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Stretchy Things Lab

29 viewsAdded 2026-06-29Updated 2026-07-02v5: This is the latest version.

Overview

Summary

This is a lab notebook with instructions and starter code for a two week lab on Hooke's Law and stretchy objects in general.

Description

This is a Jupyter lab notebook with markdown instructions and starter code for a two week lab on Hooke's Law and stretchy objects in general. Students are given scaffolding to design an initial activity testing the Hooke's Law model on a metal spring. They are then expected to extend the activity to test whether Hooke's Law applies to other objects and if not try to build a new model.

Student Learning Objectives

Implement practical strategies for mitigating bias when conducting experiments and analyzing data.
Analyze data using least-squares fitting and residuals.
Design high-precision experiments to test models, including identifying interesting variables to test, controlling variables, and reducing uncertainty.
Use prior results to motivate a new research questions.
Manage time by conducting pilot experiments and plotting as you go.

Lab Profile

Experimentation Goals

These experimentation goals are most strongly represented in the explicit learning goals described above:

Student Decision Making

In this lab, students have the opportunity to:

Discovery

Determine results previously known to:

Instructor Guide

Duration

Two sessions, 2 hours each

Equipment Required

Computers / SoftwareBasic Physics Lab Equipment

Implementation Tips

We use LabPro with LoggerPro software for the students to collect data in real time from their force sensors and sonic rangers. It is also OK for them to record readings in an Excel spreadsheet at specified intervals.

How This Fits in Your Course

This activity requires students to have some familiarity with the least squares fitting techniques given in the code and how to interpret their outputs. We usually do this via a homework tutorial assignment.

How is This Resource an Experimentation-Focused Lab

Students design and conduct their own experiments to test and build models. Depending on the experiment they design, their results may or may not be previously known to the instructor. In some cases, they may not even be well-described by researchers.

Files & Links (4)

Download All

📄

Stretchy-Things-Colab.pdf

Instructor Supplement199 KB

PDF of Lab Notebook for Instructor reference

Download

📄

Stretchy_Things.ipynb

Hands-on LabData Analysis Lab25 KB

Python Lab Notebook for Hooke's Law lab

Download

📄

utilities.ipynb

8 KB

Python functions to support code in lab notebook

Download

📄

Intro to Experimental Physics 1110 Syllabus_F25.pdf

Instructor Supplement165 KB

Course syllabus

Download

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Authors

Rachel Merrill

Natasha Holmes

Adrian Madsen

Lauren Bauman

Physics Topics

Classical Mechanics

Course Level

Student Population

License

CC BY-NC-SA

Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike. Others can share and adapt for non-commercial purposes, must attribute and share with the same license.

All Versions

Overview

Summary

This is a lab notebook with instructions and starter code for a two week lab on Hooke's Law and stretchy objects in general.

Description

Student Learning Objectives

Implement practical strategies for mitigating bias when conducting experiments and analyzing data.
Analyze data using least-squares fitting and residuals.
Design high-precision experiments to test models, including identifying interesting variables to test, controlling variables, and reducing uncertainty.
Use prior results to motivate a new research questions.
Manage time by conducting pilot experiments and plotting as you go.

Lab Profile

Experimentation Goals

These experimentation goals are most strongly represented in the explicit learning goals described above:

Student Decision Making

In this lab, students have the opportunity to:

Discovery

Determine results previously known to:

Instructor Guide

Duration

Two sessions, 2 hours each

Equipment Required

Computers / SoftwareBasic Physics Lab Equipment

Implementation Tips

How This Fits in Your Course

How is This Resource an Experimentation-Focused Lab