Physics 131 Introductory Physics Laboratory I
Fall 2005
 Tuesday 2:45-5:30, Section 2
Wednesday 1:30 - 4:20, Section 1
"It is characteristic of all deep human problems that they are not to be approached without some humor and some bewilderment - science is no exception"
- Freeman Dyson

Please consult the web page for lab announcements, homework assignments, and other useful information.
Feel free to call whenever you need to. I tend to check my voicemail and email frequently, so if I am not around, I will get in touch with you as soon as possible. One of the benefits of going to a small college like Sweet Briar is the opportunity to get personalized attention from your professors, take advantage of this in all your courses.

Text: No required text, however, you should bring your physics book (and a calculator) to lab, it may prove useful!

General
A lab experience is an integral part of your exploration of the physical universe. The laboratory is a hands-on, active environment. Working in teams, you will carry out experiments which will allow you to apply, verify, or discover concepts and laws in physics. In general there will be two formats for the labs we do this term. The first style of lab is fairly structured with questions, experiments, and exercises. The second set of labs are less structured and require much more experimental design and planning.

If you have a question, comment, or complaint please let me know. Even an anonymous note under my door is fine. 

Course Schedule:
The link here will take you to the course schedule.  Note that the lab topics may change as the pace of Physics 121 and/or Physics 171 may change. Due dates for all assignments will be posted on the course schedule page.  

Course Goals:
    To increase understanding of physical laws applying to mechanics
    To develop physical curiosity
    To develop experimental skills
    To enhance problem solving and critical thinking skills
    To enhance investigative and observational skills
    To develop an appreciation for logical qualitative and quantitative reasoning
    To develop communication skills

Course Objectives:
    The student will be able to:
        Make measurements with common instruments
        Make objective observations of physical phenomena
        Draw conclusions based on observations and data
        Analyze quantitative information using sketches, graphs, tables, and statistics
        Conduct quantitative and qualitative discussions of observational errors
        Design and conduct an experiment in order to investigate a proposition, evaluate a phenomenon, or make a prediction

Preparation:
You are expected to have working knowledge of algebra and  trigonometry and be taking (or have completed) Physics 171 (General Physics I) or Physics 121 (Principles of Physics I).

Attendance:
This one is pretty simple.  Come to lab unless you have been to health services or have had a family emergency.  Come to lab with a good attitude and be ready to work (and have fun...). Students must go to their correct lab section and may not show up on the wrong day of lab.   

Attendance, timeliness, and participation are critical to the learning process and an integral part of this course.  Being late to lab is disrespectful to your classmates and to your professor.    In general, I will not provide make-up labs and will not accept late assignments.  I reserve the right to take points off your grade for lack of in lab activity.

Grades:

Pre-labs:
Many labs will have a pre-lab assignment.  Pre-labs are due at the beginning of the lab period.  Late pre-labs will not be accepted.

Quizzes and Final:
From time to time I will give a short lab quiz to make sure the class is understanding the material.  We will most likely have around 3 such unannounced or announced quizzes and a short lab final quiz (held during last lab period). 

In-lab Activities:
Most lab periods will involve you working through a set of experiments, answering questions on these experiments, and then discussing these experiments with the class. Your answers/results to the in-lab questions will be due the following week (mainly so that you can use the lab to help do your homework).

Lab Homework/Report
Labs will have an associated lab homework or lab report. The lab homework (or lab report) will be graded for correctness and clarity of explanation. An explanation of the expectations for the lab report will be given out when we get to these labs.
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back to Physics 131 Fall 2005
last updated 8/30/2005