David's lab reports page |
IntroductionThis page contains links to lab reports of experiments I have performed in the Hull University physics teaching laboratories (or the torture chamber as I affectionately think of it ). Below is a table of titles and abstracts of the six reports. To the lay person, an abstract is a brief description of what the goal of the exercise was and what was achieved (a kind of synopsis). |
BE PREPARED : These reports could take a while to download. (The largest report is the Photomultipler report, and will even take a while over a 56.7Kbps connection) ATTENTION : I reserve intellectual copyright on these reports. For any students reading this, these are simply examples of report writing. They are neither ideal examples nor verbatim sources to solve your deadline problems. Copying these reports for your own assignments is PLAGIARISM! |
TITLE |
ABSTRACT |
| Exploration of Passive and Active Filters Circuits | In this experiment, the
properties of two types of passive filter circuit were investigated (Low
Pass and Band Pass). Then the behavior of an active filter circuit was analyzed.
The cut off frequency, roll off, and frequency response of both filter types were measured and compared with theory. Data from an active band pass filter was used to reconstruct a wave form from a Thandor signal generator. The active filter was interfaced with a BBC micro computer, so that it's analysis could be displayed |
| Investigation of Magnetic Domains in Yttrium Iron Garnet | This document is an account on a
study of the behavior of magnetic domains in Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG).
The sample of YIG was in the form a thin film, cut perpendicular to the
material's easy axis so that the Faraday effect could be used for
observations of the YIG hysterisic behavior. Other observations made were
in the form of photographic data taken from a microscope focused on the
sample of YIG. These displayed the change in the domain configuration as a
H-Field was applied parallel to the easy axis in varying field strengths.
The field was supplied from a coil contained within the casing of the
sample (the YIG sample was mounted on a transparent substrate of gadlin
gallium garnet within the casing).
A further study of the YIG magnetic domains was that of bubble domains. These are isolated, non-extended domains, the study of such domains demonstrated the elasticity of domain walls and the analogous behavior with liquid surface tension. |
| Exploration of a Photomultiplier tube | This report details tests
performed on a Photomultipler (PM) of unknown specification.
The temporal response and signal amplitude are observed for various load resistances and anode capacitances. The built in capacitance is also determined. The spectral response is also investigated, which leads to a conjecture of the actual PM type and construction (according to specifications listed in the Electron Tubes Ltd/Inc "Photomultiplers and accessories" trade catalogue). |
| Using a Schering A.C. Bridge at low frequency to determine condenser properties. | This experiment was an exercise in balancing a standard Schering A.C. bridge circuit to determine unknown impedances. These circuits are very sensitive to noise and care had to be taken to earth out any noise. This was done by using Co-axial leads for the transmission lines and utilizing the lead screens as a path for the noise current to go to earth. The exercise consisted of measuring four capacitances (and loss factors) and then similarly analyzing a butterfly capacitor with two different dielectrics, Air and Medicinal Paraffin. The data from the Medicinal Paraffin was used to calculate the dielectric constant of the Paraffin. The calculated value was found to be 1.93±0.01. Which is close to the published value of 2.2. |
| Depletion Capacitance | This is an experiment to investigate the properties of a PN junction capacitor. The experiment investigates the bias voltage dependent nature of the capacitance of the junction's depletion layer, and how for certain voltage ranges, the capacitance is, on average, constant. The experimental results are also used to calculate the unbiased junction potential. |
| This experiment investigates the
surface ultrasonic properties of five different materials, primarily Aluminum.
Using theory, it is determined which mode of bulk acoustic wave
(longitudinal or shear) gives rise the surface (Rayleigh) acoustic
waves. For aluminum, the wavelength of the surface acoustic wave (SAW) is determined by experiment. From this and the measured SAW velocity, the frequency of the SAW is calculated. |