Physics 174 is an introductory physics lab course that meets for 1 hour and 50 minutes each week in Room 3115 of the Physics Building. In this course you will be expected to master a few basic ideas and tools which you will need for later labs, including: understanding experimental errors, using computer spreadsheets for analyzing, plotting and fitting data, and working with simple electrical circuits and electrical measuring equipment. This course is intended for, but not limited to, students who are majoring in Physics or are considering doing so.
Corequisite: Math 140 (Calculus I). You will
have to know how to take derivatives of functions starting about one month into
the course. It will also be helpful to have taken a high school (or college)
physics course.
Books: The required texts are:
Be sure to bring your Lab Manual with you to every
class, including the first class.
This course is intended to give you hands-on experience with measurement techniques and basic data analysis. You'll spend time in the lab (room 3115) each week doing an exercise that focuses on a particular concept, following pretty specific instructions in the Lab Manual. You'll answer a series of questions as you work through each exercise. Your professor and TA will be available to help when you need it and to check your work; you'll have a "checksheet" that we will initial as we check each task that you've completed. At the end of the lab period, you will turn in your work, normally in the form of an Excel spreadsheet that you will submit electronically using ELMS (we'll tell you how to do that during the first meeting).
Homework is assigned at the end of most of the labs. Depending on how quickly you've completed the in-class exercise, you may have some time left to do the homework before you leave. You must turn in your homework (usually using ELMS) by 10:00 pm on the second day after your lab session. That is, if you have lab on Wednesday, then the homework is due by 10:00 pm Friday; if you have lab on Thursday, the deadline is 10:00 pm Saturday. We will grade your spreadsheets and homework before your next lab period.
The course includes two in-class practical exams which will involve making measurements and analyzing the data you collect, much like the regular exercises. (In fact, the Lab Manual lists them with exercise numbers.) The instructions and questions for these exams will be handed out at the beginning of the lab period on the scheduled exam dates.
Course web
site:
Course information, the week-by-week schedule of lab exercises, and other
documents are posted in the ELMS (Blackboard) system. You will use the course web site
to turn in your Excel spreadsheets from the in-class exercises and homework, and will also be able to use it
to view your grade on each assignment. You should be able to log in at http://elms.umd.edu, and the course should appear
in the "My Courses" panel.
|
Section |
Day |
Time |
Instructor |
Teaching Assistant |
|
0107 |
Tuesday |
2:00pm-3:50pm |
Prof. Gammon |
|
|
0101 |
Wednesday |
9:00am-10:50am |
Prof. Gammon |
|
|
0102 |
Wednesday |
2:00pm-3:50pm |
Prof. Gammon |
|
We will skip
Exercise 3 in the lab manual, but do both exercises 5 and 5* (five-star).
Note the two exams on Oct 16 and Dec 11!
|
Week of |
Topic |
|
Sept 1 |
Exercise 1: Introduction to Excel |
|
Sept 8 |
Exercise 2: Measurement Error and
Uncertainty |
|
Sept 15 |
Exercise 4: Straight Line Fits Using χ2 and Excel |
|
Sept 22 |
Exercise 5: Propagation of Errors |
|
Sept 29 |
Exercise 5*: Using χ2 to Test a Theory |
|
Oct 6 |
Exercise 6: Review of Spreadsheets
and Errors |
|
Oct 13 |
Exam
on Spreadsheets and Errors |
|
Oct 20 |
Exercise 8: Resistors and Multimeters |
|
Oct 27 |
Exercise 9: Current and Voltage |
|
Nov 3 |
Exercise 10: The Digital Oscilloscope
and the Function Generator |
|
Nov 10 |
Exercise 11: The Oscilloscope and AC
Signals |
|
Nov 17 |
Exercise 12: Reflection of Voltage
Pulses |
|
Nov 24 |
No PHYS174 labs, Thanksgiving Break |
|
Dec 1 |
Exercise 13: Review of Circuits |
|
Dec 8 |
Exam
on Circuits and Error analysis |
Prof.
Robert W. Gammon
Office: Room 1100,
Phone: 301-405-4791
Email: rgammon@umd.edu
Office hours: By appointment
TA's:
For Section 0107
Mark Herrera
Office: Physics 4223
Email:
mherrer1@umd.edu
Office hours: Friday 1:-3: PM
For Sections 0101 and 0102
Justin Wilson
Office: Physics 4223
Email:jwilson.thequark@gmail.com
Office hours: Thursday 4:-5: PM, Room 4223 but look also in room 4219
You can also stop by the lab during one of the other sections if you have questions about the equipment, in-class work, or homework.
Arriving late to
class:
Classes at
Making up missed labs:
If you must miss your regular lab section (due to illness, a religious
observance, or some other compelling reason), then you should make that lab up
by going to another section that same week, if possible. Contact your
instructor and the instructor of the other section (if different) to let them
know that you need to do this and to check whether there is space available. If
you cannot attend another section, contact your instructor ASAP and a time for
a make-up lab will be arranged. In general, this should be done during the same
calendar week as the lab is scheduled (so that the equipment for that lab is
still set up), and definitely
no later than the following Monday.
The homework for the lab will be due by 10:00 pm on the second day after you
make up the lab.
Grading:
50% Lab Spreadsheets
20% Homework
15% Test on spreadsheet, errors and measurements
15% Test on the oscilloscope and
electrical circuits
General
comments on assignments:
Finishing all the labs and homework sets is very
important. Missing a lab will generally cost you one letter grade in your final
grade, so be sure to come every week. Missing even one homework set will hurt
your grade too, so do the best you can. Do the homework early, so that you have
time to ask questions if something gives you trouble! Also, if you can't
completely finish a homework set, turn in what you do have before
the deadline. No
credit will be given for late homework unless you have a valid excuse
(illness, a religious observance, or some other compelling reason.) When you
are working on the homework sets, feel free to discuss among yourselves to try
to figure out what is going on. However, do not use these discussions as an
excuse to copy someone else's solution to the homework, or let someone else
copy your solution. That is cheating and is strictly forbidden. It is also
self-defeating since another part of your grade will come from tests. The right
way to discuss the homework is to first
work through the problem on your own. Try to arrive at a definite answer, even
if you aren't sure it is correct. With this preparation you can then discuss
intelligently with your colleagues and see if you have missed something
essential. Of course, you can always ask one of your instructors - that's what
we get paid for!
Honor Code:
The University of Maryland,
Students with
disabilities:
Accommodations will be provided to enable students with disabilities to
participate fully in the course. Please discuss any needs with your instructor
at the beginning of the semester so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Weather and emergency
closures:
If the University is closed due to weather or some emergency situation on a day
when homework is due, then that homework will be due by noon on the next day
when the University is open. If the University is closed on the scheduled date of an exam, then the exam will be given
during your next regularly scheduled class period when the University is open.
If the University is closed on your regular class day in any other (non-exam)
week, including the
"review" exercise week before each exam, then the exam will still be
given according to the original schedule. In these or other exceptional
circumstances, we will attempt to communicate with students by email.