PHYSICS 213 Laboratories

University of Kentucky — General Physics II  (Spring 2002)

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PHYSICS 213 Laboratory Exercises, Guidelines, and Assignment Schedule

PHYSICS 213 Lab Meetings
§	When	Where	Instructor
1	Tu   1:00–  2:50 p.m.	CP-167	Samara Wadley
3	Th   1:00–  2:50 p.m.	CP-167	Samara Wadley
4	Tu   3:00–  4:50 p.m.	CP-167	Oleksandr Zelyak
5	W   3:00–  4:50 p.m.	CP-167	Oleksandr Zelyak
6	Th   3:00–  4:50 p.m.	CP-167	Oleksandr Zelyak
7	F   8:00–  9:50 a.m.	CP-167	Samara Wadley
8	F 10:00–11:50 a.m.	CP-167	George Mihalache-Leca

For all Lecture and Recitation and Lab meeting times, see this table.
For more information on contacting your Instructor, please click here.
The Schedule of Laboratory Exercise Assignments is given below.

You get some inkling of the real-world effects of electricity and magnetism when you observe demonstrations in LECTURE with your own eyes and when you tackle concepts there and in RECITATION ... But it's not the same thing as doing it yourself. Physics is an empirical science. Understanding it and believing it require you to do it. The LABORATORY component of PHYSICS 213 has been designed to help you experience directly some of the phenomena that we approach theoretically in class—so you can get your hands on Nature.

This document contains: an outline of how the LABORATORIES are organized, administrative rules, guidelines for writing up your Lab Reports, and a Schedule of exercise assignments. For changes, updates, and Announcements regarding PHY 213 Labs, please consult our Web site. For other course information please refer to our Syllabus.

What You Need

Laboratory Rules and Procedures

The P.I. oversees the experiment and its completion, and is responsible for submitting the completed Lab Report, including Cover Sheet, Abstract, and Summary. The Researcher performs most of the actual experimentation: balancing objects, measuring things, twiddling knobs. The Skeptic's job is to doubt and question—Quality Control—to ensure correct procedure, reliable measurement, and believable results. Data analysis, Questions, and Summary should be worked on as a team.

• Before showing up for a LABORATORY you should review that day's assignment in the Lab Manual. Each period begins with a brief Lab Quiz to check whether you have already reviewed the day's Lab. Every individual's Quiz score counts 3 points towards his or her Lab Report's grade.

• Each LABORATORY should be performed in groups of three. (If necessary, a group could contain fewer than three persons but not more.) Each member of the group must be present for the entirety of each experiment to receive credit for its completion.

• The experiments are designed so that they can be completed within the allotted class time of two hours. If there are inconsistencies in your data, problems with equipment, &c., then data and errors can be checked and corrected. However, once you've left the LABORATORY no such opportunities are available. Under no circumstances may data be created, fudged, falsified, or improperly manipulated—especially after you are done with an experiment! Any weird results must be accepted for what they are; you might hypothesize as to their origin or you might label them as incorrect or inexplicable, but you may not change them. The cornerstone of good science is the trustworthiness of scientific reporting.

• Lab Reports do not need to be completed and turned in by the end of the Lab class but you might often have enough class time to do so. In any case, Lab Reports must be turned in at the lock-box in the hall outside the Lab within 24 hours following the end of your LABORATORY. If a group's Lab Report is late, a penalty of 2 points will be subtracted from each group member's score for each weekday it is overdue. The grading and desired format of Lab Reports are discussed below.

• Make-ups for missed LABORATORIES will be granted only for students with a Valid University Excuse, which we take as defined under Excused Absences on p. 54 of the 2001–2002 University Bulletin. (see also the handbook, Student Rights and Responsibilities, § 5.2.4.2). A make-up Lab must be completed within two weeks of the missed date and before the Final Exam date. Preferably this is done by attending another one of the LABORATORY sessions (with that Laboratory Instructor's permission) during the same week. Otherwise, the LABORATORY can be completed by special arrangement with your Laboratory Instructor. Please direct any problems with equipment or people to your Laboratory Instructor, the Lab Supervisor (Mr. Mihalache-Leca), the Lab Specialist (Mr. Ellis), or the Lab Superindendent (Prof. Harmin), in that order. (Here is a slightly deeper hierarchy.)

Lab Reports

Each person in a group earns a maximum of 3 points for that day's Lab Quiz. The Lab Report proper is then graded on a scale of 0–100% based on the quality of your presentation, data sheets, graphs, calculations, answers to questions, Abstract, and Summary. This grade is then applied towards a maximum of 17 points for the P.I.'s score, 12 points for the Researcher's score, and 12 points for the Skeptic's score. Thus, the P.I. would earn a maximum of 3+17=20 points for a perfect Lab Quiz and Report, while the Researcher and Skeptic would each earn 3+12=15 points. If the Lab Report were rated, e.g., at only 80% these scores would be 3+(0.80×17) = 16.6 and 3+(0.80×12) = 12.6 points, respectively. If the 80%-report were handed in 2 days late, these scores would drop to 16.6-4=12.6 and 12.6-4=8.6 points, &c. This places a greater responsibility on the P.I. to pull it all together, but all group members should cooperate to see that the job gets done well.

Completed Lab Reports for each group should be organized according to the following format:

• Cover Sheet should include the names of the experimenters and their roles, their Section number (§ 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8), the date, the exercise's title and number, and a brief Abstract describing the main goal of the experiment.

• Data Sheets and Graphs ... A record of all measurements must be made in ink. Data cannot be discarded without explanation. An incorrect entry on the data sheet may be crossed out but is to be left legible. Do not erase or use white-out! When an entry is crossed out, write the new value above or adjacent to the old one, and provide a brief explanation. Columns should be headed with the appropriate quantity and units so that only the numerical value need be entered in the column. No calculations may appear on the data sheets. On x-vs.-y–type graphs, clearly label all axes and units.

• Calculations should appear in a neat, orderly form on a separate sheet labeled “Calculations.” Only one sample calculation need be made for each formula used, following these 7 steps (an abbreviated form may be used for other, similar calculations):
  1. State the working equation with only the unknown on the left side.
  2. Define all symbols used unless they have been previously defined.
  3. Substitute both the number and units for each symbol in each formula.
  4. Solve. Computations normally done on a calculator need not be shown.
  5. Underline or
     

     BOX

     
     the result, including both number and units.
  6. Calculate % error or % difference for final results when required.
  7. Include graphs as required with axes properly labeled with quantity and units.

• Questions ... Provide answers to Questions as required. Discuss any 1-word answers!

• Summary section should contain a discussion of what quantities were measured and what physical principle was investigated—and to what accuracy. Copying the Manual's procedure is not satisfactory. Also discuss here the sources of error in the experiment; be specific and avoid generalities such as “human error” or “computational error.” At the very least you should state the value of the quantity that you determined experimentally and its uncertainty—percentage difference—from the theoretical or accepted result. Zero difference, however, does not mean zero error! You should always include an estimation of the experimental uncertainties of your measurements and their effect on the uncertainty of the final result(s). In your concluding remarks you might suggest possible ways to improve the measurement, had you the opportunity, or auxiliary measurements that would help you better understand your result and its uncertainty.

Laboratory Exercise Assignment Schedule   (Spring 2002)
Lab #	Tu Lab §§1, 4	W Lab § 5	Th Lab §§3, 6	F Lab §§7, 8	Page # in Manual	Topic
1	15 Jan	16 Jan	17 Jan	18 Jan	-1-	Electric Charge
2	22 Jan	23 Jan	24 Jan	25 Jan	-9-	Electric Fields
3	29 Jan	30 Jan	31 Jan	1 Feb	-15-	The Oscilloscope
4	5 Feb	6 Feb	7 Feb	8 Feb	-21-	Basic Circuits (Parts I & II)
5	12 Feb	13 Feb	14 Feb	15 Feb	-39-	Basic Circuits (Part III)
6	19 Feb	20 Feb	21 Feb	22 Feb	-51-	The Series RC Circuit
7	26 Feb	27 Feb	28 Feb	1 Mar	-57-	Mapping Magnetic Fields
8	5 Mar	6 Mar	7 Mar	8 Mar	-63-	Magnetic Field Produced    by an Electric Current
9	19 Mar	20 Mar	21 Mar	22 Mar	-69-	Electricity and Motion; Induced eMF
10	26 Mar	27 Mar	28 Mar	29 Mar	-83-	Sound Waves
11	2 Apr	3 Apr	4 Apr	5 Apr	-77-	Absolute Determination of the Ampère;    The Current Balance
12	9 Apr	10 Apr	11 Apr	12 Apr	-89-	Diffraction Grating
13	16 Apr	17 Apr	18 Apr	19 Apr	-99-	Reflection & Refraction
	23 Apr	24 Apr	25 Apr	26 Apr		[Dead Week]

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Last updated 7 January 2002 by David A. Harmin