This new book aims to guide both the experimentalist and theoretician through their compulsory laboratory courses forming part of an undergraduate physics degree. The rationale behind this book is to show students and interested readers the value and beauty within a carefully planned and executed experiment, and to help them to develop the skills to carry out experiments themselves.

The market leader for the first-year physics laboratory course, this manual offers a wide range of class-tested experiments designed explicitly for use in small to mid-size lab programs. The manual provides a series of integrated experiments that emphasize the use of computerized instrumentation. The Sixth Edition includes a set of "computer-assisted experiments" that allow students and instructors to use this modern equipment. This option also allows instructors to find the appropriate balance between traditional and computer-based experiments for their courses. By analyzing data through two different methods, students gain a greater understanding of the concepts behind the experiments. The manual includes 14 new integrated experiments—computerized and traditional—that can also be used independently of one another. Ten of these integrated experiments are included in the standard (bound) edition; four are available for customization. Instructors may elect to customize the manual to include only those experiments they want. The bound volume includes the 33 most commonly used experiments that have appeared in previous editions; an additional 16 experiments are available for examination online. Instructors may choose any of these experiments—49 in all—to produce a manual that explicitly matches their course needs. Each experiment includes six components that aid students in their analysis and interpretation: Advance Study Assignment, Introduction and Objectives, Equipment Needed, Theory, Experimental Procedures, and Laboratory Report and Questions.