Physics 223 Laboratory
Fall 2000

Instructor: Dr. Hank Yochum
Lab meeting time: Thursday 2:30-5:30 pm

How to contact me:

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

Office Hours:
Monday 10:30-11:30 am
Tuesday 2:00-3:00 pm
Wednesday 10:30-11:30 am
drop when whenever...
I am generally around the department, so if you are looking for me, look in the physics department whether or not I am having office hours.

Course Goals:
    To increase understanding of physical laws applying to fluids, optics, waves, and thermodynamics
    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

Preparation:
You are expected to have working knowledge of algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.   You should also  have a solid understanding of the concepts from Physics 103, 104, 121, and 122. 

Attendance:
Coming to lab is mandatory.  If for some reason you cannot come to lab, see me BEFORE you are absent.

Grades:
pre-lab...................................................5 %
lab reports.............................................60 %
lab quizzes.............................................10 %
project..................................................15 %
non lab report assignments.....................10 %

Pre-labs:
Some labs will have a pre-lab exercise.  Pre-labs are due at the beginning of the lab period.

Quizzes:
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 2 such unannounced or announced quizzes. 

Lab Reports
The student will write a formal lab report for most labs.  The ability to write scientific reports is an important skill which will be stressed this semester.   Emphasis will also be placed on the evaluation of error in experiments.  Lab reports will be due one week after the lab is completed.  Points will be taken off late  lab reports at my discretion.

Projects
This is your chance to form a question, and attempt to answer this question by doing some experiment.  This question can be from physics 103, 104, or 105.  Each group (students will work in groups of 2) will design and implement the appropriate experiment or experiments and then report their results to the class.  You must propose your research to the instructor by Oct. 19.  Some lab time will be allocated to this project. 

Non lab report assigments
Some labs may not lend themselves to formal report writing.  This category is for these labs.

Tentative Lab Schedule