Physics 261

Experimental Physics I: Mechanics, Heat, and Fields

Fall 2006

*General information

*Grading policies

*Experiment schedule

*Other links

Course description: Physics 261 is the laboratory associated with Physics 260 and carries one credit. You must pass both Physics 261 and 260 in the same semester to receive credit for either; you will be required to repeat both 260 and 261 otherwise. The scores for both courses will be combined and the grade for Physics 261 will be identical to that of Physics 260, as required by the Engineering College. The labs meet for three hours a week and you will be expected to complete an introduction to spreadsheets, eight experiments, and two culminating laboratory activities.

CORE: Phys260 and Phys261, taken together in the same semester, satisfy the CORE physical science laboratory requirement.  Phys260 alone does not satisfy the CORE nonlaboratory science requirement.

General information

 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

8:00

Sect 0101- Buchoff

 

Sect 0109 - Griggs

Sect 0113 - Slutsky

 

9:00

Sect 0101 

 

Sect 0109   

Sect 0113 

 

10:00

Sect 0101

Sect 0104 - Griggs

Sect 0109   

Sect 0113 

 

11:00

 

Sect 0104 

 

Sect 0114 - Kott

 

12:00

Sect 0102 - Kott

Sect 0104   

 

Sect 0114   

 

13:00

Sect 0102   

Sect 0105 - Chauhan 

Sect 0111 - Johnson 

Sect 0114   

 TA meeting

14:00

Sect 0102 

Sect 0105   

Sect 0111  

Sect 0117 - Chauhan

 TA meeting

15:00

Sect 0103 - Chauhan

Sect 0105 

Sect 0111  

Sect 0117   

 

16:00

Sect 0103 

Sect 0110 - Johnson

Sect 0112 - Johnson

Sect 0117   

 

17:00

Sect 0103 

Sect 0110    

Sect 0112   

 

 

18:00

 

Sect 0110   

Sect 0112   

 

 

19:00

Sect 0106 - Buchoff

Sect 0107 - Buchoff

Sect 0108 - Griggs

Sect 0118 - Kott

 

20:00

Sect 0106   

Sect 0107   

Sect 0108   

Sect 0118   

 

21:00

Sect 0106   

Sect 0107   

Sect 0108   

Sect 0118   

 

Grading policies

Experiment schedule

The following table outlines the experiment and discussion schedule. You are strongly advised to read the relevant chapter of the laboratory manual, work through all derivations, and answer the prelab questions before coming to the lab so that you understand the physical principles for each experiment and the assumptions used to relate abstract principles to practical measurements.  You should also work through the error propagation for derived quantities so that you can anticipate which uncertainties are likely to determine the accuracy with which the experimental goals can be achieved.  You should then be well prepared for making careful measurements and complete record keeping.  If you prepare well, you should be able to complete the lab is less than the scheduled time.  Inadequate preparation usually results in inefficient use of laboratory time!

week  dates activity notes
1 Aug. 30 - Sep. 1 no labs  
2 Sep. 4 - 8 Exp. 0: Introduction to Data Analysis with Spreadsheets Monday students: attend another section
3 Sep. 11 - 15 Exp. 1: Introduction to Error Analysis error propagation
4 Sep. 18 - 22 Exp. 2: The Pendulum pictures
5 Sep. 25 - 29 Exp. 3: Forced Harmonic Motion pictures
6 Oct. 2 - 6 Exp. 4: The Vibrating String pictures
7 Oct. 9 - 13 make-up and discussion week  
8 Oct. 16 - 20 first culminating lab (experiments 1-4)  
9 Oct. 23 - 27 Exp. 5: Position, Velocity, and Acceleration pictures
10 Oct. 30 - Nov. 3 Exp. 6: Centripetal Force and Acceleration pictures
11 Nov. 6 - 10 Exp. 7: The Ideal Gas Law and Absolute Zero Temperature pictures
12 Nov. 13 - 17 Exp. 8: Equipotentials and Fields  
13 Nov. 20 - 24 Thanksgiving, no labs  
14 Nov. 27 - Dec. 1 make-up and discussion  
15 Dec. 4 - 8 second culminating lab (experiments 5-8)  
16 Dec. 11 - 15 no labs  

Other links

*University of Maryland Physics Department

*University of Maryland College Park 

*Essential Mathematica

*Physics is Phun


Last revised: August 29, 2006