{"id":19102,"date":"2020-12-15T16:44:40","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T16:44:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=19102"},"modified":"2023-06-08T18:24:15","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:24:15","slug":"pandemic-physics-lab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2020\/12\/15\/pandemic-physics-lab","title":{"rendered":"In-person learning necessary at physics lab"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Student
Dakota Bunger adjusts voltage to accelerate the electrons in a Franck-Hertz tube to facilitate collisions with argon atoms. Mark Stone photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A community college transfer, Cort Thoreson started courses at the University of Washington Bothell for a Bachelor of Science in Physics in autumn quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He knew that most teaching would be remote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to accept that this is the world we\u2019re living in, but I\u2019m motivated,\u201d he said, adding that professors have done a great job, given the circumstances. Three of his courses were entirely online but not the Introduction to Experimental Physics lab<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the weirdest class of the entire year because it has to be an in-person class,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remote learning just won\u2019t work with the lab because, to name just one reason, they have to keep a close eye on the radioactive polonium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forces at work <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Ryan McGarry listens to Subramanian Ramachandran, on the monitor. Mark Stone photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A bridge between introductory and advanced courses, the lab (BPHYS 231) is offered only in autumn quarter, so Physics majors can\u2019t skip it and stay on track. This fall, Subramanian Ramachandran, a part-time lecturer in the School of STEM since 2013, taught the course to 21 students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After opening lectures on the basics, which he conducted by teleconference, it was lab time. Students began a series of experiments designed to showcase key findings in physics, such as the speed of light and atomic energy levels. The hardware is not only big, it\u2019s also expensive or potentially hazardous, Ramachandran said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn about radioactivity \u2014 how to measure alpha, beta and gamma rays, and how to mitigate damage \u2014 students work at a station with samples of polonium, strontium, cobalt, carbon and cesium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven these small quantities are highly regulated\u201d through the UW Environmental Health & Safety Department and the lab manager, Ramachandran said. \u201cWe keep a tight lid on who gets it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the radiation exercise, students reproduced the Franck-Hertz atomic energy experiment, measured the speed of light with a spinning mirror, calibrated a temperature sensor, studied mechanics with pendulums and used lasers and a spectrometer. It\u2019s not the kind of work anyone can do remotely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lab convened for three hours, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Pre-pandemic, teams of four students would progress across the lab\u2019s six stations for the various experiments. This fall, half as many were in the room at any one time. On Tuesdays, students worked in twos in the lab with the other two partners watching on a webcam. Then, on Thursdays, they traded places. Teams completed one experiment a week then moved to the next station. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gravity of the situation <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Student
Jewell Carr prepares to measure a pendulum’s time period of oscillation to calculate the moment of inertia. Mark Stone photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unusual times require unusual protocols, Ramachandran said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the scheduling adjustments, there were separately marked entry and exit doors for the lab in Room 368 of Discovery Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone wore masks, observed the 6-feet-distancing marks on the floor and stayed on opposite sides of work tables. \u201cWe are being extra careful,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coronavirus precautions make sense but were difficult to maintain sometimes, Thoreson said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe challenging part is actually performing the experiment because usually it requires two or more people being very close together, like trying to adjust lenses or mirrors,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite all the handicaps, it was worth it, said Jewell Carr, who is planning to graduate in spring 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile being more challenging than previous quarters, the experience of getting your hands on the equipment in a lab class is invaluable, and I am glad to have been given the opportunity,\u201d Carr said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning leverage <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Students
Dakota Bunger (foreground) at the Franck-Hertz apparatus, which uses argon. In the background, Ryan McGarry and Jewell Carr, study oscillations in a physical pendulum. Mark Stone photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In one sense, the spacing restrictions were advantageous, Ramachandran said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s because having teams of two students each is better than teams of four at giving each individual the full force of participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dWhether we like it or not, there seems to be some positive because each activity is done by a smaller group,\u201d he said. \u201cThe two students in the lab are getting the most out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one got by only watching. \u201cThey have to really do it,\u201d Ramachandran said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, it forced all four members of each team to fully collaborate in measurements and data collection. \u201cThis has given us a very disciplined way of doing it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos were taken following appropriate coronavirus safety protocols.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While most courses at the University of Washington Bothell are being held remotely during the pandemic, the physics lab must be an in-person experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202,249,204],"tags":[],"school":[421],"class_list":["post-19102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-campus-news","category-coronavirus","category-students","school-school-of-stem"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":null,"link_2":null,"link_3":null,"link_4":null,"link_5":null},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":null,"button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nIn-person learning necessary at physics lab - 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