The project was assigned in early January 2005 with a due date of March 3. Students were given the following document, outlining the expectations for the project:
You are a member of a science team
investigating Particle Physics.
Individual background work (everyone is responsible for the following four items):
1. Look at the website http://www2.sjs.org/friedman/PhysAPC/particle.htm
2. Read items 1, 2, 3 and 4 under ‘Physics’.
3. Work through activities 1 and 2 under ‘Activities and Resources’.
4. Answer all questions in Parts One and Two of ‘Particle Physics Questions.’ Keep your answers short and to the point! Turn in this written work as early as possible for bonus points!
Look at any of the other links for additional information if you so require.
Once you have completed the background, your team will choose one of the following projects under ‘Activities and Resources’:
· BaBar – lifetime of the B particle and its antimatter twin
· Muon lifetime
· Wave-particle duality
· Physics of Lasers
· X-ray spectroscopy of chemical elements
· Investigation of stellar composition using spectroscopy
For your chosen project, the team is responsible for working all the activities included; however, you decide the method: work them together, individually or some combination thereof. For any activity that the team members do separately, be sure you get together to thoroughly discuss what you did and what you found.
- Keep a journal as you work. Record the webpages visited, what you found, what you did, etc. Please note any interesting links visited that are not included on the Particle Physics main page.
- Prepare a summary report of experimental findings. Keep this short and to the point. Think of it as a scientific ‘abstract’, including just the key points.
- Your team will make a brief presentation of results to the class (Feb 28 - Mar 2).
- Prepare a ‘reflection’ on this project: what did this project mean to you?
- Write a confidential statement (Mr. Friedman’s eyes only) of your opinion of the contribution that your partner made to your team effort.