This is the organizational page for the Physics Introductory Labs PHY 134 for Spring 2016.

The scope of the introductory labs is to give an understanding of basic experimental methods applied in physical sciences. The experiments performed during the lab sessions are closely related to the topics covered in the lecture.

You will perform each week an experiment as indicated in the Calendar section. You have 2 hr 20 min time to perform each experiment.
Your perfomance in the lab session will be evaluated by your teaching assistant. The evaluation is based on an interview that will be verbally conducted during the session and your performance during the experiment that includes a lab report to be submitted as indicated in the Calendar section.
The interview will determine how well you are prepared for that particular experiment which is very important for the successful accomplishment of the experiment. The interview will count 20% toward your grade on the particular lab experiment.
Your final grade will be an average from your single lab grades scaled by a factor that will be determined at the end of the semester. This final grade will be a letter grade ranging from A to F.

Your performance/report will count 80% toward your grade on the particular lab experiment.
Your lab report should give the reader a chance to get a picture of the experiment and what you have done without having the lab manual in their hand. You should not copy excerpts from the manual or only refer to passages in the lab manual. The lab report has to have the following format:

1. Title sheet

Name, lab-section, TA name, partner name(s), name of experiment, date

2. Introduction                [10 pts]

In your own words: briefly describe the experiment, DO NOT copy the lab manual

Describe how to perform the experiment with a short sketch and text

3. Procedure                   [20 pts]

Describe briefly what you have done during the session

4. Data sheet                   [20 pts]

Include data taken which has been analyzed, clear and neat

Have your TA signed your data sheet before you leave the lab

5. Analysis/Discussion  [40 pts]

Graphs, calculations, uncertainty estimates

6. Conclusion                  [10 pts]

Brief summary of results: physics implied by the data

Any caveats or comments

---------------------------------

     Σ                    [100 pts]
IMPORTANT: You have to submit your first lab report 48 hours after your lab experiment finished. Please refer to your Teaching Assistant for details. For and after your second experiment you have to submit your lab report the latest at the beginning of the next lab session following the experiment performed.

Penalties for late submission
Any lab report submitted after will not be considered and receive zero points for the lab experiment.
Please refer also to Lab Reports.

You are required to perform each lab experiment by yourself, mostly together with a lab partner.
If you need to be absent for a lab experiment you will have to provide written documentation for a significant reason to be absent, e.g., a medical note from your doctor, a written document about jury duty, and similar. You will then have the opportunity to make up the lab experiment in the dedicated make-up week. You have to arrange with your TA that make-up session.
If you are absent for a non-excusable reason your lab grade for that particular experiment will be Zero (0) points!

Back to Top

The first lab sessions will take place in the week starting from Monday, January 25.

Lab 0: January 25 - 28 Introduction to the laboratory and Uncertainty, Error & Graphs

Lab 1: February 01 - 04, 2016 Electric Field Plotting

Lab 2: February 08 - 11, 2016 The Oscilloscope

Lab 3: February 15 - 18, 2016 NOTE: Monday sections will perform the Oscilloscope (Lab 2) lab this week, all other will perform the Capacitors lab. Monday sections will perform the Capacitor lab in the first make up lab week.

Midterm Exam week, NO LAB: February 22 - 25, 2016 Make-up labs 1 - 3.

Lab 4: February 29 - March 03, 2016 Ohm's Law

Lab 5: March 07 - 10, 2016 Magnetic Force 1

Spring Break, NO LAB: March 14 - 18, 2016

Lab 6: March 21 - 24, 2016 Please not the following arrangement:

          Lab sections meeting in A116: LRC Circuits

Lab 7: March 28 - 31, 2016 Please not the following arrangement:

          Lab sections meeting in A116: Magnetic Force 2

Midterm Exam week, NO LAB: April 04 - 07, 2016 Make-up labs 4 - 7.

Lab 8: April 11 - 14, 2016 Resonance

Lab 9: April 18 - 21, 2016 e/m of the Electron

Lab 10: April 25 - 28, 2016 Interference

Last week of classes, NO NEW LABS: May 02 - 06, 2016 Make-up labs 8 - 10.

LABORATORY SCHEDULE & TEACHING ASSISTANTS:

Please read the following list carefully: days and times are not in order with lab sections!

Please report any problem to either, your corresponding lab instructor or Professor Dehmelt.