Undergraduate Physics Labs

Spring 2013

Lab Start Dates

Labs will begin the week of January 14. Check your course schedule to determine what time your section meets.

Important! All experiments after the week of January 14 will follow the "lab week". Lab weeks are defined below:

  • Physics 050, 101, 150: Wednesday to Tuesday of the following week
  • Physics 051, 102, 151: Monday to Friday of the same week

Check the Lab Schedule for more details.

Lab Procedure

Students will work in small groups of about 3 students and complete an experiment during each lab meeting. There will be 10 labs total. Procedures for each lab can be accessed via your Lab Schedule or in the Experiments section. Please obey the following guidelines for each lab:

  1. Leave the lab exactly how you found it! Other sections use the same rooms and equipment. Be considerate to students and lab staff by taking care of the equipment.
  2. Report all problems/breakages immediately! Don't try to fix something yourself. You may not repair it correctly, which may result in taking data using broken or uncalibrated equipment.
  3. Come to the lab prepared! Read the Lab Procedure ahead of time and complete the pre-lab exercises. Bring a scientific calculator and a notebook to each lab.

Grading Policy

Students must complete each lab in order to pass the course. Absence from a lab without permission could lead to an F or incomplete in the course. Each lab is worth 10 points. Each lab consists of the following:

  • Pre-lab Exercise (1 point)
    These exercises are embedded within each lab procedure and are due at the beginning of each lab. Full credit will be given for honest attemps to complete each exercise.
  • Experimental Data and Lab Write-up (9 points)
    Each group will submit an electronic copy of their experimental data and in-lab questions by the end of the lab session. The end of the document should contain a few paragraphs summarizing and discussing conclusions about the results. This should also include a discussion of sources of error in the experiment