In evaluating whether the laboratory guides for Project Physics and for PSSC are consistent with the goals of their designers in demonstrating the interplay between experiment and theory in the development of physics, a system was developed for analyzing physics laboratory investigations, and the laboratory activities in the "PSSC Physics Laboratory Guide" were compared to the "Project Physics Course Handbook" according to the proposed system. All experiments (N=96) in both sources were analyzed with an 18-item task analysis instrument and a 10-item instrument identifying the integration of the laboratory work with other components of the course. Tables listing various comparisons of the two texts are provided. Results confirm that the developed instrument is useful in analyzing physics laboratory manuals and that, although both texts exhibit progress in the development and utilization of laboratory activities, there are deficiencies in the development of experiential awareness of scientific inquiry. (CS)