NEXUS/Physics > InstructorsHomePage > NEXUS Laboratories
For guidance on how the labs are designed and intended to be used, see the page
In addition to exploring the physics of random motion at the microscopic level, the lab provides an introduction to valuable research tools: ImageJ for the capture and processing of video data, and Excel for quantitative analysis. The first few weeks involve activities that introduce students to the use of these tools and to the concept of error analysis.
The labs are intended to be done in groups of four. (For the structure, refer to Introduction to the Scientific Community Lab, and introduction for students.)
In the first week, (Lab 1, Part 1), the students report is simply a printout of their Excel spreadsheet, along with a short description of what each graph says about the motion of the amoeba. with the data and graphs appropriately prepared for presentation. This gives students a chance to get detailed feedback on the data presentation portion of their work prior to their first full lab report (Lab 1, Part 2). Later lab reports are only written for the entire lab (2-3 weeks) and should be prepared throughout.