Computer sound card as a tool to study of fast changing electromagnetic phenomena

Abstract

AbstractThis paper presents an original undergraduate experiment which use capabilities of the PC sound device for observation and data acquisition. We study the rapid changing electromagnetic (EM) phenomena in the undergraduate physics laboratory. These phenomena are often encountered in the standard electro dynamical experiments like as electromagnetic induction and oscillation in LC circuit. The comparison of theoretical study within experimental output shows that the usage of PC sound card as digital oscilloscope is suitable in the undergraduate laboratory. For this purpose, an experiment that analyzes Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction using PC sound cards as digital oscilloscope was described. Then we apply the computer sound card to measure damped electromagnetic oscillation in the LC circuit. By using this measurement technique we were able to visualize theoretical expectation and to extract some of the parameter values from the recorded data. Moreover, combining the theoretical description of the problem with an appropriate laboratory experiment and computational procedures gives students a clearer view of the physical problem as a whole. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21: 158–163, 2013