What happens in a physics research lab?

In summary, Jimmy does research by reading other people's papers and doing data collection through computers. He is indecisive about whether he wants more hands-on research experience or not.
  • #1
jimmyly
191
0
Hello everyone, I'm trying to find out a little more about physics research as a career and if it's right for me.I am a little unclear on what physics research is all about. SO Here's a few questions:

1) what area of research are you apart of?

2)what do you actually do in the lab WHILE conducting an experiment?
ex: watch computer screens, do you actually get to play around with stuff, do you actually get to SEE things in action or is it all through computers etc.

basically i want to know what goes on in the lab which no one really talks about. i want to know the boring and exciting stuff.

Thanks in advance!

Jimmy
 
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  • #2
A lot of it is reading other people's research papers.
 
  • #3
pi-r8 said:
A lot of it is reading other people's research papers.

Thank you for the response!
but I'm wondering specifically what is actually done and seen in the LAB while conducting an experiment
 
  • #4
jimmyly said:
Thank you for the response!
but I'm wondering specifically what is actually done and seen in the LAB while conducting an experiment

Well a lot depends on what kind of experiment you do, of course. Being extremely general, I'd say that first you build/calibrate some lab equipment (based on prior research). Then you let it run for a while and collect data, which could be manual or automatic. Then you graph that data and try to make sense of it.
 
  • #5
pi-r8 said:
Well a lot depends on what kind of experiment you do, of course. Being extremely general, I'd say that first you build/calibrate some lab equipment (based on prior research). Then you let it run for a while and collect data, which could be manual or automatic. Then you graph that data and try to make sense of it.
this is why i posted the two questions asking what research area one works in so i can have a view of all areas instead of in general. what do you do while collecting data? would you say most if not all of it would be through computers?

say for particle physics, since we cannot see these tiny things, i would think all the observations would be through computers

what about something like condensed matter, what is it exactly that gets done experimentally?
in any field actually

i love physics but this is actually the first time ever wondering what physicists actually do?
engineers, chemists, biologists, can all see their experiments in action.
 
Last edited:
  • #6
jimmyly said:
Hello everyone, I'm trying to find out a little more about physics research as a career and if it's right for me.I am a little unclear on what physics research is all about. SO Here's a few questions:

1) what area of research are you apart of?

2)what do you actually do in the lab WHILE conducting an experiment?
ex: watch computer screens, do you actually get to play around with stuff, do you actually get to SEE things in action or is it all through computers etc.

basically i want to know what goes on in the lab which no one really talks about. i want to know the boring and exciting stuff.

Thanks in advance!

Jimmy

I think these are very reasonable and extremely simple questions...
i'm not looking for what physicists do but more specifically what gets done in experiments.

this isn't to just professional physicists but students such as undergrads who have done research or anyone in physics doing research.
 
  • #7
In my last project (accelerator/nuclear physics), I got to set up experiments and then watch the results on the computer. I also programmed some simulations and did calculations on a computer. In my current project (astronomy), everything is done through a computer. We take data from observations, run codes that do modeling and calculations, and then look at the results.
 
  • #8
I did astronomy research for a career for a while. I spent time at telescopes (about 3 weeks at a time running a telescope, but most observers are only there for a few nights), collected data, used the computer to reduce the data, and then made computer simulations of what I thought was happening and compared them to my results. Mostly computer work (data reduction, programming, writing), a lot of reading, and some math.
 
  • #9
Stengah said:
In my last project (accelerator/nuclear physics), I got to set up experiments and then watch the results on the computer. I also programmed some simulations and did calculations on a computer. In my current project (astronomy), everything is done through a computer. We take data from observations, run codes that do modeling and calculations, and then look at the results.

Thank you! this is great, exactly the information I'm looking for.
the thing is, i don't know if I'm into more hands on stuff or not. this is why i am curious about physics research.

i would love to hear from more people, it would be greatly appreciated.
 
  • #10
eri said:
I did astronomy research for a career for a while. I spent time at telescopes (about 3 weeks at a time running a telescope, but most observers are only there for a few nights), collected data, used the computer to reduce the data, and then made computer simulations of what I thought was happening and compared them to my results. Mostly computer work (data reduction, programming, writing), a lot of reading, and some math.

thank you for your response!
So one would have to enjoy computing would you say?
 
  • #11
honestly anything will help
 
  • #12
Some physicists don't do any experiments (theoretical physicists).
 
  • #13
mr. vodka said:
Some physicists don't do any experiments (theoretical physicists).

yes, i know. I'm just wondering about experimentalists :)
 

1. What is physics research?

Physics research is the study of the fundamental principles and laws that govern the natural world. It involves using a combination of mathematical models, experiments, and observations to understand and explain how the universe works. This research often leads to new discoveries and advancements in technology.

2. What are the main areas of physics research?

The main areas of physics research include classical mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, and relativity. Within these broad areas, there are many subfields, such as astrophysics, particle physics, condensed matter physics, and biophysics.

3. How is physics research conducted?

Physics research is typically conducted through a combination of theoretical and experimental work. Theoretical physicists use mathematical models and equations to make predictions about the behavior of physical systems, while experimental physicists design and conduct experiments to test these predictions and gather data.

4. Why is physics research important?

Physics research is important because it helps us to better understand the world around us and how it functions. This knowledge can then be applied to develop new technologies, improve existing ones, and solve real-world problems. Physics research also plays a crucial role in advancing our understanding of the universe and the laws that govern it.

5. Who conducts physics research?

Physics research is conducted by scientists, researchers, and students at universities, research institutions, and government laboratories around the world. These individuals come from a variety of backgrounds, including physics, mathematics, engineering, and computer science, and work together to further our understanding of the physical world.

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