Taking Microcontrollers For a Spin: Revolutionizing Accessibility of Lab Activities

Introductory physics courses involve expensive and proprietary lab equipment not available after completion of the course, meaning that students are unable to make use of experimental techniques learned. Recent developments in the hobbyist electronics market have produced a wide range of components useable for accurate scientific measurement. We propose a method for conducting lab activities using inexpensive and open-source technologies, which will empower students in their own investigations and in formal lab settings.

This is accomplished by prompting students with a simple guiding question: "How does a spinner slow down over time, and what physical processes explain this behavior?" Students then build a simple data collection circuit using a photoresistor and an Arduino, a beginner-friendly microcontroller. These data can be analyzed graphically using a self-contained Python script which introduces key concepts about time-series data, data collection, and mathematical modeling.

The project is inexpensive, easily scalable, and within the technical capability of incoming undergraduate and motivated high school students. This novel paradigm focuses on long-term student capability and significantly lowers the barrier of entry through cost reduction.