Center for Mathematics and Science Education

Texas A&M University - College Station

Physics experiments/activities do not have to be costly in time or resources.  Teachers also do not need to limit their equipment purchases to "high tech" or specialty materials sold exclusively through science supply catalogs.  Many valuable data collection activities can be performed using inexpensive materials that may be purchased from local department, hardware, and/or toy stores.  The activities contained in the chart below represent a few of what I personally consider the "best for the buck" when it comes to introductory physics' essential laboratory activities on a tight budget.  I have used all of them in high school and/or introductory undergraduate physics courses.

Activities similar to these using a variety of materials may be found in numerous lab resource materials.  The purpose of this web page is not to introduce new and/or unique lab activities, but to present some of the most common and valuable lab experiences involving real data collection in a format for use with inexpensive materials.  Activity worksheet documents are presented in both PDF and Microsoft Word format so that they may be easily downloaded, printed, and/or modified according to the individual needs of each user. 

Click on a MS Word or PDF "Worksheet Link" to download an experiment/activity worksheet.   Click on the "To the Teacher" link to view suggestions and information regarding the activity, materials, and approximate costs.  "Other Links" provides links to other web pages with activities/information/simulations related to the chosen physics topic (all links active as of 3/9/2004).