Using phyphox and Python notebooks

for high school physics labs

Emily Rosen–Saint Ursula Academy, Cincinnati and Quarknet

Collect • export • import • graph • analyze

https://bit.ly/3Pb8yX7

Phyphox App:

One phone can become a sensor-rich lab tool.

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What phyphox can read on a student phone

Motion

accelerometer • gyroscope

cart ride, elevator, pendulum

Waves

microphone • audio tools

frequency, resonance, spectra

Environment

light • pressure

stairs, altitude, brightness

Fields

magnetometer

mapping magnetic fields

Orientation

rotation and angle tools

inclines and rotation labs

Location

GPS when available

speed and position contexts

Sensor availability varies by phone, so a quick pre-check is helpful.

https://phyphox.org/ and https://phyphox.org/wiki/index.php/Category:Built-in_experiments

Using Phyphox to collect data

1. Helpful to figure out x y z orientation of the phone
2. Choose experiment/sensor
3. Choose timed run if appropriate
4. Export data as CSV file and organize as works best for your students/school
5. Graph and analyze using Excel or a Python notebook
6. Python notebook platforms:
1. https://www.jupytereverywhere.org/index.html
2. https://colab.research.google.com/

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Examples of Experiments I have done:

1. Elevator Lab:
1. Student instructions and worksheet
2. Python notebook
3. Github link
2. Projectile Motion Lab:
• Python notebook
• Github link
3. General code for importing data: sample code (copy and paste whichever method you prefer)

From measurement to notebook

1

Choose

open a sensor or build an experiment

2

Collect

press play and capture a short run

3

Export

save CSV or use browser output

4

Import

read the file in a notebook

5

Discuss

graph, compare, and explain

The phone does the sensing, but the notebook becomes the shared analysis space for the whole class.

Optional shortcut: use the phyphox browser interface during a demo and analyze directly on the phone (limited)

Best for class launch: one short run, one graph, one question.

Then scale to full student investigations.

Differentiation and extension ideas

Starting level

Give students a prebuilt notebook and ask them to upload, graph, and describe what they see.

Intermediate

Have students choose which type of graph best answers the lab question and justify their choice.

Advanced

Ask students to fit a model, compare residuals, or modify the code to test assumptions (drag, friction, etc)