Syllabus - Physics 191
Fall Semester 2004updated October 21, 2004
Lead Instructor:
Professor James Linnemann
Room 3245 BMPS Building
355-9200 extension 2125
Print this syllabus, which also contains the schedule for your course. Follow the links in the schedule at the end of this syllabus to print out the writeup for your next experiment before you come to class. Click here to find the instructor for your section.
In this course we will perform a series of simple experiments illustrating several principles of classical mechanics. You should find these exercises helpful in illuminating topics covered in the lecture courses dealing with the same topics. The official course description is here. Course Description
The experiments are described on the PHY191 web pages linked to the schedule. You should print out the lab writeup (you'll need Adobe PDF Reader). You are expected to read the material and prepare yourself before coming to class as there will not be sufficient time to start from scratch during the three hour laboratory session. In general, the laboratory period will start with a brief quiz ( = 10% of lab grade) to test on preparation. There will also be homework assignments due most weeks (these will become part of the lab report grade).
You will do the experiments in groups of two. You may collaborate with your partner in data taking, but you are expected to do independent calculations and write independent reports.
Because this is a physics lab, you will need access to a calculus-level physics text such as Fundamentals of Physics (Halliday et. al.) or Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Bauer et. al.). The main reference for this course is "An Introduction to Error Analysis" by John R. Taylor, published by University Science Books. Some homework will be assigned from this text. The homework will be handed in weekly and will comprise part of the lab report grade. Here are some of the most important things to know about error analysis. You must also purchase a lab book which has carbon paper and duplicate sheets in it. You will need to bring to lab each week a scientific calculator and 2 floppy disks.
The first laboratory session during the week of August 30 will consist of 3 hours of computing and graphing exercises. A Quick Start guide to the Kaleidagraph software we will use is available here and on the lab computers. Kaleidagraph is also available in the physics help room. With the exception of the final lab, all subsequent labs will consist of two 3 hour sessions. Each student will be responsible for his/her own lab report. Your instructor will initial your data before you leave the lab. Each report will be handed in the next week after the in-class portion of the lab is completed. Late reports will not be accepted.
THE COURSE GOALS in brief: During this course, we expect you to:
* become familiar with some laboratory experiment and procedures.
* use reference materials to decide how best to carry out analyses measurements within the available time
* make careful and critical measurements.
* record and organize your observations.
* estimate uncertainties in your measurements and to judge whether your measurements are consistent with previous measurements.Before each class, you will be expected to read the description of the experiment, and read sections of the book by Taylor to clarify how to perform the necessary error estimations. This advance preparation is essential if you wish to successfully finish the lab and to solve the quiz over the lab material that will be given to you at the beginning of class. The laboratory exercises are not cookbook-style. They are meant to help prepare you to preform and analyze your own scientific measurements, but will require you to think through for yourself how best to perform the measurements and analyses. Your laboratory measurements will be performed during class. You should also make graphs and perform calculations during class to determine whether your measurements are valid. If you blindly take data without checking it, your grade will suffer.
Attendance is mandatory. If you have an excused medical absence, your instructor will determine whether you will be permitted to do a makeup or whether you will be graded on the remaining reports.
LABORATORY REPORTS:The Notebook: You will record your original measurements in your lab book, including your estimates of uncertainty of the measured quantities, and the basis of this measurement. Using the carbon paper, you will make two copies of the lab write-up. The original will be handed in to your instructor at the begining of the next lab period. You will retain the copy for your records and to assist you in the preparation for the final exam. All your work should be on the lab notebook - including any mistakes or duplicate measurements. In other words, your lab report is a recording of the procedure that you went through including, any false steps. False steps should be neatly crossed out and a note should be recorded in the lab book indicating the nature of the mistake. This is the method used by practicing scientists for the recording of their experimental measurements.
Here are some specific hints for achieving the goals of the class and writing good lab notebooks and lab reports. And here is a sample lab report.
GRADING and SCHEDULE:Your grade will be based on the results of your experiments, on the quality of your reports and on a practical exam. The lab schedule and the grade weights are given in the table below. Print out and study the lab writeup for your next lab before class.
LAB WEEK OF TOPIC MAXIMUM POINTS 0 August 30 Report due week of Sept 6.
20 points * Sep 6 NO LAB (but turn in lab report and HW 1) 1A Sep 13 Random and Systematic Errors and HW 2 due
see below 1B Sep 20 Random and Systematic Errors and HW 3 40 points 2A Sep 27 Lab 1 report and HW 4 due
see below 2B Oct 4 Free Fall and HW 5 40 points 3A Oct 11 Simple Pendulum and HW 6
see below 3B Oct 18 Simple Pendulum and HW 7 40 points 4A Oct 25 HW 8 (& Introduction to Excel)
see below 4B Nov 1 Collisions in 1 Dimension and HW 9 40 points 5A Nov 8 Simple Harmonic Motion and HW 10 see below 5B Nov 15 Simple Harmonic Motion and HW 11
Lab report due week of Nov 30.
40 points -- Nov 22 NO CLASS 6 Nov 30 Rotational Motion and HW 12
Lab report due week of Dec 6.
20 points -- Dec. 6 IN-LAB PRACTICAL EXAM
40 points Total 280 points