Eighteen Pentium-class PC's sit in two laboratory rooms and have been equipped with Pasco Science Workshop software for data acquisition and data analysis, and nine more have been recently delivered to equip another laboratory. The interface between laboratory equipment and the computers is provided by Pasco sensors that detect motion, proximity, force, temperature and other physical measurements that would have been done by hand in the past. This often improves the precision of measurements and allows measurements of fast-changing events that would otherwise be impossible. With the software, students can tabulate, analyze and graph data far more efficiently than they could by hand, removing some of the drudgery and letting them focus on the physics. In addition, students get exposure to using computers in a scientific environment.
Students get help on homework, sample quizzes and review sheets.
Students will often sit in the Clinic, working their homework, and are then able to ask a question as soon as they get stuck or if something doesn't look right. Attendance is monitored, and so far the Clinic is well-subscribed. The Clinic maintains hours every day of the week.