User:David E. Sosa/Notebook/Lab

Learning to use the Oscilloscope

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Oscilloscope Lab Notes I had some trouble at the beginning to set up the oscilloscope. Even though I had set up the signals correctly. I checked and saw the the coupling was incorrectly set up. It was on ground. So I moved it to AC. Why is it no possible to measure less than 10 HZ? The graphs become less and less accurate as we go to higher frequencies. Now time to measure stuff. Now I find out that there 3 different ways for measuring the frequency and the voltage. Counting the squares. Using the cursor Just using the measure feature included in the oscilloscope. First Measurment of Sine wave. Freq 89 HZ Period 11.30 mineseconds. Fall time 3.370 miniseconds. Fall time Measurment= 51.20 miniseconds. Amplitude = 14 Volts time= 97.20 miniseconds V=Vfinal*exp(-t/tau) .90=exp(-t/tau) Fall time. 51.20 miniseconds. Now we solve for tau, which equals= R C\ Oscilloscope Lab Summary Brief summary of what you did (linking to the lab manual page is OK) http://openwetware.org/wiki/Physics307L:Labs/Oscilloscope Oscilloscope Lab Instructions Report your value for the fall time using AC coupling. fall time = 51.20ms Relevant Calculations. Vf=Vo·exp(-t/τ), Vf/Vo=0.1, t=51.20 ms τ=22.23ms Include uncertainty in your measurement! Unfortunately I did not have time to make more than one measurement. I realize how important is the get so uncertanty in the measurement, so next time I will surely make time for more measurements. Explain how you measured this (briefly) I only used the horizontal and vertical cursor. What did you learn? I know now how to more or less control the oscilloscope. I think I achieve a great deal of understanding of the oscilloscope it,even though it was my my time using one. Of course more practice is needed. What could make the lab better next year? I read the many people use the oscilloscope to fix TVs or cars. Wouldn't it be cool to fix a TV using one? Just a thought. Things to improve in the next laboratory. It is always the case that we realize our mistakes not when we are commiting them, but instead much later. The important things is not to fear mistakes but to learn from them as much as one can. So I decided to list a few of the things I think I could have done better and that are definitely going to improve in the following laboratories. I think my notes could been much better. Frankly I am not really used to write everything in the computer. I now Dr. Koch want us to learn that skill, so I'll keep that in mind in the next lab. I did read a few of the sites Dr. Koch recommended about the oscilliscope. The truth is that I could have gotten a better knowledge of the machine before coming to the lab. I will also try to improve my preparation for the next lab. These are the things I will be concentrating in improving next lab.