Science courses with at-home labs

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by yak342, Jan 10, 2005.

Loading...
  1. yak342

    yak342 Member

    I have taken courses in non-calculus based physics on campus when I was working on my first bachelor's degree. I am working towards a second bachelor's degree in Computer Science and I have to take calculus-based physics. I think an on-campus science lab would be better than an at-home science lab because one would have access to equipment that would not typically be found in someone's home. Since I have experience using the specialized equipment that would be found in an on-campus science lab, do you think it makes a difference now whether or not I take calculus-based physics courses that have at-home labs?
     
  2. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    I know that LSU offers a correspondence calculus based physics course. They don't mention anything about the lab though. You might want to email them and ask.
     
  3. RKanarek

    RKanarek Member

    Dear YAK32,

    You stated that you needed to complete a calculus-based physics course, but then you started discussing physics lab classes. Are you aware that a physics class (calculus or algebra based) does not necessarily include a physics lab class? If you really are required to take a calculus based physics w/lab credit class, then your DL choices are extremely limited. The only such classes I'm aware of are offered by the University of Tennessee (Physics I: http://www.anywhere.tennessee.edu/courselist/CourseDetails.asp?CourseID=204, Physics II: http://www.anywhere.tennessee.edu/courselist/CourseDetails.asp?CourseID=205).

    As for your stated question, does it "make a difference" if you take lab courses by DL, that depends upon what sort of difference you are concerned with. One would have to assume that a DL physics course from a reputable RA university would need to have been designed so as to be able to be successfully completed by DL. If, therefore, the difference you are worried about is the difference in your grade, you probably have little to fear. On the other hand, it would doubtlessly be nice(er) for you (actually us) to be able to tinker about in a real lab. If taking B&M physics courses is an option for you, then why not do it? If it isn't an option, then you really don't have anything to decide. <g>

    Good luck!

    Cordially,
    Richard Kanarek
     
  4. horne

    horne New Member

    Athabasca Univesity (www.athabascau.ca) offers DL via correspondence courses for laboratory calculus-based physics.
     
  5. hikergirl

    hikergirl New Member

    I remember looking into Mountain State University for their Chemistry and Biology classes with labs a few years ago. They were one of the few that offered lab courses. Dunno about the course you're looking at, though. In any case, if the school offers an at-home lab, then it's probably comparable to the school labs as long as it's coming from an accredited school, right? Come to think of it, the ones I looked into had a CD-based lab which seems like a good alternative to going to a B&M school.
     
  6. scross

    scross New Member

    On at-home labs

    It's been twenty years or so, but as I recall the most sophisticated items that I ever laid hands on in my Physics I & II labs were lasers (which were rare and expensive then, but are cheap and ubiquitous now), and student-grade Geiger counters. Almost every other piece of 'equipment' could have been found in a decent hardware store or a place like Radio Shack. Some of the more memorable (read: fun) labs in Physics I involved nothing more sophisticated than vibrating pieces of string (standing waves, harmonics) and tuning forks (natural frequencies, resonance) - in other words, music supplies.

    I've run across a few colleges that provide basic lab kits which are to be augmented with items normally found around the home. If you factor in online science supply houses (a fair number of which produce ready-to-ship kits catering to the burgeoning home-school market), museum shops, hobby shops, teacher's supply stores, and (of course) eBay, I don't imagine that the serious science student would have much trouble outfitting a decent home lab, as long as they have a few dollars to spend.

    Apparently institutions as august as MIT find home-based experiments acceptable (see this link), although I note that they are phasing out this particular Physics 8.02X class and are now moving most of the introductory classes over to their new TEAL format.
     
  7. yak342

    yak342 Member

    When I took non-calculus based physics, I performed experiments that involved force tables, balls rolling down a track, liquid nitrogen, pendulums, etc. Looking back, I think I can duplicate those experiments at home except for the one that involves liquid nitrogen.
     
  8. scross

    scross New Member

    re: yak342

    I neglected to mention it in my post, but my physics courses were calculus-based and were aimed at engineering and science majors. It sounds like you and I probably did a lot of the exact same lab experiments - minus the liquid nitrogen, of course, but I've seen my share of cryogenics and superconductivity experiments elsewhere.

    Most people don't realize (until they actually take these courses) that there generally isn't a direct correlation between what is covered in the classroom and what's done in the lab, anyway. In fact, unless things have changed since my day, you're lucky if there is any real correlation at all - you may do things in the lab that were never covered in the course, or things may be covered in a different sequence, etc. This has been true for all of the lab courses that I've ever taken - general chemistry, organic, physics, biology.

    And home-based LN2 experiments are certainly doable. You can buy a used Dewar off of eBay or elsewhere; apparently they can also be rented from gas suppliers, or there may be a free rental with the purchase of nitrogen. I've seen price quotations of anywhere from 20 cents to $4.25 per liter, depending on quantity purchased and from what source - buying in bulk is cheaper, and buying second-hand from a bulk user is cheaper than buying small amounts at retail, if you can find a cooperative seller.
     

Share This Page