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{
\leftline{\bfc Physics 234: Introductory Physics Laboratory II}
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\leftline{\bfa Syllabus: 2000 Spring: Section 3}
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\parsyl {\bfa Instructor:} Prof.~David Jeffery,
Wiser-Patten Science Hall (WPS),
Rm 216, Tel: 615-898-5946,
Email: jeffery@physics.mtsu.edu,
Office hours: MWF 9:00--11:00 am, MF 12:30 am--5:00 pm
\leftline{{\bfa Time:} W 2:35--5:15 p.m.}
\leftline{{\bfa Place:} WPS Rm 212}
\leftline{{\bfa Course Section Webpage:}
http://physics.mtsu.edu/{\tt\~{}}jeffery/phy234p/index.html}
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}
\parsyl {\bfa Description:} A 1-credit course of laboratory experiments
with the College Physics~II course (Physics 232) as a corequisite
(or prerequisite).
The experiments cover simple circuits and optics.
There is one nuclear radiation experiment.
There are 12 experiments in total.
The goal of this course is to
experience physics in action,
improve experimental and experiment reporting techniques,
and have some fun.
\vskip\baselineskip
\parsyl {\bfa Prerequisites:} Physics~231 and~233.
\vskip\baselineskip
\parsyl {\bfa Partners:} Laboratory experiments (labs) will be done in
groups of 2 or 3 at most.
Cooperative learning between partners and between groups is encouraged.
To further that end, everyone will find a new partner for each lab.
% find them melee fashion?? or rotate them???
% Maybe I should do a random assignment myself with notes on the desks.
% It might be fun, it will be work, but it might save wandering about.
% Nah, let them find their own at first; do musical chairs if you have too.
% My goal is to be a roi fain\'eant: an idle king
% Only work is as a grademaker.
\vskip\baselineskip
\parsyl {\bfa Text:} Physics 234 Laboratory Manual by Weller \&~Carlton.
For laboratory reports, a laboratory report book (i.e., a lab book)
with graph paper on all pages is required.
The lab book must be bound: no spiral notebooks.
The Composition Book AMPAD\#26-251 or the Brighton Planning Pad are
suggestions.
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\parsyl {\bfa Evaluation and Grading:} The 3 grading categories, their
weightings, and their drops are:
{
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\settabs\+\indent\indent
& laboratory final \qquad
&$45\,$\% \qquad &2 drops \cr
\+& weekly labs &$\geq 42\,$\% & 1 drop \cr
\+& weekly quiz &$\geq 28\,$\% & 1 drop \cr
\+& laboratory final &$\leq 30\,$\% & no drop \cr
}
\oneskip
\hskip 20pt Each lab report will be graded out of 10.
The quizzes will be out of variable amounts, but will all count equally.
The instructor has the prerogative to give a laboratory final
and weight it up to $30\,$\%.
Preliminary letter grades on cumulative average marks will be assigned by
a Gaussian curve (a horrid bell curve) with a high B average.
The instructor will, however, make a final judgment on letter grades at the
end of the course.
No one needs to worry that the Gaussian curve will require so many D's, etc.
% There will be {\bf NO} letter grades for individual homeworks or exams.
If you want your marks and grades electronically posted at the
course section webpage,
you need to give me written permission and an unidentifiable alias
(not your social security number).
\oneskip
\parsyl {\bfa Make-ups:} It is possible to make-up labs and quizzes
in the week in which they occur.
The student can take the lab with another section or perform the
lab on their own and take the quiz out of the lab period.
But such make-ups can only be done with the permission of the instructor
and the other section instructor if necessary.
The other possible sections are section~1 (M 2:00--4:40 pm, Prof.~Cook)
and section~4 (T 2:00--4:40 pm, Dr.~Smith).
For make-ups on quizzes, students are on their honor not to discuss quizzes
with other students or look at answers posted at the course section webpage.
\oneskip
\parsyl {\bfa Deadlines:} { Add:} {\it T Jan11}---
{ Drop, no grade:} {\it M Feb07}---
{ Drop, grade W:} {\it M Mar06}.
\oneskip
\parsyl {\bfa Disabilities:} If you have a disability that may
require assistance or accommodation or you have questions related to
any accommodation for testing, note takers, readers, etc.,
please speak with me as soon as possible.
Students may also contact the Office of Disabled Student Services (898-2783)
for questions about such services.
If you have any special emergency evacuation needs, you should also let me
know.
The webpage for Disabled Student Services is
\vskip .25\baselineskip
\hskip 20pt minus 0pt http://www.mtsu.edu/{\tt\~{}}dssemail/
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%\bye
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%\leftline{\bfc Preliminary Schedule}
\leftline{\bfc Schedule}
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{ % begin schedule grouping
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\settabs\+ 112\qquad
& Observing Diffraction and Interference of Light \qquad\qquad\qquad
& Aug~23 \cr
\+{\bfa No.} &{\bfa Lab} &{\bfa Week of} \cr
\hafskip
\+ &No meeting & jan10 \cr
\+ &Orientation and Pseudo-Quiz & jan17 \cr
\+ ?1 &Introduction to DC Circuits & jan24 \cr
\+ ?2 &Resistors in DC Circuits & jan31 \cr
\+ ?3 &Measurement of Electrical Resistance & feb07 \cr
\+ ?5 &Introduction to the Oscilloscope & feb14 \cr
\+ ?6 &RC Circuits & feb21 \cr
\+ ?7 &Magnetic Induction and the RL Circuit & feb28 \cr
\+ ?8 &AC Currents in an RLC Circuit & mar06 \cr
\+ ?9 &Reflection and Refraction of Light & mar13 \cr
\+ 10 &Lenses and Optical Devices & mar20 \cr
\+ &Spring Break & mar27 \cr
\+ 11 &Diffraction and the Wavelength of Light & apr03 \cr
\+ 12 &Observing Diffraction and Interference of Light & apr10 \cr
\+ 13 &Nuclear Radiation & apr17 \cr
\+ &Possible Laboratory Final & apr24 \cr
} % end schedule grouping
\hafskip
\noindent{\bfa Note:}
Lab~4 is omited from the present-day course.
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\parsyl{\bfc Ordinary Daily Grind and Laboratory Reports}
\oneskip
\parsyl{\bfa General:} The lab day will usually follow the
following schedule: quiz, lab exercise following
the step-by-step procedure in the lab manual and recording results as
you go, writing up a {\bf RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS} section,
and the marking of lab report.
\oneskip
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\parsyla{\bfa \itemc) Preparation:} Come into the lab period prepared
for the quiz and the lab.
This means spending time ahead of the lab.
The report is written up and marked in the lab.
Thus when the lab period is over the lab is over---this is advantage of
the current way of doing things.
\oneskip
\parsyla{\bfa \itemc) Quiz:} The daily quiz replaces the pre-lab and post-lab
questions given in the lab manual.
The lab manual introduction, any remarks by the instructor, past
work and general physical knowledge are all quizzable material.
Working through the pre-lab and post-lab questions given in the manual
and past quizzes will be good preparation.
In particular, quiz questions may be repeated, and so be sure to understand
your mistakes.
The quizzes will be moderately difficult and should be prepared for seriously:
they count $40\,$\% of the lab grade, excluding a lab final.
The quiz will be given at the start of the lab period and will last about
10~minutes.
All questions will be multiple-choice.
The quizzes will not be taken up in detail.
Answers to the quizzes will be posted after the lab at the
course section webpage.
(Student who wish to make-up a missed quiz must do so promptly and
are on their honor not to discuss the quiz with others or look at the
posted answers.)
\oneskip
\parsyla{\bfa \itemc) Lab:} First write the number and name of the lab, the
date, and your partner's name in your lab book.
Then follow the step-by-step procedure given in the lab manual writing
down the numbers in your lab book as you go.
For each step report in short form any results obtained.
If a step is merely carrying out some action without any results, merely
report \lq\lq done'' for that step.
In many cases, the results are best reported in tabular form.
\oneskip
\parsyla{\bfa \itemc) Computer:} For some labs there are computer spreadsheets
to fill in while carrying out the laboratory.
Most of the graphing in this course will be carried out by the spreadsheets.
Usually, the spreadsheets will plot data in some linear form
and will give a least-squares best fit line with intercept, slope, and
the uncertainties in these quantities.
For the uncertainties, one usually has to scroll far
to the right---{\bf remember this}.
\oneskip
\parsyla{\bfa \itemc) RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:} At the completion of
a lab there will be a {\bf RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS} section.
Give that heading and then answer concisely in your lab book
the questions given on a {\bf RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS} handout.
The {\bf RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS} material will usually be the most
significant results and conclusions from the laboratory exercise.
To complete the {\bf RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS} section, you will need
the results you obtained in the step-by-step procedure.
The {\bf RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS} sections will be the primary markable
material.
But the step-by-step reporting of the whole experiment must be given.
\oneskip
\parsyla{\bfa \itemc) Marking:} At the conclusion of the lab, the instructor
will mark the lab report out of 10.
Note that any significant mistake
in the {\bf RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS} section
in units or significant figures,
or in reporting uncertainties
will result in one point taken off at least.
The same is true for an error in units.
\oneskip
\oneskip
\parsyl{\bfc Uncertainties (Errors) and Significant Figures}
\oneskip
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\parsyla{\bfa \itemc) Significant Figures:} The students should
all know the rules about the propagation of significant figures
through calculations.
They should also know that usually an error has only 1 significant
figure: if the first digit of an error is 1, then a 2nd significant
figure in an error is plausible sometimes.
Correct reporting of significant figures in values and their errors
is imperative in the {\bf RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS} section;
in the step-by-step report, one can be more lax.
Consider the following examples.
Reporting $(3.0\pm0.03)\times10^{-3}$ is wrong.
Reporting $(3.007\pm0.03)\times10^{-3}$ is wrong.
Reporting $(3.01\pm0.03)\times10^{-3}$ is right.
\oneskip
\parsyla {\bfa \itemc) Error Analysis:} In empirical science, almost
every value measured for a continuous quantity has an uncertainty
(which we often loosely call an error).
Even discrete quantities, like the number of number of water molecules
in a glass of water, often must have errors too.
Error is often poorly known and usually has only one significant figure:
this will be the case in this course.
In this course, we want to emphasize awareness of uncertainties and
how experimental results and conclusions are limited by them.
But, on the other hand, we do not want the students to consume a lot
of time in error analysis.
When a datum is written, quickly estimate an uncertainty for it
and write that down as well.
How do you estimate an error?
Something always limits how well a physical quantity can be known:
identify the limitation as best you can.
Sometimes an error estimate will be given.
In doing calculations, the errors should be propagated to
the final numbers.
\oneskip
\parsyla{\bfa \itemc) Error Propagation:} Usually, we will use very
simple and not-very-good means of propagating errors through calculations.
First, if two numbers are added or subtracted, just add their errors.
Second, in any other calculation just assign to the output value, the
maximum fractional uncertainty (i.e., the FU) of the input values.
This rule which used in the Physics~233 Problems Laboratory
is usually not so bad.
But remember it is far from the best way to propagate errors and sometimes
it can be badly misleading.
However, better error propagation treatments are left for later
classes.
\oneskip
\parsyla{\bfa \itemc) Error Propagation Part II:} In Lab~13 on
nuclear radiation, the errors are mainly statistical and a different
approach to error propagation is used.
But we'll discuss that then.
\oneskip
\bye
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