Physics 3613
Experimental Physics III

PURPOSE OF THIS COURSE:

LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS AVAILABLE (1997-98)

Laboratory Scheduling for the Groups

LABORATORY BOOK:

You are to have a laboratory book with bound pages (not a loose leaf notebook) and use it to take data, record your calculations, list references, and do your derivations. Your report to your instructor is to be written as a semi-formal report (See Below).

How to Approach The Laboratory Experiments

The following should be your approach to every experiment:

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THE LABORATORY REPORT:

A report is required for each experiment. This is to be done individually although the experimental part will be done with your partner(s). The report is to be logically organized and clearly written so that any of your fellow students could read it and understand what you've done, what physics was involved, and what your results were.

As a guide, the report might be made of sections as outlined below. It is important that the whole report should be a unit with each earlier section supporting the later sections. Many times it may be easiest to first write the results and analysis then fill in the other sections around it.

Introduction
This section is as the title states, an introduction for the reader, so that they know the basic of the experiment and a physics reason for doing the experiment. You might include historical information if it is a classical experiment, such as the speed of light. It is here that you should give just the very fundamental physical basis for the experiment.
Theory
This section houses the details of the physical basis of the experiment and maybe derivation of some of the formalae necessary for the analysis of the data.
Experiment
This is section includes a more detailed description of the experiment such as:
Data
Put a summary of the data collected here, in graphical and/or tabular form if appropriate. Use your judgement as to what is necessary for clarity. Do not put report all your raw data unless necessary.
Analysis and Results
This is an important section, because here you will show your understanding of the analysis and obtain your results. In a concise form, show sample analysis then report your final results in an easy to read and understand form (ususally a table and/or graph(s)).It is especially important to put an accuracy on your final results. You should make this estimate from your knowledge of the accuracy of your measurements.
Conclusion and/or Discussion
This section is a commentary on the success of your hypothesis for the experiment.

GRADING:

The grade in Physics 3613 will be entirely determined by the grades on the reports you submit to your instructor. The first term and final grades will be determined by the average of report grades obtained up to that time. You are expected to do a minimum of four experiments each term.

The grade on your report will depend on:

Report Requirements

These experiments may take from 2 to 4 weeks of lab periods to finish the experimental parts. The report for the laboratory is due one week after you start a new experiment. If the laboratory report is not in at that time, you may not continue on the new experiment. You must do a minimum of 4 experiments each term of the course.

As a guidline of the grading, the following number grades would relate to the corresponding quality:

45%
Experiment was done but poor procedure and analysis (you would probably be asked to re-analyze and re-write the report)
55%
Experiment was done with OK procedure but poor analysis
65%
Experiment OK with OK procedure and OK analysis but a poorly written report.
75%
Experiment OK, with good procedure and analysis and OK report
85%
Experiment well done, good procedure and results and a good report but with only the minimum done.
95%
Experiment well done, good procedure and analysis, a good report showing excellent understanding of the experiment.

L.Bogan August 1996, 1997