Introduction to Physics 1111K The Course Much of the material covered in the lab is also covered in the lecture course but not always in the same order This means that the lab requires separate preparation Students should prepare for each week s experiment by reviewing the previous week s experiment reading the upcoming experiment and by looking up relevant topics in the textbook and other sources such as hyperphysics There are many helpful web pages covering the lab topics These topics are listed at the start of every experiment A successful student in the labs will develop ability in general physics laboratory skills such as taking and recording data accurately analyzing data and graphing results Students will also be expected to demonstrate critical thinking skills such as being able to make reasonable predictions and hypotheses from known facts being able to see the relationship between experiments and equations and seeing how they apply to the real world The lab reports will include data calculations and graphs as well as analyses and answers to questions Some questions will call for calculations others for short answers or essays The lab periods are much less formal than the lectures Students will work together in groups and are encouraged to discuss their results and questions with the instructor and each other Each student is however expected to do his or her own work and to turn in a complete set of data graphs calculations and answers Materials Students must bring either a laptop or printed version of the procedure section of the experiment printed data and answer sheets a metric ruler the inexpensive flexible clear plastic ones work the best and a calculator each week The calculator need not be too elaborate but it should have trig functions and scientific notation Every student must have the lab materials before he or she can attend a lab A student who does not have materials for the first experiment will receive a zero for that experiment Students who do not have materials by the second week will be dropped from the rolls for non attendance Format and Policies There will be eleven lab meetings and two meetings for assessment testing each semester When you registered you signed up for a specific lab section Each section meets once a week twice a week in summer You may permanently change lab sections only with the approval of the lab supervisor and the instructor of the section into which you want to transfer Each week s meeting begins with a fifteen minute quiz Some of the questions will cover old material and some will cover the reading for the upcoming experiment Students who arrive late will not be given extra time or any other chance to take the quiz i The lab format is the same every week After the quiz the instructor will briefly explain how the equipment works Students will then divide into groups of two or three no more than three and conduct the experiment All the work for the experiment is due at the end of the period Instructors will not grade or give credit for experiments turned in after the end of the lab period University policy requires that all cell phone pages and similar devices must be turned off and earphones must be removed Students using such things laptops or anything with earphones during quizzes will receive a zero grade for that quiz Students who consistently violate this policy can have their grades reduced or be asked to leave the lab and receive a zero for that week The Role of the TA The teaching assistant is there to help you learn as much as possible from each experiment His or her job is to explain the procedures fix any problems with the equipment monitor students work and give a fair evaluation of lab reports and quizzes The TA is not there to tell you the answers to the questions in the lab manual but rather to guide you as you find the answers for yourself Making up missed work You may not make up a missed experiment during the first two weeks of labs After that students are allowed a maximum of two make up labs per semester Labs may only be made up during the week that particular experiment is taught You may attend another section only if there is space and the instructor agrees to accept you You must completely and correctly fill out a Make up Lab Form and give it to the instructor befor the quiz If your form is not legible and complete you will not get credit for your work You may not go to more than two make up labs without written permission from the lab coordinator There is no other provision for making up missed work Equipment The equipment for each experiment is usually set out on lab carts and students collect and return their own equipment When you are finished with the equipment show your instructor that you have put it away properly If you are careless with equipment or do not put it away neatly points will be deducted from your grade Remove your trash Please be careful with the equipment If something seems to be missing or broken ask the instructor for help Much of the equipment is very expensive and all of it is paid for with your tax and tuition money Every member of the class is responsible for seeing that the equipment is put away neatly for the next group Your instructor should not have to clean up after you and has the authority to deduct up to two points from every student s grade if the equipment carts are not in good order at the end of the lab period Grades At the end of the semester the top ten grades plus the assessment test grade will be averaged to get the final lab grade If the student took the first assessment test the lowest non zero lab grade will be replaced with a perfect score Missing grades are averaged in as zeroes Each professor sets his or her own policy regarding minimum lab performance necessary for a passing lab grade but most require that you attend and turn in satisfactory reports for at least seven experiments The lab grade for the semester constitutes 25 of the final grade for the course ii 1 The lab quiz 5 points The 15 minute quiz is given at the start of each lab session The quiz will include one or two questions based on the previous week s experiment and two to four questions concerning the current experiment The quizzes will be handed out at the start of the period and collected fifteen minutes later Students who arrive late will not be given extra time to finish the quiz 2 The experiment 20 points This grade includes points for correct data calculations graphs and the answers