lab independently.
- The virtual components of the book are designed for easy online access with embedded links to the PhET simulation site.
- This textbook is designed in a way instructors can upload each individual virtual or real lab sections as an individual module in their institution platform designed for remote online learning.
- Students can download and write their report in the same pdf file using currently availably modern electronic devices.
- In each chapter (in both virtual and real labs), there are quantitative and qualitative conceptual questions and graphical analyses that requires using EXCEL; which all are essential to the learning processes.
The pandemic stimulated the publication of this collection of detailed instructions for 19 different laboratory activities. It appears to be designed to support the laboratory component of an algebra-based introductory physics course on electromagnetism, optics, electronics and early quantum physics. Nearly all of the experiments are presented in two alternative versions: virtual experiments simulated using java applications from the Physics Education Technology project (PhET) followed by a roughly equivalent ‘real’ version. In summary, if an instructor is looking for a set of experimental activities that can be readily switched at will from in-person to virtual, this is a book worth considering for an algebra-based introductory course covering simple optics, early modern physics and electronics. If the Pasco kits are available, little effort would be required to implement the experimental programme.
Michael Belsley, Physics Contemporary, 13 Oct 2022.