Students must punctually attend all lab sessions. Any student who arrives fifteen or more minutes late for a lab session without prior authorization will receive a zero for the quiz and may not be allowed to perform the experiments. Each student is responsible for following all announcements or special instructions given in the lab. Absence from lab does not relieve you of this responsibility.
No lab make-ups will be allowed, except under extraordinary circumstances as determined by the lab instructor.
Students who never attend a class by the end of the first two weeks of the semester will be reported for non-attendance. Students who do not drop a class during the schedule adjustment period and are reported for non-attendance will be automatically dropped from the course.
The responsibility for withdrawal from courses after the first two weeks rests with the student. If a student finds it necessary to stop coming to class, the student must initiate the withdrawal from class. In plain English, if you stop coming to class, I will not withdraw you; you will flunk. See the administrative policies page for further details.
Students are expected to behave in accordance with college policies and in accordance with societal expectations of mature adults. Any student who disrupts a lab class, or engages in destructive behavior toward the lab equipment, may be asked to leave and assigned a zero for the lab. Any student who fails to participate in the lab activity may be asked to leave, given a zero for the lab, and assigned new lab partners. Any student caught cheating, or engaging in plagiarism, will receive at a minimum a zero for the assignment, lab report, quiz, or exam, and may be assigned an F in the course.
Students are also required to follow the lab safety policy.
GPC policy requires that all e-mail communications be conducted using official GPC e-mail addresses. I will from time to time e-mail individuals or the entire class. It is your responsibility to check your GPC e-mail regularly and respond when appropriate.
In general, quizzes will be given at the beginning of each lab period. Quizzes will cover both the lab you are about to do and the lab you did the previous week. Questions will be based on the write-up in the lab manual or on the website (or both, or on other material as assigned), so you are strongly urged to read the lab manual and review the java applets listed on the website before coming to class. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped in the computation of your final grade.
I may also from time to time give you pre-lab assignments, which are to be turned in at the beginning of the lab period, or special assignments, for which I shall specify the deadline.
The lab final is comprehensive and will be held on the class day of the week listed in the schedule.
The objectives for physics lab courses are listed on the Common Course Outlines for each class (see http://www.gpc.edu/~gpcsci/phys.htm for the CCOs). It is my further objective that students who complete my classes master certain skills and techniques, including the following:
use of measurement tools such as Vernier calipers, micrometers, multimeters, and oscilloscopes
presentation of data in graphical form and analysis of graphical results
use of linear interpolation to calculate data points when necessary
safe setup and use of moving objects and electrical circuits
ability to draw and interpret circuit diagrams and interpret resistor color codes
(2211L and 2212L only) ability to estimate errors and uncertainties in measurements and determine subsequent uncertainties in calculated results
(2212L only) use of semi-log and log-log graph paper
70% quizzes, pre-lab or special assignments, and lab reports (both formal and informal)
20% final exam
10% lab notebook
See below for the requirements for lab reports and for the lab notebook.
The grading system used at Georgia Perimeter College is as follows:
A 90-100 Excellent
B 80-89 Good
C 70-79 Average -- a grade of "C" is the minimum grade required for certain courses, as specified elsewhere in the College catalog.
D 60-69 Poor -- a grade of "D," while giving hours credit, will not apply toward the degree in courses requiring a "C" or better.
F Below 60 Failure
Students are required to take an assessment test at the end of the course. This fulfills a requirement for the College's accreditation. In my class this will be part of the final exam.
Lab reports
Your lab report grades will reflect an evaluation of the following:
1. General laboratory performance
2. Presentation of experimental results
Lab reports are due the next lab period or as directed. Those submitted late will be penalized.
Lab reports submitted past a one-week grace period WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Note: Neither lab notebooks nor lab reports are graded according to the weight of paper submitted. Brevity is much appreciated.
Neatness counts on all lab reports. If I can't read it, it's wrong.
NOTE: From time to time, if a lab report is missing a section or has serious problems, I may return it to an individual or a group for completion or correction. When this happens, simply write up the new or corrected material ON ONE OR MORE NEW PAGES, attach it to the lab report I handed back, and turn it all in again. You will generally have one week to accomplish this (I'll give you the deadline). After that I will not accept the lab report back and you will receive a zero. If you do not hand it back in, you will receive a zero.
Informal Lab Reports
Depending on the size of my lab classes, I may require that each group submit informal lab reports for each lab experiment, or I may require that each individual submit an informal lab report for each lab experiment.
Informal lab reports may be done on the pages of the manual or write-up (removed and turned in), or the same information duplicated on separate sheets.
The informal lab report must include the following in order to be eligible for full credit:
- The names of all group members who actively participated in that particular lab experiment.
- Answers to each question in the lab manual unless otherwise directed.
- All work and calculations done to arrive at a result.
- All drawings and graphs required by the manual.
- Any additional work required by the instructor.
NOTE: All graphs must be done by hand. Computer- or calculator-generated graphs will not be accepted. The only exceptions to this rule are the slit lab in 1112L/2212L and any special assignments I might give out.
Note: If informal reports are submitted by groups, all group members will receive the same grade for the informal lab report. Each student should be sure that each informal group lab report meets his/her own standards before it is turned in!
Your lowest informal lab report grade will be dropped in computation of your final grade.
In 1112L/2212L, the requirements for informal lab reports are the same as for 1111L/2211L, with one additional item: the lab report must include HAND-DRAWN circuit diagrams of all electrical circuits used in the experiment.
Formal Laboratory Report
During the semester, each student in 1111L and in 2211L must turn in two formal lab reports in addition to the informal reports. A schedule for formal lab reports is established the first day of class. Students may swap formal lab report dates provided that in each case both students come to me at the same time and confirm that they want to swap. Otherwise, the schedule will be followed.
The formal lab report should be a stand-alone document; that is, all the information pertinent to the experiment should be included. This means, among other things, that the formal report must include everything in the informal report.
The formal lab report will consist of the following:
1. A statement of the objective of the experiment
2. A description of the equipment and procedures used. Include a diagram, sketch, or other appropriate visual. NOTE: do not copy the procedure from the manual, and do not write directions. Points will be deducted if you do. Write down what you did.
3. Data tables. You may use the format in the write-up or design your own, as long as your design is clear and logical.
4. Calculations. Sample calculations must show the equations involved in the experiment. Show how you substitute a sample set of data into the relevant equation, with the correct units. One sample for each different type of calculation is sufficient.
5. Graphs, if any (not all experiments involve graphs). The graphs provide a visual representation of your data. Therefore, the axes of each graph must have clear labels and titles. The proper units for each axis must be shown. A good choice of scale for the axes determines the size of the graph plot. This lab website includes a link to an excellent discussion "What to Do About Graphs." Please read and follow this guidance.
NOTE: All graphs must be done by hand. Computer- or calculator-generated graphs will not be accepted. The only exceptions to this rule are the slit lab in 1112L/2212L and any special assignments I might give out.
6. Conclusion. The conclusion is a very important section of your report, and counts for approximately one-third to one-half of the grade for the formal lab report. Your conclusion should include all of the following:
The text portions of formal lab reports must be typed; any calculations, graphs, or other material written by hand must be clearly legible.
Neatness counts on all lab reports.
Note: Neither lab notebooks nor lab reports are graded according to the weight of paper submitted. Brevity is much appreciated.
Students in my physics lab classes will keep a lab notebook. The lab notebook will be a bound notebook with about 50 pages and will be used exclusively for the physics lab experiments for this course. This notebook will serve as a permanent record of the work done each lab session. The book must be brought to the lab for each lab class and used for recording information and data for each lab. Be prepared to turn in the lab notebook at the end of the semester, on the day of the final exam. It will count for 10% of your grade for the course.
The lab notebook will be organized according to this format:
Page 1. Title Page
Include your name, the course number, the semester and year, and my name.
Page 2. Index of Recorded Experiments
List the date and title of each experiment, making entries after each experiment has been performed.
Pages 3 - x. Detailed Record of Experiments
Start a new page for each lab experiment. Include names of lab partners and any special instructions or additional lab prep notes pertaining to this lab experiment.
Record ALL data, including applicable environmental information, in your lab notebook. For informal reports, you may turn in pages from the lab manual, but take the data originally in your notebook. Do it neatly the first time and you won't have to recopy it all.
If you deem any measurement to be erroneous, draw one line through it, so that it may still be read. DO NOT erase or otherwise render it unreadable. Explain reasons for each instance of this. Do not remove any pages from the book.
Include a brief description of the objective of the experiment and the procedures followed. Include enough detail that if you picked up the book two years from now, you could follow your notebook and explain to someone else what you did, including mistakes and pitfalls. Also include a sketch or diagram of the equipment used. For 1112L/2212L, include hand-drawn circuit diagrams as well.
Pay particular attention to the number of significant figures of the recorded data, and calculated results.
You need not include calculations, questions, or conclusions in your notebook unless you wish to. The point of keeping the notebook is to have a record of the equipment used, the procedures followed, and the data gathered.
The other point of keeping the notebook is to learn how to take data neatly the first time! Get in the habit of doing it right the first time and not having to spend the time to copy it over!
Before you leave class each time, come to me and make sure I initial your data in your notebook. After the second week of lab, anyone who fails to bring and use his lab notebook may be penalized.
The grade you receive on your lab notebook will depend in large part on how well you follow the above instructions.
Students may choose their initial lab partners and may change them at any time. I may also mandate from time to time that students switch partners. Lab participants in each group must take turns in performing each required procedure involved in data acquisition and data analysis. Informal lab reports, if submitted by a group, must have only the names of the active participants in each group. Any student who does not actively participate in the data acquisition and data analysis process will not be allowed to report any group's data for the experiments. No lab group is allowed to share experimental data with another group unless specifically authorized by me. Such action will be considered as cheating and hence punishable.
Exercise reasonable care in handling and operating any equipment, and follow all safety policies and special safety instructions. An entire lab group will be held responsible for any lab equipment and other materials assigned to the group. All equipment must be put away in the appropriate place.
Whenever in doubt about any aspect of the lab, please do not hesitate to ask questions. The lab experience should be a learning process.
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