Connecting two laboratory tasks under an umbrella of uncertainty: Hooke’s law and simple harmonic motion

Laboratory work in physics has traditionally focused on the verification of facts, theories and laws. In contrast, this article describes how laboratory tasks can be used to promote students understanding about the nature of science and scientific inquiry. In the project reported here, students learn about measurement uncertainties and a simplified graphical method for propagating errors. By using this knowledge to compare the precision of two common methods to determine the spring constant, Hooke's Law and simple harmonic motion, students learn about the nature of experimentation in physics. From this specific example, comparisons can then be made with authentic research to highlight more general aspects of the nature of science and scientific inquiry.