Laboratory combining a fundamental-constant measurement, laser physics investigation, and nontrivial statistical analysis¶

Design · All designs
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article's laboratory design integrates three strands in one experiment: an accurate measurement of a fundamental constant, investigation of the basic laser system's longitudinal modes, and nontrivial statistical analysis. The authors state the experiment "exposes students to a variety of experimental and mathematical techniques, demonstrates the importance of uncertainty in measurement, provides a meaningful context for using weighted regression". The weighted regression is motivated by data-dependent uncertainties in both variables, giving students an authentic reason for the technique.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

Apparatus that produces data with non-uniform, data-dependent uncertainties so that weighted least squares regression has a genuine purpose

Constraints¶

Improvements such as a precision linear stage or laser locking to hold mode amplitudes constant would be beyond the necessary scope of an intermediate physics laboratory course, per the authors

Target Learners¶

undergraduate physics students in an advanced laboratory course

Target Goals¶

experimental technique
uncertainty in measurement
weighted regression
familiarity with lasers, Fabry-Perot interferometers, and RF spectrum analyzers

Claims¶

Combining visual demonstrations, guided inquiry, computational-model manipulation, and group discussion to teach cutting-edge science concepts
Adjustable open-cavity HeNe laser apparatus — the apparatus the experiment uses

Examples¶

Extend the curriculum with student-built interferometer projects and a Bayesian parameter-estimation unit

Key Sources¶

Daniel J. D'Orazio, Mark Pearson, Justin T. Schultz, Daniel Sidor, Michael Best, Kenneth Goodfellow, Robert E. Scholten, and James D. White. (2010). Measuring the speed of light using beating longitudinal modes in an open-cavity HeNe laser. https://arxiv.org/abs/1006.5462

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`design`
`id`	`combined-measurement-laser-statistics-lab-pattern`
`title`	`Laboratory combining a fundamental-constant measurement, laser physics investigation, and nontrivial statistical analysis`
`description`	`The article's laboratory design integrates three strands in one experiment: an accurate measurement of a fundamental constant, investigation of the basic laser system's longitudinal modes, and nontrivial statistical a...`
`status`	`review`
`generated`	by `process:wiki-ingest` on `2026-09-25`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `daniel-j-dorazio-2010`

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