Physics 2921 Laboratory Syllabus Fall 2015

LEARNING GOALS

FOR THE

PHYSICS LAB

The overall learning goals for this course are to understand fundamental physics concepts and to develop
skills used in experimental science. These include:

HOW

Designing experiments to test a theory

Analyzing data and plotting results
Interpreting results using reliability tests and error analysis
Reporting on experiment in a clear and concise format
Become familiar with workings of experimental apparatus and troubleshooting methods
Critiquing assumptions and revising procedures to improve experiments
THE

LAB WORKS

Before you come to lab, read the manual for that days experiment. There will be a short quiz at the
beginning of lab to assess your understanding of the major components of the experiment.

Please show up on time, youll get started working on the lab right away after the quiz and a brief
introduction from the instructor. Late students who miss the instructions and safety precautions for the
days experiment will not be allowed into the lab.

Reports are due at the beginning of the next lab session. Each student must do their own report, data
will be the same for lab partners, but any written parts must be completed in your own words. See the
attached grading rubric for what is expected in the report. Plagiarism violates the student
code of conduct and the department has a zero tolerance policy. Turning
in another students work as your own will result in disciplinary action.

Late reports will be deducted 10% per day late.

For planned absences, please contact the Laboratory Coordinator Prof. John Noel to determine whether
accommodations can be made.

You must attend the lab section for which you are registered; no switching. No lab report may be turned
in if you did not attend your scheduled lab session.

No lab grades will be dropped.

Students are 100% responsible to check that their lab grades are recorded correctly in Blackboard
before the last day of the semester. Report any discrepancies to your lab instructor immediately.

GOOD PRACTICE

FOR

TECHNICAL WRITING

AND

ERRORS

Clearly communicating your results is just as important as the results themselves. Please be sure to
organize your report logically, to write clearly and concisely, and to use terminology correctly. These will
affect your grade. Clearly label plots with the measured quantity and the units. Use SI units unless the
manual does otherwise.
You are not graded on how close your value is to the actual value in a given experiment as long as you
participated actively in lab and provide a description of errors and their likely causes in your report.
Sometimes getting incorrect results is just as educational as obtaining correct ones if you do indeed learn
from the mistakes. Where instructed, follow error propagation rules whenever using measured values in
calculations.

Rubric for Lab# ________________

Descriptors
1. Presentation and
Organization
10%
2. Introduction
10%

3. Procedure
30%

Student Name ____________________________________

A (90-100%)

B (80-90%)

C (70-80%)

D/F
(below 70%)

Descriptive title, all group

members listed with your name
underlined. Clear and concise
organization, formatting, and
language.

Minor organizational
problems. Text is
unedited. Missing lab
partners names.

Several
organizational
issues. Text is in
rough draft form.

Demonstrate clear understanding

of the core concepts significant
question(s). Concise and clear
description in one or two
sentences.

Some understanding
of significant
questions
demonstrated. Not
concise.

Poor understanding Missing

of significant
significant
questions.
questions.

A brief overview of the apparatus

and measurements taken. Figures
or images are helpful.
Thoughtful description of
experimental precautions
required to obtain quality data.
Include here any modifications
you made to the procedure and
note sources of error.

Procedure mostly
covers significant
items or includes
excessive length or
detail.

Major
problems
with
organization.

Procedure is
missing major
steps or has major
errors.

Procedure is
not
descriptive or
is missing.

Sources of error
only cursorily
included or
incorrect.

No special
modifications
or corrections
given.

Calculations mostly
correct.

4. Data
Calculations
Fitting
30%

Clear, concise equations and

calculations. Care taken with
units. Averages and standard
deviation from the mean reported
as necessary.
All essential data displayed in
graphical or tabular format. No
excessive data given. All axes
labeled with units included.
Graphs fit with appropriate
functions (lines or curves) with
fitting parameters reported.

5. Results and
Discussion
20%

Excessive detail or
repetition of similar
calculations.
Excessive raw data
included.

Major calculations
missing or clearly
needs improved
organization.

No
calculations
given. Data
reported
without
showing
work.

Some essential
data missing or
plotted incorrectly. Major issues
Table or graph has
with data
minor formatting
More than one fit
presentation.
errors.
or equation
missing.
No fitting
Poorly labeled fitting
done.
or missing fit
equation.
Wrong units.

Thoughtful and comprehensive

summarization with discussion of Conclusion not
actual vs expected results, fitting comprehensive.
results, reproducibility, and
scatter of measurements.
Incorrect or
incomplete analysis
Noted effects that the sources of
of error.
error from the procedure may
have had on the results.
Mostly correct
answers to questions
Thoughtful answers to all
posed in the manual.
questions in lab manual.

Only cursory
summarization.
Only cursory error
analysis.
Incorrect answers
to questions.

Conclusion
inappropriate
or missing.
Missing error
analysis.
Answers to
questions
missing.

Total score = _____________

Week of

LAB

Aug 24
Aug 31
Sep 07
Sep 14
Sep 21
Sep 28
Oct 05
Oct 12
Oct 19
Oct 26
Nov 02
Nov 09
Nov 16
Nov 23
Nov 30
Dec 07

NO LAB
Lab 1 The Physics Laboratory
Lab 2 Projectile Motion (Motion in Two Dimensions)
Lab 8 Newton's 2nd Law and Acceleration Due to Gravity
Lab 7 Coefficient of Kinetic Friction and Drag Force
Lab 6 Conservation of Energy
Lab 11 Momentum - Elastic and Inelastic Collisions
Lab 12 Torque in the Human Body
Lab 15 Simple Harmonic Motion and Spring Constant
Lab 17 Archimedes' Principle
Lab 20 The Heat Engine
Lab 22 Heat Capacity
Lab 24 Absolute Zero and the Ideal Gas Law
NO LAB
Lab 26 The Doppler Effect
NO LAB