PH 201L Introductory
College Physics I - Lab Fall 2009
Professor: Dr. David W. Donovan
Office: 2513 West Science
Phone: 227-2453
Email: ddonovan@nmu.edu
WWW: http://physics.nmu.edu/~ddonovan/
Office Hours: M W R 10:00 - 11:45 AM
F 10:00 - 10:50 AM
M 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Other times by Appointment
Course Objective: To supplement the PH 201 lecture class by providing the student with a hands‑on learning experience of some of the topics covered in the lecture portion of the class. In addition to instruct the student in the correct procedures involved with making accurate experimental measurements and meaningful analysis of experimental data.
Lab Grade Breakdown: Lab Exercises 30%
Lab Recaps 20%
Lab Quizzes 50%
Note: You must receive a passing grade in each part (Lecture and Lab) separately in order to pass the course as a whole. If you fail either part, regardless of your grade in the other part you will fail the course!!
THERE IS NO EXTRA
CREDIT!! Doing poorly for a portion of
the semester will not be corrected by any extra projects. Please do not assume you can replace poor
work under any circumstances with any “additional assignments”!!
Electronic versions of
this document have working hyperlinks!
Below is a tentative schedule of labs which we shall attempt to cover in this course.
Due to the nature of laboratory work, attendance is
required! No make‑ups will be
permitted. Please also note that you are
required to be present during the entire lab period which may last 2 hours and
50 minutes.
A missed lab is a zero for that experiment and its associated quiz and Lab Recap!!
If you must miss a lab, you are required to notify both your
normal lab instructor and the lab instructor of the lab you wish to attend
instead. It is not always possible due to space limitations that you will be
allowed to attend a different lab section.
Please be sure BOTH instructors have agreed before you just show up to a
lab period.
Attendance at all labs is mandatory. Make-ups for quizzes and labs will only be provided for at the discretion of the professor. This will occur only for reasonable excuses. Desire to go home for the weekend or to go hunting are not considered reasonable excuses. Informing the professor BEFORE an absence is more likely to result in a make-up than informing the professor after the absence.
You are required to bring the following items to EVERY LAB:
i) Your Laptop Computer.
ii) A pencil
iii) A scientific calculator (not your laptop)
There is no lab manual to purchase. Handouts for the experiments will be given to you. All of the work for each lab is to be done in the lab. Each experiment will have a worksheet of some sort which must be signed by the professor before you leave the lab. (Note: All questions are to be answered in Complete Sentences. Numerical Answers should contain the appropriate units.) The worksheet will be turned in the following week. A completed worksheet is worth at most 10 points; an incomplete signed worksheet is worth at least 5 points. Points will be assessed for late lab assignments. Worksheets turned in after the professor has returned that lab assignment to the class are worth only 5 points.
Each week will also have a lab quiz which will be given at
the start of lab. Please note that you will not receive additional time for the quiz if
you are late. The quiz will be based
on the lab which was done during the previous lab period; however, all basic
ideas of lab and physics are always fair game.
For example while lab #1 is graphing, since graphing is a part of most
labs, graphing questions would always be fair game for a quiz. The quizzes will also be worth 10
points. You may not use the lab handouts for the quizzes and partners are not working together on the quiz.
You may use a 3 x 5 inch note card for any equations you wish. Any physical constants needed will be
provided by the professor. During quizzes all laptops will be closed (unless
you are being asked to create a spreadsheet and graph as part of the quiz).
Students may not use their laptop as a calculator. Also
sharing of calculators between students during quizzes will not usually be
allowed. Bring a working, charged
calculator. All problems which require
answers must be have a value not an equation.
Moreover, all numerical answers (unless they are pure numbers), must
have an appropriate set of units. No units when needed, No Credit for the
problem!!!
Each week students will also hand in a Lab Recap. The form is available at http://physics.nmu.edu/~ddonovan/classes/ph201/PH_Lab_Recaps_Form.doc . You should download the blank form and keep it. Each week fill out the form using WORD or some other word processing program. Print out your completed form and turn it in with your completed lab. If you wish to save the completed form use Save As… and give it a unique name each week. An example of this completed form can be found at http://physics.nmu.edu/~ddonovan/classes/ph201/PH_Lab_Recaps_Example.doc .
Quiz solutions will be posted on my webpage http://physics.nmu.edu/~ddonovan/. Select the My Courses
Option. If you need assistance in learning
how to use the world-wide web, see your professor. Note:
I do not use WebCT!
The professor will make every effort to respond to all email (ddonovan@nmu.edu ) questions received by 5 PM Monday through Friday, with a response by 10 PM Monday through Friday. Students are expected to regularly check their NMU issued email accounts for any messages the professor may send out to the class as a whole or to an individual in the class. Moreover, when students ask the professor a question requiring an answer, it is appropriate for the student to check their email in a timely fashion and to confirm the receipt of the answer, and if necessary provide any answers to questions the professor may have posed about the situation.
Please wear shoes that completely cover your feet in lab. Open toed shoes and sandals will not be permitted. If you wear such shoes, you will be asked to leave lab to change. This is a safety issue and this will not be ignored!
Food of any kind (including snack food) is not allowed in the lab. Please do not bring it in. Drinks will be permitted as long as care is taken not to have spills occur. If excessive spillage occurs, drinks may be restricted as well.
If you have any
questions or problems talk to the instructor.
If you need any special arrangements, they should be arranged prior to
the problem, unless this is completely impossible (a rare occurrence!)
Students in this class are expected to conform to a code of academic honesty. While it is encouraged for students to work together, there are situations where work is expected to be the student=s whose name appears on the work. Quizzes and exams are obvious examples of where cheating will not be tolerated. However, using the same code and documentation (even if you change your name and modify some words), same graphs, etc is also considered cheating. For example, using the same EXCEL spreadsheet (unless given permission by the instructor) in lab to produce two copies of plots or problem solutions (even if you change your name), is considered cheating. Each student is expected to learn how to create their own files, graphs, etc. In lab work, it will often be the case that both partners will have identical work. However, both partners are to turn in lab sheets, and both partners are expected to participate equally in completing the lab tasks. It is not acceptable for one partner to do all the work, while the other merely watches and writes. Both partners are expected to understand the lab exercises. If you have questions on what is considered appropriate, ask your professor.
Please be sure any
cell phones or pagers or other devices do not produce sounds during lectures.
Please do not engage in
conversations at all during lectures and at times when the professor is
lecturing during a lab exercise. At
times when the professor is not lecturing during a lab exercise, you may have
conversations provided they are not offensive or distracting to other members
of the class.
Computer Usage Policies:
· UNLESS PERMISSION is GRANTED, All Laptops
and other Electronic Communication/Entertainment devices are to be off and
remain unused during class times.
If Permission is granted then:
PH 201 satisfies part of Division III—Foundations of Natural Sciences-Mathematics Liberal Studies requirement. Students who complete the science courses should be able to recognize and understand the scientific method; understand and use scientific concepts; understand and discuss general scientific articles; and apply their knowledge of science to everyday experience. Students who complete the mathematics courses should be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of mathematical logic; use mathematics to solve scientific or mathematical problems in college classes; express relationships in the symbolic language of mathematics; and appreciate the role of mathematics in analyzing natural phenomena.
If you have a need for disability-related accommodations or services, please inform the Coordinator of Disability Services in the Disability Services Office at 2001 C. B. Hedgcock (227-1700). Reasonable and effective accommodations and services will be provided to students if requests are made in a timely manner, with appropriate documentation, in accordance with federal, state, and University guidelines.
Northern Michigan University does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, height, weight, marital status, familial status, handicap/disability, sexual orientation or veteran status in employment or the provision of services, and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in all programs and activities. Persons having civil rights inquiries may contact the Affirmative Action Office at 502 Cohodas Hall (227‑2478).
Tentative Lab Schedule
Aug 25 Intro to Graphing Sep 1 Vector Addition
Sep 8 One Dimensional Motion Sep 15 Two Dimensional Motion
Sep 22 Force and Acceleration Sep 29 Friction
Oct 6 Uniform Circular Motion Oct 13 Conservation of Energy
Oct 20 Conservation of Momentum Oct 27 Rotational Equilibrium
Nov 3 Moment of Inertia Nov 10 Simple Harmonic Motion
Nov 17 Fluids Nov 24 No Lab – Thanksgiving
Dec 1 Calorimetry
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Please send any comments or questions about this page
to ddonovan@nmu.edu
This
page last updated on August 23, 2009