Basic Physics II Laboratories
Fall 2009
The
laboratories count for approximately 15% of your total grade. Each laboratory will be graded from 0 to 10
points, with 7 being satisfactory and 10 being outstanding. However, it will require a very good report
to get above 9 points. If you average 8
on your laboratories, they will not lower your grade, even if your laboratory
average is lower than your exam and homework averages. It you miss a laboratory and do not make it
up, it will count for – 10 points, i.e. negative 10 points. If you miss a lab and can make it up and turn
in your report before the instructor returns the graded reports on that lab,
you will receive full credit for it. You
must be present at a laboratory to get credit for it. If you have to make it up later, you will be
allowed to make up ONE lab at the end of the semester. Laboratory reports will be due at the
beginning of the following lab. If they
are turned in late without permission you will lose a point, but if they
are turned in after the other students’ reports have been returned, you will
lose several points.
You
will have a partner for each laboratory, but you are responsible for your own
report. The data should be the same as
your partner’s, but the discussion must be your own. The laboratory report should consist of the
following sections.
1.
A title page consisting of the laboratory, your name and your partner’s
name. (It must be clear who is the partner and who is the person who wrote the
report. The partner’s name should be in
much smaller print.) It must also
contain the section’s meeting day, Thursday or Wednesday.
2.
A very brief description of the purpose of the experiment.
3.
A brief discussion of just what you measured and how you made
the measurements. This part may be longer
if you depart from the written instructions.
4.
The raw data. This is the paper
containing the measurements you made. This
must be initialed by your laboratory instructor before you leave the lab.
5.
A data analysis section. Here
you will present the numerical analysis of your data. This will often be done using a
spreadsheet. Your instructor may ask
you to do some of this before you leave the lab and want to initial it.
6.
A discussion of the meaning of your data. You should discuss the results of your
measurements in terms of the theories or concepts the laboratory was trying to
illustrate. You need to discuss the reliability (accuracy and precision) of
your measurements and what part of the measurement process introduced these
uncertainties. This is a very important
section, especially if you want more than an 8 on the laboratory report. Be as quantitative as you can in this
section. If you are asked questions in
the laboratory write up, you should answer them here.
Use clean 8 ˝ by 11-inch
paper and staple the report together. I
recommend using a word processor, but if you write by hand, write clearly and
legibly. If it is messy or illegible you
will lose points. Neatness Counts! If you use
binder paper, make sure there are no “rough” edges.
Read the laboratory write up before you come to the
laboratory,
if people do not do this you may be quizzed on the write up before the
laboratory and it will count for part of your grade. Be at the laboratory on time. If you have to miss the lab for a compelling
reason, see the instructor BEFORE the laboratory. If you can’t, see the instructor as soon as
you can.
We might also have a
laboratory quiz at the end of the term.
It would be worth the equivalent of one lab, or 10 points.