PHYSICS 332

MECHANICS LABORATORY

Winter, 2008

 

Instructor: Marshall Thomsen, 302B Strong, 487-8794

                           Office Hours: to be posted.

Lab: 340N Strong

Hours: Self-scheduled (see below)

Required Text: Mechanics Laboratory Manual 2008 (available on lineÑsee http://www.physics.emich.edu/mthomsen/index.htm); access to a good intermediate mechanics textbook (such as Fowles & Cassiday).

 

Objectives:  By the end of this course, you should

              1. understand basic rules of lab safety, consistent with standards adopted by the Council of State Science Supervisors.

              2. be able to acquire data with care.

              3. understand and be able to estimate the uncertainty in your data.

              4. be able to write a lab report which conveys the essential information about your experiment.

              5. be able to design an experiment to check the validity of your hypothesis.

             

Lab Rules

 

1.         The lab key may be signed out from the departmental secretary weekdays 8:00-12:00 and 1:00-5:00.  It must be returned the same day.  YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LAB EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES WHILE THE KEY IS SIGNED OUT IN YOUR NAME.  Do not take apart any device unless specifically instructed to by the 332 Manual. 

 

2.         Clean up the lab before you lock up.  In particular, return any tools or supplies to the tool table and make sure all equipment has been turned off and unplugged.

 

3.         Experiments may be done in pairs, but no more than two to a group.  If you have a lab partner, remember to acknowledge him or her in your report.  All reports must be written independently. A description of what is expected of your reports is found in the online lab manual.  Please read this carefully!

 

4.                  You must complete all six experiments, and throughout the course of the term, your reports will become increasingly more comprehensive. You must adhere to the minimum progress schedule below.  Assignments may be turned in to my mailbox, handed to me, or slipped under my office door.

 

5.                  Late ASSIGNMENTS are subject to a 10% per calendar day penalty.  This means it is particularly important not to wait until after a weekend to submit a late assignment. Note that the official due time is 2 P.M. on the dates listed.  After that, the assignment is late.

 

6.                  SPECIAL NOTE CONCERNING INCOMPLETES: As with any course, incompletes will only be granted in accordance with university policy as stated in the course catalogue.  If an unforeseeable circumstance arises which prevents you from completing this course, you must inform the instructor as soon as it is physically possible for you to do so.  Lateness penalties will continue to accumulate until you request an incomplete.

 

7.                  A sign up sheet will be available outside the lab.  You and a partner may reserve up to 2 hours of lab time in any given week.  You will have first priority for lab time you've signed up for; you may also use the lab at other times if the lab has not been reserved or if those who reserved it have not shown up.

 

8.                  Unless you request otherwise, all assignments will be returned to the ÒPHY 332Ó box on the bottom shelf of the bookcase across from my office (look to your right as you enter the conference room). 

 

Grading:

 

A>90%>A->87%>B+>84%>B%>80%>B->77%>C+>74%>C>70%>C->67%>D+>64%>D>60%>D->57%>E

Point values listed below will not add up to 100.  The point totals will be converted to percentages.

 

Minimum Progress Schedule:

 

The Introduction to the lab manual contains a complete description of all sections of the lab report and a sample lab report.

 

Date due (by 2PM)

Point Value

To be submitted

January 14

10

Completed assignment on laboratory safety issues (see attachment)

January 18

4

Completed chart and plot for "Determining Angular Acceleration" AND

January 18

2

Photocopy of data from the Rotational Dynamics Lab (as proof that you've done the experiment)

January 25

10

Write up of the Results section and Title Page only of the Rotational Dynamics Lab

January 30

 

Rotational Dynamics Lab available for pick up (I hope!) outside my office

February 6

2

Photocopy of data from Multicomponent Oscillator Lab AND

February 6

 

OPTIONAL: Revised Rotational Dynamics Lab Results section due.  Submit your original, marked-up version as well as your original grade sheet so that I can see how you have responded to my comments.

February 15

14

Write up for Abstract, Introduction, and Results of the Multicomponent Oscillator Lab.

February 21

 

Pick up corrected Multicomponent write-up

March 7

2

Photocopy of data for the Harmonic Motion Analysis  AND

March 7

 

OPTIONAL: Revised Multicomponent write-up due. Submit your original, marked-up version as well as your original grade sheet so that I can see how you have responded to my comments.

March 19

16

Harmonic Motion Analysis write-up due--all sections except Procedure.

April 2

20

Collisions Lab full report.

April 16

20

Large Amplitude Oscillations full report.

 

Note that on February 6 and march 7 you have the OPTION of submitting revised versions of assignments that you just got back.  In each case, if you choose to submit the revision, your final score on that assignment will be the average of the score on the original and the score on the revised assignment.
PHY 332 Lab Reservation for the week of