9451266 Meints Macintosh LC III computers interfaced with the LabWorks data acquisition and analysis system and various sensors will be used to computerize the introductory chemistry and physics laboratories. The implementation plan will affect students in all introductory chemistry and physics courses for both science majors and nonscience majors. The integrated package of computer, menu driven data collection interface, spreadsheet program, and graphing program will allow students to design their own experiments rather than following the often "canned" procedures of the past. The emphasis will be placed on the experiment and the interpretation of data rather than on tedious data collection and calculation allowing students to discover for themselves what relationships exist between variables. Over a five year period more than 500 students will pass through these courses gaining a better understanding of the process of science and how scientists actually work in modern laboratories. Having the same system for both chemistry and physics will allow students to use the experience gained in their first science experience in future courses. This early experience with computerized data acquisition and analysis will prepare students for the more computer intensive upper division courses which use computer controlled UV-Vis, FTIR, and GCMS instruments and a CAChe molecular modeling system.
