An AI-assisted Newton's rings laboratory for undergraduates: manual-first measurement, transparent feedback and guided inquiry design

The Newton's rings experiment links interference physics with measurement, but repetitive microscope readings can limit time for comparison and discussion. We present a manual-first laboratory sequence in which students align the apparatus, identify fringes and calculate a reference curvature radius before using image-assisted analysis. Students inspect ring overlays, investigate disagreement and complete guided inquiry tasks. In ten repeated acquisitions with one nominal 1.0 m lens and one imaging arrangement, the mean absolute errors in curvature radius were 0.0123 m for image-assisted analysis and 0.0198 m for manual reading. An eight-item questionnaire yielded 54 complete responses: 50/54 students (92.6%) were satisfied with the manual-first comparison process and 51/54 (94.4%) with their overall learning. These descriptive results support the feasibility of combining manual measurement with image-assisted feedback in an undergraduate laboratory. The sequence gives instructors a practical way to retain observation and experimental judgement while introducing automated analysis.