Laboratory Manual for Nonlinear Physics with Maple for Scientists and Engineers

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

   PDF

2. Spin Toy Pendulum

   • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

   Pages 1-4

3. Nonlinear Damping

   • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

   Pages 5-8

4. Anharmonic Potential

   • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

   Pages 9-13

5. Iron Core Inductor

   • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

   Pages 15-18

6. Nonlinear LRC Circuit

   • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

   Pages 19-24

7. Tunnel Diode Negative Resistance Curve

   • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

   Pages 25-31

8. Tunnel Diode Self-Excited Oscillator

   • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

   Pages 33-35

9. Forced Duffing Equation

   • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

   Pages 37-42

10. Focal Point Instability

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 43-48

11. Period of a Compound Pendulum

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 49-51

12. Stable Limit Cycle

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 53-60

13. Van der Pol Limit Cycle

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 61-64

14. Relaxation Oscillations: Neon Bulb

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 65-70

15. Relaxation Oscillations: Drinking Bird

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 71-73

16. Relaxation Oscillations: Tunnel Diode

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 75-78

17. Hard Spring

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 79-81

18. Nonlinear Resonance Curve: Mechanical

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 83-86

19. Nonlinear Resonance Curve: Electrical

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 87-91

20. Nonlinear Resonance Curve: Magnetic

    • Richard H. Enns, George McGuire

    Pages 93-96

Science demands that all theory must be checked by experiment. Richard Feyn­ man, Nobel Laureate in physics (1965), reminds us in a wonderful quote that "The test of all knowledge is experiment. Experiment is the sole judge of sci­ entific truth. " 1 It is because nonlinear physics can be so profoundly counter­ intuitive that these laboratory investigations are so important. This manual is designed to be used with the text Nonlinear Physics with Maple for Scientists and Engineers. Understanding is enhanced when experiments are used to check so please attempt as many of the activities as you can. As you perform theory, these activities, we hope that you will be amazed and startled by strange behav­ ior, intrigued and terrorized by new ideas, and be able to amaze your friends as you relate your strange sightings! Remember that imagination is just as impor­ tant as knowledge, so exercise yours whenever possible. But please be careful, as nonlinear activities can be addicting, can provide fond memories, and can awaken an interest that lasts a lifetime. Although it has been said that a rose by any other name is still a rose, (with apologies to Shakespeare) the authors of this laboratory manual have, in an endeavor to encourage the use of these nonlinear investigations, called them experimental activities rather than experiments. A number of design innovations have been introduced: A.

• Experiment
• Maple
• Pol
• Potential
• stability

• Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

  Richard H. Enns

• Department of Physics, University College of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, Canada

  George McGuire

Policies and ethics