Department of Physics, Indiana University

P309: Intermediate Laboratory (Fall 2010)

Introduction to techniques and methods that are used in physics experiments. The available experiments cover mechanics, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, optics, electrodynamics and nuclear physics.

We will learn how to set up and carry out a physics experiment, analyze the data, assess uncertainties, and discuss the results in a physics context. We will also practice the skills of keeping track of our work in a lab book, and of summarizing a research project in a written report.

Course meets: Swain West 137, Thursdays 1:25pm - 5:30pm.
Instructor: Lisa Kaufman (SW337, ljkauf@indiana.edu)
Office hours: Mondays 9am - 12 pm, in SW337, or by arrangement
Web site: http://physics.indiana.edu/~courses/p309/f10/

Lab Book

You are asked to record your scientific work in a personal lab book. It must be bound and have numbered pages. A couple of good choices are Roaring Spring Computation Notebook, item no. 77-648 or National Brand Computational Notebook, item no. 43-648, available at the IU bookstore. Keeping a good lab book is one of the more important skills you can acquire in P309 (see the course home page for lab book rules).

Textbook

G.L. Squires, Practical Physics 4th Ed., Cambridge University Press, New York 2001, ISBN 0 521 77940 5

Course Activities

At the beginning of each class period, there will be a short lecture on experimental topics. The remainder of the class period is for lab work. The first few weeks of the semester are devoted to warm-up labs, mostly dealing with electrical measurements. During the remainder of the semester, you will tackle individual and more complex experiments that span a large range of physics topics and measurement techniques.

For each lab, written instructions are available from the web. It is important to read these instructions before you come to the lab, and to refresh your memory of the relevant physics. Much better use is made of the lab time if you come prepared. To help you prepare, there will be a short set of written pre-lab exercises due at the start of each lab session.

Scientists publish their research in journals. You will get the opportunity to write a scientific paper on one of the experiments that you have completed. You will also have the opportunity to present your work orally to the class.

Grading

Course Grade
The final grade is composed of:
15% 4 Introductory experiments
45% 5 Regular experiments
18% A formal write-up on one of the experiments which you have carried out during the semester
12% An oral presentation of one of the experiment which you have carried out during the semeseter
10% Short assignments due at the start of class

Individual laboratory grades
Eight objectives of a laboratory can be summarized as:
  1. Gain an understanding of some basic physical concepts
  2. Realize that completely functioning experimental apparatus are rarely encountered, and learn how to recognize and correct an equipment malfunction
  3. Gain familiarity with a variety of instruments and learn to make reliable measurements
  4. Learn how precisely a measurement can be made with a given instrument and the size of the measurement error
  5. Learn how to do calculations so that the results have the appropriate number of significant digits
  6. Learn how to analyze data by calculations and by plotting graphs that illustrate function relations
  7. Learn how to keep an accurate and complete laboratory notebook
  8. Ultimately, learn how best to approach a new laboratory problem.

My grading system will attempt to reflect how well you demonstrate progress toward these goals. Each lab will be graded on a 20 point scale with 5 points being assigned to each of these four broad categories:

  1. [5 points] How well do you demonstrate that you understood the physics behind the experiment and the goals of the measurements?
  2. [5 points] How well do you demonstrate that you understand the experimental setup? What are its key features? What are its limitations?
  3. [5 points] How well did you make the experiment function and how good are your data?
  4. [5 points] How complete is your analysis of the data you took, including quantitative estimates of sources of uncertainties in your final results?

The 5 point scale is 1-2 poor, 3=fair, 4=good, 5=excellent. These judgements will in part be based on my observation of your work during the class period, but will rely primarily on the notes you take in your log book. So, it is imperitive that you keep a well-organized, detailed record of your work in your log book. Please take a moment to read the guidlines on keeping a log book. A good standard to apply to your logbook is to ask yourself if you could repeat the experiment if you had only your log book and no other sources of information. Could you reconstruct the apparatus? Could you reproduce the data analysis you performed?

Assignments and Attendance

Assignments are due as stated on the course calendar found on the course website. Lab notebooks are due by noon on the Tuesday following the completion of the lab to my office SW337.

Attendance is mandatory for this laboratory class. Labs will be done in pairs, and each student is responsible for their own lab notebook. I must be notified in advance if you cannot attend the class, and arrangements may be made for making up the lab if the circumstance and time allows.

Safety

The lab makes occasional use of a few radioactive sources, potentially dangerous high voltages, and lead bricks. For this reason, eating and drinking in the laboratory is not allowed. You will be instructed on safe handling procedures and the use of monitoring equipment.
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