syllabus for physics lab

8/12/2019 Syllabus for Physics Lab

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Physics Lab SupervisorsDon Schumacher [email protected] 386-226-6617 Office: COAS 221Dan Maronde [email protected] 386-226-7757 Office: COAS 220

Physics Laboratory for EngineersPS253-03, Spring 2014

ERAU Daytona Beach

Tuesday 2:15-5:00Room: COAS 219

Instructor: Branden NatheE-mail: [email protected]: COAS 414Office Hours: M,W,F 1:00-3:00Lab Supervisor: Dan [email protected] 386-226-7757

Textbook:

Required Obtain the lab modules from Blackboard. You must bring a copy to class. Recommended An Introduction to Error Analysis 2 nd Edition, John R. Taylor 1982. All course related information and documents will be distributed and available via Blackboard.

Learning Outcomes:

Make quality measurements of physical quantities and identify uncertainties Record and organize data in tables and figures

Analyze data, perform error analysis, and perform error propagation Explain the cause of incorrect data or unexpected results Write a clear, concise scientific and technical laboratory report Develop professional work and writing habits

Grading:

Your final grade in this course is very heavilyweighted on the reports and worksheets youwill turn in each week detailing the topics andexperiments you covered in class. You willneed to use quality time outside of lab everyweek writing up your reports and proofreadingthem in order to submit a well written, high grade , report. It is to your benefit to work onthese ahead of due dates so that you can gethelp from your instructors if needed! Note thatthe quiz portion accounts for more than a lettergrade, so it should not be ignored.

Weighting

Reports & Worksheets 85%Quizzes 15%

A 100-90B 89-80C 79-70D 69-60F


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PS253 Syllabus, Spring 2014 2 of 4


will include hands-on activities using equipment similar to that used in experiments from thecourse. You will have up to 10 minutes to complete the quiz once it is handed out, no timeextensions will be allowed if you arrive to class late. If you arrive to class after the quiz has begunyou must finish it in whatever time is left.

Reports:

For the majority of the experiments you will turn in individually written lab reports. Although whilein lab you will work in groups, every person will turn in their own personally written report. Youmust do all of your own, original work.

The lab report format will resemble that of peer reviewed journal publications: Journal ofAerospace Engineering, American Journal of Physics, IEEE publications. The report will haveseveral sections: Title area, Abstract, Introduction, Theory & Processes, Discussion of Results,References, a Calculations page (by hand or electronically), data for any plots (typed in a neat tablewith units), and your raw data from the lab (signed if hand written). Writing reports in this formatwill help you prepare for writing papers and other formal documents in your career.

Reports must be typed except for the calculation page which may be hand written and any raw datawhich was written by hand in lab. You may use any software to prepare your report such as MSWord or LaTeX (available for download at www.latex-project.org) . LaTeX is not a word processorbut a document builder that becomes a powerful tool when you take time to learn how to use it.

Reports without original, raw data from class will not be accepted and given a 0%. This will happenwhether you performed the experiment or not! If you submit your raw data or any report theminimum score is a 25% as long as you attended lab and it is not late.

If you use something from a source other than your own mind and experience, including but notlimited to constants, reference values, quoted text, paraphrased text, diagrams, photographs,derivations, equations, and websites it MUST be cited in the text and referenced in your report. Thisincludes material found in the lab modules. A minimum of 10% points will be deducted for missingcitations or references.

When submitting papers for publication in professional journals, the editors will often requirechanges to the paper before it is accepted. Even before submission a paper will usually go throughmultiple iterations, especially if it is written in collaboration with colleagues. The process ofrewriting edited drafts is a large part of creating publication quality papers. There will be tworequired rewrites during this course: Everyone will be required to rewrite the first report, based onthe instructors suggestions. Near the midpoint in the semester, a second required rewrite will bedue. The paper may be chosen from any of the previously submitted reports. During the second halfof the semester, an optional third rewrite may be done. The last day that the optional rewrite maybe turned in will be your final class meeting. The optional rewrite must be chosen from the secondhalf of the semesters experiments . All rewrites must be submitted with marked first draft

attached . The score on the rewrite will replace the original score. Missing papers or papersreceiving a zero due to issues of academic integrity will not be eligible for rewrites.

More information and help on writing lab reports including sample reports, guidelines, and commonmistakes see the course website on Blackboard.

Worksheets:
http://www.latex-project.org/http://www.latex-project.org/http://www.latex-project.org/


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Several experiments during the semester will involve you completing worksheets and answeringshort questions rather than writing up a full lab report. These will come in pairs: one an in-labworksheet to be completed and turned in to your instructor before you leave, the second a post-labworksheet done as homework to be turned in at the next class. Together, two worksheets are worththe weight of one lab report and are considered a 'report' when dropping the lowest report grade.

Attendance:

Attendance is required and will be taken each lab by your instructor. You must attend the labsection for which you are registered. If you do not attend lab you cannot submit reports orworksheets for the missed lab; if you attempt to hand in work for a lab you did not attend, or makeup, it will not be accepted and given a 0%. If you are 10 minutes or more late you will be consideredabsent with no excuse, be considered to have missed lab, and unable to submit work for it.

All excused absences must be approved by the lab supervisor PRIOR to the absence. For an absenceto be excused, meaning you will be given the opportunity to make up the missed work, it MUST beeither a death in the family, documented medical emergency, or university business.

If you unexpectedly miss class due to one of the mentioned categories you have one week toprovide your documentation and make arrangements to make up the work. If you providedocumentation to the Dean of Students Office ( [email protected] , 386-226-6326), they will email all ofyour instructors that the absence is excused. This is the preferred method of documentation. Afterone week without notice the absence is unexcused regardless of the reason.

Academic Integrity and the Honor Code:

It is the pursuit of science to find the truth and to explain the universe. Following that, the work youdo in this course must be done with integrity and honesty. The data you use in your reports must beall the data you obtained in class and no more. You own your data, and it is a form of intellectualproperty. You cannot use data from other students, unless the instructor has given approval, and itis unethical to eliminate troublesome data or to create fake data. It is unacceptable to provide workfor others or to take som eone elses work, student written or published, and use it as your own. Allof these are examples of plagiarism.

However, science and research are not done by solitary souls in a vacuum. You are encouraged toseek assistance from friends and lab partners. Collaboration is a vital way to learn, but everyone isexpected to do their own analysis. Your report must reflect the ideas of its single author.

There is zero tolerance for cheating, plagiarism, fraud, forgery, obstruction, disorderly conduct,threatening behavior, theft, or vandalism. Violations of the ERAU Honor Code will be handled inaccordance with policies in the Student Handbook and the Academic Catalog . These actions canresult in failing assignments, failing the class, suspension, or dismissal from the University.

Course Policies:

If data was recorded by hand in lab you must present your raw data sheet to your instructorto be signed and dated before you leave the lab the day of the experiment.

Your reports, post-lab worksheets, and report rewrites are due at the beginning of the nextlab after you complete the experiment or receive the marked first draft. Late worksubmitted within 12 hours after your class will receive a 20% deduction. Work submitted12-24 hours late will receive a 50% deduction. After 24 hours late work is not accepted andis a 0%.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://daytonabeach.erau.edu/about/directory/dean-of-students/EmbryRiddle2012.2013.pdfhttp://daytonabeach.erau.edu/about/directory/dean-of-students/EmbryRiddle2012.2013.pdfhttp://daytonabeach.erau.edu/about/directory/dean-of-students/EmbryRiddle2012.2013.pdfhttp://daytonabeach.erau.edu/degrees/catalog/http://daytonabeach.erau.edu/degrees/catalog/http://daytonabeach.erau.edu/degrees/catalog/http://daytonabeach.erau.edu/about/directory/dean-of-students/EmbryRiddle2012.2013.pdfmailto:[email protected]


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Late work must be handed to your instructor. Email or mailbox submissions will NOT beaccepted. If you cannot find your lab instructor then you may turn it in to a lab supervisor. Ifa lab supervisor is not available then it may be placed in the file holder outside his office(have a PS Dept. Office Administrative Assistant sign and time/date your work).

Assignments due the day of any absence must be turned in by the following day before thetime your lab would normally end. At that time the late penalties begin.

Late point deductions do not accrue over weekends or holidays. If you missed a quiz due to an excused absence you are expected to make up the quiz;contact your instructor as soon as possible to find out if you missed a quiz. You mustschedule a time to make up the quiz with your instructor or the lab supervisor. Your lastchance to make up a quiz is at the start of class before your instructor hands back thequizzes; if you fail to make up the quiz by this time you will receive a 0% for that quiz.

With four (4) or more excused absences you will receive an I and need to resolve theincomplete in accordance with university policy.

If you Audit the lab, you are still required to attend, participate, and turn in assignments,but your work is not graded. Otherwise the Audit will be switched to a Withdrawal.

If you have a camera you may take pictures of the equipment and setup for use in your

report as long as you do not disrupt class or the students around you. You may use a tablet or other electronic device to access and view the lab modules in class ifyou would prefer to not print out a paper copy. You can also access Blackboard and yourUniversity email from the lab computers.

No food or drink in the lab. It is recommended to wear closed toed footwear.

Seeking Help, Your Ideas, and Evaluations:

You are encouraged to take advantage of instructor and supervisor office hours for help incoursework or anything else connected with the course and your continued academic progress. Weare here to facilitate your education and want nothing more than to help you succeed in your

education. Your questions, comments, suggestions, and ideas are always welcome.We highly encourage you to complete the online Course Evaluation for this course at the end of thesemester when it becomes available to you through the University. Let us know what you thoughtabout the course, what we did right, and what could use improvements. Maintaining a constructive,critical, and skeptical mind is important for scientists and learners. Your grade will always only bebased on your coursework and participation.

A note from the Disability Support Services Office:

ERAU is committed to the success of all students. It is University policy to provide reasonableaccommodations to students with disabilities who qualify for services. If you would like to requestaccommodations due to a physical, mental, or learning disability, please contact Disability Support

Services at 386-226-7916 or [email protected] located on the West side of the Wellness Center Building #20. All discussions are confidential.

Disclaimer: The lab supervisor reserves the right to modify this syllabus, if necessary, to fulfill thecourse learning outcomes. Any changes will be in effect one week after they are announced to thestudents.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

syllabus for physics lab

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