Remote Experiments in Experimental Physics

Information technology has made experimenting via the internet possible. Different from simulations, applets or animations, remotely controlled experiments give students the possibility to experience in reality physical situations and the realistic response to parameter variations. We demonstrate how to measure the efficiency of a solar cell by recording the IV curve in the dark and under illumination by an artificial light source. In a second experiment, we determine the hysteresis of a Ferro magnet. Both experiments are completely isolated from the operator; they have been implemented in a large engineering class and were accessed several hundred times in the course of a semester. We also discuss employing interactive learning material in oral examinations.