Physics Classroom - The Laboratory

Welcome to the Laboratory! Science is different than other subjects. It is not just the subject of science that is different; the entire process of doing science is different. The means by which knowledge is acquired is different in science than it is in history, mathematics, poetry, etc. Science is different because the answers to scientific questions are not found in a textbook or through pondering high and lofty thoughts. Indeed, scientists ponder and hopefully think high and lofty thoughts; and indeed students in science class will find answers in a textbook. But the basis of what scientists believe and why they believe it is not the result of mere thinking or reading in a textbook. The basis of what scientists believe is the result of the careful collection and analysis of laboratory evidence. In any physics class, the differentness of science will be most evident when it comes time for lab.

In Physics and Chemistry class, lab is central. Integral. Sacred. More than a mere place in the back of the classroom, the laboratory is the place where students DO Physics and Chemistry. It is in the laboratory that students learn to practice the activities of scientists - asking questions, performing procedures, collecting data, analyzing data, answering questions, and thinking of new questions to explore. The lab ideas and associated pages in The Laboratory section of this web site are designed to help teachers improve their lab programs by adopting labs with a purpose. There are over 150 lab ideas presented here - but their presentation is much different than the traditional presentation of a lab. The traditional lab comes with a lengthy procedure which dominates the landscape - both the landscape of the distributed paper as well as the landscape of the student mind. The Laboratory attempts to change all this by presenting students with a Purpose, and primarily a Purpose. In the pages at The Laboratory, you will find labs with a purpose.

Each lab contains its Question and the Purpose and a scoring rubric for students. Teachers will find prescribed methods of use, a short philosophical background, extensive teacher guides for every lab, grading rubrics, auxiliary items which can be provided to assist students in the completing of their lab work, and information about using lab notebooks. And to make it as easy as possible to use the labs in the classroom, much of the information is provided to teachers as PDF and Microsoft Word downloads. Once downloaded, the information can be edited, altered, augmented and customized to reflect the teacher's personal style and the unique needs of the students in their classrooms.

The following pages are recommended reading for teachers interested in using this section of the web site.

Chemistry to Come

These labs were created way before our Chemistry Unit was even considered. We finished our Chemistry tutorial in 2026 and have been adding new materials monthly. We hope to have Chemistry labs coming out over the next few years to complement our Tutorial and future Lesson Plans. Thanks for your patience!

Physics Topics

Labs are available for the following Physics topics:

  1. 1D Kinematics (10 Labs)
  2. Newton's Laws (13 Labs)
  3. Vectors and Projectiles (11 Labs)
  4. Forces in 2D (8 Labs)
  5. Momentum, Collisions and Explosions (10 Labs)
  6. Work and Energy (11 Labs)
  7. Circular and Satellite Motion (9 Labs)
  8. Static Electricity (6 Labs)
  9. Electric Circuits (12 Labs)
  10. Vibrations and Waves (8 Labs)
  11. Sound Waves (11 Labs)
  12. Light Waves and Colors (9 Labs)
  13. Reflection and Mirrors (11 Labs)
  14. Refraction and Lenses (10 Labs)
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