Computation and Experimentation as Equal Partners in a Modern Physics Lab Exercise

Abstract

Experience with experimental and computational work are important components of students' understanding of the practice of physics. Physics departments typically use specific experimental lab courses and computational lab courses to develop students' skills in these areas. However these siloed experiences do not accurately represent the nuanced interplay between the theory, computation, and experiment that occurs outside of the curricular setting when physicists are building and testing models of the physical world. To expose students to this interplay, we have integrated computational and experimental work as equal partners within two radioactivity labs that occur within our modern physics lab course - the decay of $^{137}{\rm Ba}$ and the simultaneous decay of two silver isotopes in pre-1965 quarters. We present both of these labs and potential extensions that allow students to iterate on their theoretical, computational and/or experimental models based on what they learn from their initial investigation.