The physics and engineering program is housed in the Carver Science Building. Carver Science is also home to the Biology, Math, and Computer Science Departments. All physics labs are in the lower level of Carver Science.
Introductory Physics Lab
This, our largest lab, supports all introductory laboratory sections. The lab is equipped with a computer laptop cart with wireless printer, Vernier instrumentation supporting experiments in motion, force, energy, momentum, waves, optics, electricity and magnetism.
Intermediate Physics Lab
This lab supports our Experimental Physics I and II courses. It is equipped with apparatus for performing well known experiments such as measuring electron charge to mass (e/m), x-ray diffraction, photoelectric effect, blackbody radiation, magnetic torque, and atomic spectroscopy. Other instrumentation includes a large electromagnet, various power supplies, lock-in amplifiers, various telescopes, a fiber optic spectrometer, and more.
Laser Lab
This lab supports our Introduction to Laser Science course as well as some small research projects. The main instrument in this lab is the 1.2 MW pulsed nitrogen laser. This laser produces ultraviolet laser pulses less than one-billionth of a second in duration (~1 nanosecond). The output of this laser is almost exclusively used to “pump” (or power) a student built tunable dye-laser. The dye-laser pulses may be tuned to almost any visible color. Other instrumentation in the lab includes a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer, different colored helium neon lasers, a large optical table for projects, various light detectors, a wide range of optical components for experiments in atomic spectroscopy, interferometry, fiber optics, and laser physics.
Research Lab
Half of this lab is currently being used by the physics club to work on various projects such as the solar panel project. The other half is dedicated to atomic and laser spectroscopy research. To learn more about the research being done here please see Professor Olsgaard’s research page. Students involved in projects or research have personal access to the lab.