Getting to Know the Vernier LabQuest

Purpose:

        The LabQuest is a powerful tool for exploring science.  However, as with any tool, students must learn how to properly use it.  In this lab, students will explore the various functions of the LabQuest and become familiar with its abilities.

Pre Lab Question:

1. Why will safety be an important part of this lab even though we are not using an dangerous chemicals?

Materials:

        LabQuest

        Selection of Probes

        Access to Vernier website

Tasks::

1. Determine the following:

1. From the internet

1. How many sensors may be simultaneously connected to the LabQuest?
2. List 10 sensors that can be used with the LabQuest.
3. When did the current update for the LabQuest come out and what new features were added?

2. Using the LabQuest

1. In what year was helium discovered?
2. Play a note at a frequency of 150 Hz and one at 151 Hz.  What do you observe?
3. What is the current room temperature?
4. Fill a beaker with 150 mL of water and place it on a hot plate.  Turn the hot plate onto setting 1.   Use a temperature probe to monitor its temperature for 3 minutes.  Get a copy of the graph that is displayed on the screen.  (See Mr. Goertz if you have trouble here).
5. What was the exact temperature at 90 seconds?
6. Select 3 other probes to experiment with.  What are the units and ranges of each probe?

Notes:

        Your procedures should list how you found all the answers in Part b.  Remember that your steps should be clear enough that someone who wasn’t in class could do it.