Guide to arduinos and specs

https://www.sparkfun.com/pages/arduino_guide

Project ideas

These project ideas are a mix of brainstorming and what is already available on the internet.


Simple adding machine, using relays to construct XOR and AND gates to add some numbers and use LEDs to display the result in binary notation. (See Ch 6, p 187-216 of Raymer's Silicon Web book)

Electromagnetics:

- Make a simple motor using a loop of wire and a changing magnetic field from a solenoid.

- Demonstrate Lenz's law by recording the current through a loop when a magnet is pushed through.  Students do some simple analysis to show that the observation is consistent with the physical theory.


Atwood's machine - Use a pulley with sensor to record position as a function of time.  Could recycled parts from old computer mice be used?

Laser timing gate -- Students make a device that records the time when an object passes.  This info can be processed to determine speed.  This device can be used to verify conservation of momentum and energy.
- could use to measure period of a pendulum
- could also use ultrasonic distance sensor

Force sensor - could this be accomplished with an accelerometer?

Egg drop - measure acceleration and analyze data, trying to pad an egg from cracking after a freefall from a building.

solar cell simulation

encoding sound into laser light, modulated, and then received by photodetector and using the modulated signal to drive a speaker

arduino oscilloscope -- digital output, or even cooler: send correct signals to an analog monitor

arduino frequency generator - use to drive speaker (and see with oscilloscope) so students can simultaneously hear and see as they turn knobs for frequency and amplitude

theremin?

communication by morse code, fast flashing LEDs that photosensors read and interpret.

lock-in detectors

EKG- recording of a few periods of heart beats

measure speed of sound -- ultrasonic (sonar) distance sensor

measure speed of light -- laser, rotating mirror, photodetector








thoughts:

laser cutting/printing?

Sources for project ideas

I'm very excited about integrating Arduinos into the physics classroom.

There are many project ideas out there on the internet.

Manylabs - great site, with detailed project ideas

Arduino website - good, not as physics-directed specifically, but great inspirations

• arduino forum on science and measurement

Reddit ideas - raw format

Science Learnification - about data acquisition.

• Some useful practical info: 10-bit and sample rate is roughly 100 samples per second, but can do slightly better if memory temporarily stored on-board arduino then sent in packets to computer

Arduino teaching tools - some neat info, not physics specific