Introduction
PhysisLab provides a comprehensive suite of physics experiments designed for educational purposes. Each experiment can be conducted using multiple measurement approaches, allowing you to choose the method that best fits your available equipment and learning objectives.Available Experiments
Free Fall
Study gravitational acceleration through falling objects using camera tracking, PIR sensors, or audio detection
Pendulum
Analyze simple harmonic motion, period, and energy conservation with video tracking and pivot detection
Spring-Mass System
Investigate Hooke’s law, oscillations, and damping with advanced homography-based tracking
Projectile Motion
Study 2D kinematics with parabolic trajectory analysis and initial velocity calculations
Kinematics
Measure linear motion using camera tracking or time-of-flight distance sensors
Measurement Approaches
PhysisLab experiments support three primary measurement methods:1. Camera-Based Tracking
Use computer vision and OpenCV to track colored objects through video:- Advantages: High spatial resolution, complete trajectory visualization, works with consumer cameras
- Requirements: Camera (webcam or phone), colored markers, adequate lighting
- Best for: Pendulum, spring-mass, projectile motion, kinematics
- HSV color space filtering for robust detection
- Homography and affine transformations for accurate calibration
- Frame-by-frame position tracking with sub-pixel accuracy
- Automated data export for analysis
2. Microcontroller-Based Sensors
Use Arduino or ESP32 with sensors for precise timing measurements:- Advantages: High temporal precision (microsecond resolution), real-time data, low latency
- Requirements: Arduino/ESP32, PIR sensors or ToF sensors, breadboard and wiring
- Best for: Free fall timing, kinematics with distance sensors
- Interrupt-driven timing for accuracy
- Hardware timers for microsecond precision
- Multiple sensor support (PIR, VL53L0X, ultrasonic)
- Digital filtering (EMA, Butterworth, α-β filter)
3. Audio-Based Detection
Use microphone input to detect impact sounds:- Advantages: No hardware required, simple setup, good for timing measurements
- Requirements: Computer with microphone or earbuds with mic
- Best for: Free fall experiments with audible impacts
- RMS-based sound level detection
- Configurable threshold and sensitivity
- Low-latency audio processing
- Latency correction for accurate timing
Physics Principles
Each experiment explores fundamental physics concepts:| Experiment | Key Principles | Measured Quantities |
|---|---|---|
| Free Fall | Gravitational acceleration, uniformly accelerated motion | g, time of fall, velocity |
| Pendulum | Simple harmonic motion, conservation of energy | Period T, frequency, amplitude, damping |
| Spring-Mass | Hooke’s law, oscillations, damping | Spring constant k, damping coefficient, frequency |
| Projectile Motion | 2D kinematics, parabolic trajectories | Initial velocity, launch angle, range, max height |
| Kinematics | Linear motion, velocity, acceleration | Position, velocity, acceleration vs time |
Data Analysis
All experiments include comprehensive data analysis capabilities:- Position tracking with pixel-to-meter calibration
- Velocity and acceleration calculation via numerical differentiation
- Curve fitting (sinusoidal, parabolic, linear) with SciPy
- Statistical analysis with uncertainty quantification
- Visualization using Matplotlib with publication-quality plots
- Export formats for further analysis in spreadsheets or other tools
Getting Started
Next Steps
Start with Free Fall
The simplest experiment to begin your journey
Setup Guide
Configure your environment and hardware