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Syllabus Physics 375 - Fall 2008 Prof. Michael Fuhrer Title: PHYS 375 Experimental Physics III: Electromagnetic Waves, Optics and Modern Physics. Third course in the three-semester introductory sequence. Methods and rationale of experimental physics. Experiments chosen from the areas of electromagnetic waves, optics and modern physics. In keeping with efforts to improve the department curriculum, this course is evolving into a hybrid Lecture/Laboratory optics course. It will nominally consist of lectures on topics in optics, and a series of six labs. This is a 3 credit course. Prerequisite: PHYS 273 and PHYS 276. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: PHYS 375 or former PHYS 296 Instructor: Prof. Michael Fuhrer, Room 2308 Physics, Phone: 5-6143, e-mail: [email protected]. WWW: http://www.physics.umd.edu/mfuhrer/ Schedule: One meeting weekly in Room 3112 Physics (lecture) and 3104 Physics (lab) Section 0201 meets Wednesday 2:00pm- 5:50pm Required Texts: Introduction to Optics (3rd Edition) by F. L. Pedrotti, L. S. Pedrotti, L. M. Pedrotti. ISBN: 0-13-149933-5. 1 Lab Notebook with at least 100 duplicate pages (i.e. carbon-copy pages), quad ruled. The University Book Center sells a carbon-copy lab notebook (Roaring Spring Paper Company #77649) which will work, but any quad-ruled carbon-copy lab notebook is OK. Suggested Additional Reading: An Introduction to Error Analysis by J. R. Taylor, ISBN: 0-935702-75-X. Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences (Second Edition) by P. R. Bevington and D. K. Robinson, ISBN: 0-07-005135-6. Other books on optics and modern physics, including your 171/272/273 texts. Overview: PHYS375 is a three (3) credit course that meets four hours a week. In a new configuration, it will include a substantial lecture component, so that students learn optics in a coherent fashion. The primary laboratory objective consists of learning physics through experimental investigation. Topics to be covered include electromagnetic waves, geometrical optics, polarization, interference and interferometers, diffraction, and atomic spectra. There will be six experiments, each lasting for two class periods, as well as lectures. Thiscourse will allow you to develop practical laboratory skills including experimental design and experimental uncertainty inherent in all measurement. You will be required to submit lab reports for each experiment completed, along with homework submitted on those weeks when a lab report is not due. There will be a final exam, but no midterm exams. Lectures: The lectures are a required component of this class. This is an excellent opportunity to learn optics and to make connections to your other courses (electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, etc.) and deepen your understanding of physics. Note that no student shall be allowed into the lab unless they have participated in that week’s lecture. Computers: Developing a working knowledge of computers in the context of physics problem solving is an important skill. You will accumulate data with a computer-based data acquisition system. We will provide some elementary Mathematica notebooks for use in data analysis. Additional information: Regular communication is essential in this laboratory. Besides face-to-face discussions during the required attendance on your scheduled lab day, email is the next easiest way to stay in touch. You are expected to check your email and the course web page regularly for announcements. (Course web page is http://www2.physics.umd.edu/~mfuhrer/course/fall08/) Dropping the Course: Note: the last day to drop without a “W” is September 13. The last day to drop with a "W" is November 8. Grading: Your final grade will be based on 100 points determined by your lab reports, homework, and final exam, according to the following scheme: Lab 0 report (5 pts for complete report) 5 pts 6 Lab reports @ 10 pts each 60 pts 6 Homeworks (drop lowest of 7) @ 2.5 pts each 15 pts Final exam 20 pts TOTAL 100 pts Phys 375 Lab Manual: Because the course is in transition, we will not be using a traditional Lab Manual (no more cookbooks!). Information necessary for each lab will be posted on the course website for download. Lab Reports: The emphasis in the lab reports will be to learn how to keep a laboratory notebook. This should be a record of what you did in the lab (including mistakes – never erase!). The lab report should consist of two main parts –the record of what you did in the lab, including notes on the apparatus, how you acquired data, and the raw data. You must use a notebook which makes carbon copies of each page, and turn in the copies at the end of each lab period. The second part is data analysis, including plots, extraction of the actual quantities to be measured, and uncertainty analysis. It should end with a discussion of ways to improve the measurement. This may be a different form for a lab report than you are used to – rather than having you repeat the material we already know (what the problem is, what the equipment is,…) you should focus on what you did and what conclusions you drew. Follow these guidelines: 1. Write in a real lab notebook: notebook should be quad ruled, with numbered pages. 2. Use a lab notebook that makes carbon copies of each page. 3. Write in ink. If you make a mistake, draw one line through it - don't erase it, scratch over it, or use white-out. 4. Staple/past/tape all graphs and analysis in notebook. Label axes. Include any formulas, derivations, etc. needed to understand your graph. 5. Provide the actual experimental setup you used to do the experiment (do not photocopy lab manual). 6. Provide a clear description of the procedure used to take data. 7. Provide the units of all numbers. 8. Provide and explain your estimate of the random and systematic errors in all important quantities affecting your final result. You must use proper error analysis techniques. 9. Pay attention to significant figures. 10.Analyze your data. Write down the methods you used. If you use Mathematica, do not simply paste your Mathematica notebook into your lab notebook - write down in your lab notebook your analysis steps. 11.Quote your results with final total error (including systematic errors). 12.When appropriate, compare your answer to the expected value and discuss discrepancies. 13.Be sure you have done all the experiments you


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UMD PHYS 375 - Syllabus

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