Physics Laboratory Experiments for the Gifted: Middle and High School

This book teaches gifted students about the scientific method by having them work on real-life scientific problems that have been solved by master scientists in the past. Can be used as a supplementary preparation text in AP Physics B and C. The author has a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, and he is also a skilled teacher of middle and high school students. This unique combination of knowledge and skills has enabled him to write a book of exceptional instructional value for gifted students, particularly those who are gifted in scientific thinking and mathematical reasoning. Every experiment or exercise includes the objective, an explanation of the phenomenon under study, the relevant theoretical framework, detailed experimental procedures, and several relevant problems. The book has four chapters on the Scientific Method, Error Analysis, Plotting Graphs, and Rapid Estimating. The eleven remaining chapters cover The Simple Pendulum, Newton's Law of Motion, The Atwood Machine, Friction, Reflection & Refraction, Buoyancy, Specific Heat, Newton's Law of Cooling, Torque, Topics in Cosmology, and Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion. Also included are five appendices: Specific Heats of Various Substances, Physical and Astronomical Data, Index of Refraction and Density, How to Use EXCEL to Graph, and Format for Writing a Lab Report. "This is a brilliant and stimulating physics instruction book that introduces gifted students to the great minds (e.g., Isaac Newton) and experiments of this important field. Every gifted student should work through it diligently and make it a part of their science library." Francis Sganga, Popular Author of Science and Mathematics Books for the Gifted.