Data Analysis and Lab Report

Lab 08 – Data Analysis and Lab Report
Time Spent:
Roughly 2-3 hours
Objective:
Summary review of lab report writing skills and spreadsheet analysis skills
Introduction:
This lab will be a very independent lab report, similar to that done in Lab 06, only now you will
be using your own creative video project, which you have been developing all term long. Keep
in mind that your video project must have included kinematics, two-dimensional vectors, and
rotation. If you cannot find examples of these three items in your video, you will need to revamp
your video.
The lab report will be rather open ended, but you have seven examples from previous labs on
how the report COULD flow. There will be a specific rubric below which can guide you on all the
specifications you need to meet in order to receive full credit. This lab report will be equally
weighted between the physics you research and the spreadsheet analysis that you have used
all term.
Broad Criteria (These must be met or the report will receive a zero grade):
1. 500 words typed, not including graphs.
2. Submitted to SafeAssign for originality report, by uploading it to the Lab 08 link in
Blackboard.
Physics Criteria:
1. Your lab report must include a description of the physics involved in your video, with
proper use of terminology, and an appropriate explanation of the relationships between
the physics principles used in your video – 10 points
2. Your lab report must include an independent research component, where you have
investigated the applications of your video, in a broader sense. If you have taken a
video of driving your car, you might include an investigation into car safety concerns, or if
you took a video of you playing sports, you might consider the physics of professional
sports. This portion must include TWO academic references, not already used in the
course. – 20 points
Spreadsheet Criteria:
1. You must have at least two x-y scatter plots using any standard spreadsheet software
(google sheets, Excel, LibreOffice, OpenOffice, etc.). – 10 points
2. Each graph must include proper naming of the axes, using physical variables (not x and
y), with units, and the data must be spread out enough to visibly see a trend in the data
points. – 5 points
3. Each set of data should have a best fit line which includes a correlation coefficient or
some other statistical calculation as to the relationship between variables in each plot. –
10 points.
4. A descriptive summary of the relationship between the variables in your data plots must
be mentioned in the physics description mentioned above with appropriate use of
scientific terminology (i.e. the force is inversely proportional to the distance, etc.). – 5
points