Göttingen 2025 – scientific programme

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DD: Fachverband Didaktik der Physik

DD 31: Poster – Praktika und Experimente

DD 31.7: Poster

Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 16:15–17:45, ZHG Foyer 1. OG

PrintedLabs: 3D printed optics experiments — •Thorsten Schumacher, Svenja Hofmann, and Markus Lippitz — Experimental Physics III, University of Bayreuth, Germany

Experiments are at the heart of physics. A successful experiment requires many decisions, ranging from the choice of equipment and procedures to the evaluation of uncertainties and surprising results. Ideally, students should be able to experience all of this in their laboratory experiments. While it is common to design experiments with many degrees of freedom to give students experience in mechanics and electrodynamics, laboratory experiments in optics tend to guide students more closely. In addition, optics laboratory equipment is either far removed from that used in research laboratories or expensive.

We set out to build laboratory equipment for optical experiments using 3D printing. This allows us to use large quantities of components in student labs, similar to those used in real research labs. In addition, we have also developed specialised components, such as a spectrometer or telescope, that can compete with commercial equipment that is ten times more expensive. We are targeting undergraduates and especially those who want to become teachers, as the designs and experiments are openly available [1], including for use in schools.

[1] https://printedlabs.uni-bayreuth.de/

Keywords: Laboratory; Printing; Student; Experiments; Open-Source