Melissa Eblen-Zayas, Physics & Astronomy
Date of Report: 6/26/12
Equipment Purchased with the Award
The fund was used to purchase supplies so that Mark Zach could make a set of Young's modulus measurement apparatuses for Phys 142 labs. This apparatus was described in
Niculescu, Adam, and Shumaker, Russell "Apparatus for Measuring Young's Modulus," The Physics Teacher 41, p. 364-367, September 2003.
Impact of Equipment on Teaching
This equipment was incorporated into a new lab for Phy 142 that integrated computation/experimental explorations of materials properties. The goal was to show students the interplay between computation and experiment. Although developed for an introductory physics course, the materials science applications make the material engaging for students from a variety of science disciplines. Although initially built for Phys 142, the equipment has also been used for student work in Phys 260 Materials Science.
Impact of Equipment on Research
This equipment has been valuable in improving the curriculum in the interdisciplinary field of materials science.