Physics Teaching Facilities

In the matter of physics, the first lessons should contain nothing but what is experimental and interesting to see. A pretty experiment is in itself often more valuable than twenty formulae extracted from our minds. --Albert Einstein

Many physicists, including Einstein, have long recognized the importance of hands-on instruction in the development of students in the physical sciences. More than a decade of detailed research into the learning of physics at several major universities have confirmed this view. In keeping with this perspective, the physics program at BC places a heavy emphasis on hands-on instruction.

• Laboratory Facilities
  • Physics Labs
  • Science Study Center
  • Math Lab
  • NWCET Open Lab
  • Other Computing Labs
• Lecture Demonstration
• Club Phys
• Physics in Real Time
• Laboratories by Course P104, 109 P114-116 P121-123

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Laboratory Facilities
Three Laboratory facilities provide direct support for physics students.

• The Physics Laboratories are located in rooms B144 and B139. Each room is equipped with appropriate laboratory equipment, computers for data collection and analysis, and multi-media support equipment for lectures.
• The Apple Lab supports many of the science division's courses with up-to-date Macintosh computers running a variety of teaching software. The physics program has provided a wide selection of software focused on many of the central topics in our courses. Other applications are available to help you with laboratory reports and data analysis. Instructors frequently assign out of class problems and projects that utilize this facility.
  
• The BC Math Lab is often used by physics students to get help with questions of a mathematical nature.
  

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Lecture demonstrations
As Einstein said "..the first lessons should contain nothing but what is experimental and interesting to see". While your instructor will undoubtedly talk to you during your first lectures, you will also have the opportunity to see directly what he or she is saying. BC actively supports effective lecture demonstrations. A fine collection of experiments and apparatus is used by physics instructors to help bring home the significant points in the lesson.

The physics faculty also supports lecture demonstrations in other disciplines through training those faculty members in the use of the apparatus or by making guest appearances in their courses. If you are a faculty member visiting this page and are interested in physical demonstrations for your classes, contact Robert Hobbs or Chris Gonzalas

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Club Phys
Club Phys is sponsored by the physics department as an open study room where students can meet other students taking physics classes. There is frequently tutorial help available. Check for signs posted in the physics labs for the Club Phys Schedule each quarter.

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Physics in Real Time
Many of the laboratory experiments are supported by computer assisted, real-time data collection and analysis. This allows the students to observe the significant result of an experiment while the original experimental question is still clearly in mind - in fact, while the experiment is still unfolding. For these experiments laborious data analysis is avoided so that the key relationship being established stands out and is immediately accessible to the student. Keep in mind though that, in physics, how you get the answer is often as important as the answer itself. We have designed the labs to try to achieve a balance between immediate results and student driven calculation and analysis. Both are important and both are incorporated in our course offerings.

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