Physics 261 - General Physics Lab:
Vibrations, Waves, Heat, Electricity and Magnetism
Spring 2012 Syllabus
Last Modification 11/10/12


Official
Course Description:
General Physics: Vibrations, Waves, Heat, Electricity and Magnetism (Laboratory); (1 credit) Grade Method: REG/P-F/AUD. The lab includes experiments on mechanics, vibrations, waves, heat, electricity and magnetism. PHYS260 and PHYS261 (lab) must be taken in the same semester and the grade for the courses will be combined into a single grade for both. To pass, students must complete, with a passing grade, work in both PHYS260 and PHYS261. Students must pay a $50.00 laboratory materials fee.
Pre-requisite: None
Co-requisite: PHYS260
Textbook: PHYS261 Laboratory Manual, Fall 2010 Edition.
Required Software: You will need a Mastering Physics Access code so you can do the pre-lab questions on-line. If you have acquired an access code within the last year you are all set because your code is good for two years. If you don't already have an access code, then you have two options:
  1. Purchase the Mastering Physics access code at www.masteringphysics.com for $60.50 (new price). This is what you will need to do if you purchased a used book or an unbundled volume.
  2. Buy textbook bundles with Mastering Physics directly from the publisher. Only one volume needs to be bundled with Mastering Physics, other volumes can be bought unbundled.
The access number is needed to get on-line access to the web-based homework collection system called Mastering Physics. If you are wondering if you really need to get the book and access number to pass the course, the answer is: Yes, you really need to get the book and access number to pass the course. The class ID for the Physics 261 Lab is MPHILL86499. The URL is http://www.masteringphysics.com/.
CORE status: This course is designated a CORE Physical Science Lab (PL) Course when taken in conjunction with PHYS260.
Instructor: Prof. Wendell T. Hill, III
Dept. of Physics
Institute of Physical Science and Technology
Joint Quantum Institute
2107 CSS (Bldg. #224)
(301) 405-4813 (on campus x54813)
wth 'at' umd 'dot' edu
Section Information:
Section/GroupTeaching AssistantcontactRoomTime
0101/B
Patra, Ayoti ayoti 'at' umd 'dot' eduPHYS3219 M 8:00 AM - 10:50 AM
0102/B
Shipley, Kevin kshipley 'at' umd 'dot' eduPHYS3219 M 12:00 PM - 2:50 PM
0103/B
Shin, Young Ho yhshin 'at' umd 'dot' eduPHYS3219 M 3:00 PM - 5:50 PM
0104/A
Shipley, Kevin kshipley 'at' umd 'dot' eduPHYS3219 Tu 10:00 AM - 12:50 PM
0105/A
Gupta, Prasoon pgupta7 'at' umd 'dot' eduPHYS3219 Tu 1:00 PM - 3:50 PM
0106/B
Gupta, Prasoon pgupta7 'at' umd 'dot' eduPHYS3219 M 7:00 PM - 9:50 PM
0107/A
Maunu, Ryan rmaunu 'at umd 'dot' eduPHYS3219 Tu 7:00 PM - 9:50 PM
0108/B
Shibeshi, Tigist ayoti 'at' umd 'dot' eduPHYS3219 W 7:00 PM - 9:50 PM
0109/B
Patra, Ayoti shibeshi 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 W 8:00 AM - 10:50 AM
0110/B
Shibeshi, Tigist shibeshi 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Tu 4:00 PM - 6:50 PM
0111/B
Shipley, Kevin kshipley 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 W 1:00 PM - 3:50 PM
0112/B
Shin, Young Ho yhshin 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 W 4:00 PM - 6:50 PM
0113/A
Shibeshi, Tigist shibeshi 'at umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Th 8:00 AM - 10:50 AM
0114/A
Shin, Young Ho yhshin 'at umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Th 11:00 AM - 1:50 PM
0115/B
Gupta, Prasoon pgupta7 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Tu 1:00 PM - 3:50 PM
0116/A
Patra, Ayoti ayoti 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Tu 4:00 PM - 6:50 PM
0117/A
Maunu, Ryan rmaunu 'at umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Th 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM
0118/B
Gupta, Prasoon pgupta7 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Th 11:00 AM - 1:50 PM
0119/B
Patra, Ayoti ayoti 'at umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Th 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM
0120/A
Shipley, Kevin kshipley 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 W 1:00 PM - 3:50 PM
0121/B
Maunu, Ryan rmaunu 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Tu 7:00 PM - 9:50 PM
0122/A
Patra, Ayoti ayoti 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 W 9:00 AM - 11:50 AM
0123/A
Maunu, Ryan rmaunu 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 W 4:00 PM - 6:50 PM
0124/A
Gupta, Prasoon pgupta7 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 W 7:00 PM - 9:50 PM
0125/A
Shin, Young Ho yhshin 'at umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Th 6:00 PM - 8:50 PM
0126/B
Shipley, Kevin kshipley 'at' umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Tu 8:00 AM - 10:50 AM
0127/B
Shin, Young Ho yhshin 'at umd 'dot' edu PHYS3219 Th 5:00 PM - 7:50 PM

Table of A Sections that meet weeks (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14):

  M Tu W Th F
8:00 AM
0113
Shibeshi
9:00 AM
0122
Patra
10:00 AM
0104
Shipley
11:00 AM
0114
Shin
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
0105
Gupta
0120
Shipley
2:00 PM
0117
Maunu
3:00 PM
TA
Prep
4:00 PM
 
0116
Patra
0123
Maunu
5:00 PM
 
6:00 PM
0125
Shin
7:00 PM
 
0107
Maunu
0124
Gupta
8:00 PM
 
9:00 PM

Table of B Sections that meet weeks (3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15):
  M Tu W Th F
8:00 AM
0101
Patra
0126
Shipley
0109
Patra
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
 
0118
Gupta
12:00 PM
0102
Shipley
 
1:00 PM
0115
Gupta
0111
Shipley
2:00 PM
0119
Patra
3:00 PM
0103
Shin
TA
Prep
4:00 PM
0110
Shibeshi
0112
Shin
5:00 PM
0127
Shin
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
0106
Gupta
0121
Maunu
0108
Shibeshi
8:00 PM
9:00 PM

YOU MUST ATTEND YOUR ASSIGNED SECTION AT THE SCHEDULED MEETING TIME!

Faculty Office Hours: Tuesday 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Wednesday 1:30 PM -2:30 PM
or by email appointment
TA Office Hours: TBA by your TA.
Course Outline:

You will generally attend lab every two weeks. There are no meetings during the first week because it is a short week but you must complete Experiment 0 found online. This is an Excel practice lab that you can work through and must turn in to the Physics 261 site on ELMS Blackboard. Group A meets the second week (the week of Labor Day, which is OK because there are no Group A sections on Monday), Group B meets the third week, followed by group A the fourth week, etc. See the Schedule below.

There is one introductory lab (Lab 0), five main experiments (Labs I, II, III, V, VII), a practice lab for the Culminating Lab, the Culminating Lab itself, and one week to make up missed labs.

Each lab session lasts three hours, and will begin with a 10 minute discussion of the lab by the TA. Don't be late. Each week you must turn in answers to the Prelab Questions by putting your solutions into Mastering Physics before the start of your lab period. The prelab questions are found in the lab manual.

At the end of your lab session, you need to turn in a lab report. This report is to be turned in to the Physics 261 area in ELMS Blackboard. The report itself consists of an Excel spreadsheet that will contain all data taken, as well as an analysis and a discussion -- answers to the post lab questions. The report is expected to be a succinct summary of data, analysis and conclusions without redundant or superfluous discussion. The spreadsheet itself must be turned in at the end of the lab session (upload it to the Physics 261 site on ELMS Blackboard). Lab reports turned in after the end of a lab but less than an hour late will have 10% of the total possible score deducted. Lab reports turned in more than one hour late will lose all credit for the lab. The key point is to turn in a copy of your report before you leave. In fact, it is best if you upload copies regularly to Blackboard as you are working on the experiment so that there is no chance of getting a zero for a lab you completed.

Prelab Questions: Prelab Questions are due before the start of your lab section. You must log into the Physics 261 area in Mastering Physics and turn in the answers to your questions no later than the start of your regular lab session. The labs generally require less than two hours to perform, leaving ample time for analysis and interpretation. However, to perform the experiment in this limited time you will have to be prepared. It is therefore essential that you come to lab having completed the pre-lab questions and having read and understood the lab write-up. It should not surprise you to learn that the answers to all the Prelab Questions can be found by reading the lab.
Lab Report: At the end of your lab session, you will need to turn in a lab report. Lab reports are not meant to be long or extremely time consuming. In fact, in this class all we require you to turn in is the Excel file in which you recorded all your data, made plots, did the analysis and wrote out the answers to the questions.
Post Lab Questions: At the end of each lab there is typically a set of “Final Questions”. These are to be completed and turned in with your lab report spreadsheet at the end of each lab session.
Culminating Lab: This lab is a closed book practical exam, in which you answer questions about the experiments you have completed, and may require you to take data using the equipment from the prior lab sessions. To give you a better idea of what is involved, there is a practice lab for the Culminating Lab. You are not required to attend this practice, but failure to prepare for the Culminating Lab will likely be detrimental to your performance on the real exam.
Missing Labs: In order to pass the class all labs, including the culminating lab, must be completed, without exception. Students are permitted to perform labs in make-up sessions only if they have a legitimate reason for failing to attend a lab session. In the event that you miss a lab session, e-mail the instructor (in addition to your TA), who may be able to make arrangements for you to attend another section during the same week. If you do not hear from your instructor right away, then by all means try stopping by the Lab to see if there is an open spot. The labs are full and in general there will not be any open seats available. If you find an open seat, you will need to make sure that the TA teaching that section, your regular TA and the instructor are all aware of your situation. It is not OK to just go to a section because it is more convenient than your assigned section.
Grading:
Regular labs 65%
Culminating lab 35%

Each individual lab will be graded as follows:
prelab questions (due before your lab session starts!) 15%
data (due at the end of your lab session!) 40%
analysis (due at the end of your lab session!) 30%
post lab questions (due at the end of your lab session!) 15%

Lab Schedule:
Week Dates
Exp #/Group
Experiment Title
1
Aug 29 - Aug 31
0/A&B
Excel Spreadsheets (no lab meeting)
Download Exp 0 here. This assignment must be uploaded before your first lab meets! Please remember your prelabs are also due before your labs meet!
2
Sept 4 - Sept 6
I/A
Intro to Data and Error Analysis
3
Sept 10 - Sept 13
I/B
Intro to Data and Error Analysis
4
Sept 17 - Sept 20
II/A
The Pendulum
5
Sept 24 - Sept 27
II/B
The Pendulum
6
Oct 1 - Oct 4
III/A
Forced Harmonic Motion
7
Oct 8 - Oct 11
III/B
Forced Harmonic Motion
8
Oct 15 - Oct 18
V/A
Position, Velocity & Acceleration
9
Oct 22 - Oct 25
V/B
Position, Velocity & Acceleration
10
Oct 29 - Nov 1
VII/A
Ideal Gas Law & Absolute Zero
10
Nov 2
VII/A
Make up for Secs 0104, 0105, 0107 and 0116
11
Nov 5 - Nov 8
VII/B
Ideal Gas Law & Absolute Zero
11
 Nov 10
 VII/A
Make up for Secs 0104, 0105, 0107 and 0116
12
Nov 12 - Nov 15
All/A
Make-up Lab & Practice for Culminating Lab
13
Nov 16
All/B
Only for Secs. 0118, 0119 & 0127
Make-up Lab & Practice for Culminating Lab
14
Nov 19 - Nov 22
All/B
Except for Secs. 0118, 0119 & 0127
Make-up Lab & Practice for Culminating Lab
14
Nov 26 - Nov 29
All/A
Culminating Lab
14
Dec 3 - Dec 6
All/B
Culminating Lab
Important Notes: (1) YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL THE LABS IN PHYSICS 261 IN ORDER TO PASS PHYSICS 260. There are no exceptions. Students who do not complete all of the experiments in physics 261 will automatically get an F in both Physics 260 and Physics 261. Don’t believe anyone who tells you differently.
(2) Phys 261 sections will start meeting the second week of class. You must do Experiment 0 to be eligible to do the rest of the course.
(3) You must take the Culminating Lab, which is a practical exam, in order to pass the course.
(4) No lab, prelab, or exam scores will be dropped. Missing a lab will require that you make it up as soon as possible, and preferably in the same week that it is missed. The new due date must be arranged by consulting with Professor Hill (wth "at" umd.edu) as soon as possible after it becomes apparent that there will be a problem. If you are going to miss a lab because of a religious holiday, it is your responsibility to inform the instructor of any intended absences for religious observances in advance, so that suitable arrangements can be made.

About the course: Physics 261 is the lab for the second semester of the three-semester 161/260/270 sequence in introductory physics intended for engineering students. You must also be enrolled in the Physics 260 in order to pass Physics 261. Physics 260/261 is a CORE physical science course with a lab. Students are responsible for all assigned material, including reading, homework and labs.

Exams: There is one exam in the class, the Culminating Lab, which constitute a practical test of what you have learned in the lab. If you cannot attend the exam at the scheduled time, see Professor Hill before the exam! If you miss the exam with a valid excuse, a makeup exam will be given and it is your responsibility to arrange this in a timely fashion with the instructor. Students are responsible for all material in the lab and homework.

Excuses: Turning in a late lab report, or missing a lab or exam is not allowed without a valid documented excuse as defined by the University (medical problem, religious holiday, or serious family crisis). In all cases, a makeup lab or exam must be completed in a reasonable amount of time or you will receive a score of zero. The makeup exam or lab, and the due date, must be arranged by consulting with Professor Hill as soon as possible after it becomes apparent that an exam or assignment due date will be missed. If you are going to miss a lab or exam because of a religious holiday, it is your responsibility to inform the instructor in advance so that suitable arrangements can be made.

Getting started on electronic submission of Prelab Questions: In order to turn in answers to the prelab questions, you will need to register at the Mastering Physics website http://www.masteringphysics.com/. To register, you need two things - an access number and the class ID. The access number will be packaged with new copies of the Knight text book. In other words, when you buy your textbook you need to get a new copy that comes packaged with an access number. The class ID for the Physics 261 Lab is MPHILL86499.

The site is best accessed with a current version of Windows Explorer. If you run into problems check the system requirements. If you have not used Mastering Physics before then you should log on to the site and try the practice set before attempting any of the real prelab sets. Note that the software may randomize the numbers on a problem, so be careful and remember that other students working on exactly the same problems may have different numbers! The best way to do physics problems is first to work out carefully a general solution and then plug in the numbers at the end. This is especially true if the numbers are being randomized each time so everyone has different numbers. For calculating complicated expressions, I strongly recommend using an electronic spreadsheet, such as Excel, rather than a calculator.

Academic honesty: I expect you to get together in small groups and discuss the labs. However, do not use these discussions as an excuse to copy someone else's data, prelab answers or solutions to the homework or let someone else copy your solution. That is cheating. The right way to proceed is first to read through the lab, then do the prelab, and then take a look at the homework. With this preparation you can then discuss with others and see if you have missed something. All work you submit must be your own and should reflect your own understanding. Academic dishonesty, including copying homework, Googling for solutions on the web, or cheating on an exam, is a very serious offense which may result in suspension or expulsion from the University. Don’t do it. Details on the policy can be found at www.testudo.umd.edu/soc/dishonesty.html.

Help with understanding the material: Learning physics and engineering is a cumulative process; the knowledge learned at each stage builds upon previous knowledge and skills. If you find that you are falling behind, seek help early, rather than waiting until just before an exam. Help can be obtained by:
• Regularly attending lecture and discussion sections.
• Visiting the Slawsky Clinic, in room 1140 Physics Building.
• Going to the office hours of Professor Hill or your TA.
• The Learning Assistance Service (2201 Schoemaker Bldg., 301-314-7693) helps students with time management, reading, note taking, and exam preparation skills.

If you find that you are having more general academic problems, or are having trouble figuring out what you want to do, I recommend that you stop by Room 1120 Physics and talk to Tom Gleason, the Physics Coordinator of Student Services. Tom graduated from Maryland and also used to be an advisor in Letters and Science (undeclared majors). He is now the advisor for physics majors, but he knows all the University rules and is a great person to talk to because of his perspective on Physics and other programs at the University.