Using R for data analysis and graphing in an introductory physics laboratory

Abstract

R is a language and computing environment that has been developed for data manipulation, statistical computing, and scientific graphing. In the paper, we demonstrate its use analyzing data collected in a few experiments taken from an introductory physics laboratory. The examples include a linear dependence, a non-linear dependence, and a histogram. The merits of R are discussed against three options often used for data analysis and graphing: manual graphing using grid paper, general purpose spreadsheet software, and specialized scientific graphing software.