resources
- Excel: We'll often be using Excel (or your preferred spreadsheet program) to organize, analyze, and graph data that we acquire in class. If you have your own computer with Excel, you might want to install the helpful Workshop Physics Macro which makes graphing and curve-fitting a breeze. (This will be installed already on the computers in class.)
- Excel tutorial: Here is a nice online tutorial for using Excel in physics. If you've never used Excel before, you might want to look at this a little before classes start just to get a sense of things. And it's a nice reference to keep in mind for later in the course.
- Histograms: Here is a nice explanation of how to make a histogram in Excel.
- Statistics: Some statistics concepts will occasionally come up in the course (especially in regard to uncertainties of measured values.) Here is a list of resources from a recent statistics course taught here.
- Data Studio: We'll often use a program called Data Studio in class to run various data-collection devices. (Chapter 1 of UP talks about these a bit.) Here is a link to a starter manual for that software, in case you ever want to look at it.
- New Guide to Line Fitting in Excel: I wrote up a quick example of fitting a line (straight or otherwise) to your data in Excel. Check it out!
- And another new guide, this one on lab reports. This handout is often given to Biology students here on campus. Some of the suggestions are a little different than what I discussed in class, but there are many good ideas that are worth reading about and implementing in your future lab reports. Take a look!