In this work we present a simple and useful experimental system for teaching and learning in graduate courses of experimental physics. We developed our experiment with the help of a personal computer that works at the same time as a function generator, an oscilloscope, a spectrum analyser and an analogical/digital converter (A/D). We have performed a frequency response test to demonstrate the performance of the referred system, where we used a PC to produce a square-wave form and its sound card to make data acquisition of an oscillator circuit. We have measured the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic samples by means of a RLC circuit that works as an AC susceptometer. We analyzed and adjusted the experimental data in agreement with theoretical results from a Fourier analysis. In adittion, we have also studied a nonlinear system composed of a RLD circuit.
Data acquisition; virtual instruments; sound card; resonance
