EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE “VIRTUAL LABORATORY WORKS ON THE COURSE OF ‘PHYSICS’ FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS”

The authors indicate the importance of computer technologies in modern education, the need for introduction of modern technologies in the learning process. The authors showed that virtual laboratory research in physics can be a good substitute for real laboratory units and will allow students to get the proper practical experience of testing theoretical laws of physics in case of impossibility of experiments with real lab units. Currently there are a large number of educational computer programs in physics including “Virtual laboratory research”. The authors reviewed several programs on the example of the laboratory work “Measurement of conductor specific resistance” and identified their advantages and disadvantages. The article presents an educational computer program of the Siberian State University of Science and Technology “Virtual laboratory research on the course of ‘Physics’ for engineering students” in which you can carry out laboratory work in physics on virtual laboratory facilities in five areas: ‘Electricity and magnetism’, ‘Mechanics’, ‘Molecular physics’, ‘Oscillation and waves’, and ‘Solid state physics’. Section ‘Electricity and magnetism’ consists of four laboratory works ‘Testing Ohm’s law and study of dependence of resistance on parameters of conductor’, ‘Measuring the capacitance of capacitors using an alternating current bridge circuit’, ‘Determination of electrical resistance by method of Whitston’, ‘Definition of horizontal component of Earth’s magnetic field induction’. The section ‘Mechanics’ presents laboratory works ‘Determination of gravitational acceleration by means of an Atwood machine’, ‘Determination of bullet speed by means of a ballistic pendulum’. The section ‘Molecular physics’ presents laboratory work ‘Determination of ratio of heat capacity for air under constant pressure and in constant volume’. The section ‘Oscillations and waves’ presents the laboratory work ‘Study of principle of laser action and evaluation of laser radiation parameters’. The section ‘Solid state physics’ presents laboratory work: ‘Study of temperature dependence of resistance of metals and semiconductors’. To create an effective user interface in this educational computer program we developed a system consisting of four screen forms: Laboratory Unit, Experimental Part, Results of Experiments, Work Order and Guidelines. On the example of laboratory work ‘testing Ohm’s law and the study of dependence of resistance on parameters of conductor’ from the section ‘electricity and magnetism’ authors showed the principle of all laboratory work. The algorithm for performing each task of laboratory work is displayed on the screen in the block ‘Order of work and guidelines’. All tasks of one laboratory work are performed on the same virtual installation; only input parameters and experimental part are changed. Virtual laboratory units presented in this program repeat real physical installations for carrying out laboratory research. The authors have identified the advantages of the computer program “Virtual laboratory research on the course of ‘Physics’ for engineering students” and presented them in this article.

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