Adapting an engineering physics measurements laboratory to incorporate metrology concepts

Abstract

We are restructuring an existing required, two-credit advanced laboratory course around the subject matter of metrology and design of experiments. This is being done for several reasons: To provide a unifying theme for the course, which previously was a collection of unrelated experiments; to more clearly identify the purpose of the course to students, faculty, and outside observers; and to provide a clearer link between the skills a student gains in the course and the methods and skills desired by industry. The course - "Engineering Physics (EP) Lab" - is typically taken in a student's third year. It has advanced prerequisite courses, enabling more indepth studies of physical phenomena and more sophisticated numerical analysis. Indeed, many Physics programs have a similar type of course. While an important part of the curriculum, it has lacked a "unifying idea" that helps explain the course to employers and students: It largely consisted of student groups rotating among challenging, but unrelated, experiments. Metrology, the science of measurement, is a core competency of STEM fields and plays a key role in modern engineering practice. It deals with several aspects that are common to (or readily adapted to) our laboratory course: (1) uncertainty in measurements (and its propagation); (2) traceability of measurements to the SI units via the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); (3) calibration of a measurement instrument or process; (4) using design of experiments (DOE) for statistical analysis of variation in a process. In this paper we will describe how incorporating these ideas has complemented and enhanced the course so that it has an enhanced focus on quality of measurement. In addition to describing the course and its experiments, we will also report on the results of the first offering of this redesigned course and remark on future improvements. © American Society of Engeneering Education, 2013.