Physics
276 Syllabus - Fall 2006 - Sections 0101,0201
(Sarah
Eno)
Course Title: Experimental Physics II:
Electricity and Magnetism
Official
Course Description: PHYS276
(PermReq) Experimental Physics II: Electricity and
Magnetism; (2 credits)
Grade Method: REG/P-F/AUD. Prerequisites:
PHYS272 and PHYS275. Credit will be granted for only one of the following:
PHYS276 or former PHYS295. Third course in the three semester
introductory sequence. Methods and rationale of experimental physics.
Experiments chosen from the fields of electricity and magnetism including
electrostatics, magnetostatics, magnetic induction, AC circuits.
Web Site: http://www2.physics.umd.edu/~eno/teaching/276/f06/f06.htm
About the course: Physics 276 is the third class in the Physics 174 - Physics 275 - Physics 276 introductory Physics laboratory sequence. It is intended primarily for physics majors, but with permission is open to all science and engineering students. The experiments involve phenomena in electricity and magnetism, including ac and dc electrical circuits and electromagnetic fields. A major component of this course is to see that you develop skills in record keeping and scientific writing. In addition, the experiments are constructed to improve your understanding of data analysis and error analysis, beyond what you have already learned in Physics 174 and 275. The Lab meets for four hours each week in Room 3120 of the Physics Building. Roughly three hours of this time will be spent working on the lab and one hour in discussion. At the end of each lab period, you must turn in a spreadsheet with your data and analysis. A complete written lab report is due one week later, at the start of the next week's lab.
Laboratory Location - Room 3120 Physics Building
Lab meeting times: Section
0101 - Monday 2:00 pm - 5:50 pm (Professor Sarah Eno)
Section
0201 - Tuesday 2:00 pm - 5:50 pm (Professor Sarah Eno)
Section
0301 - Friday 12:00 pm - 3:50 pm (Professor Fred Wellstood)
Arriving late to class: Classes at Maryland begin right on the hour. You must arrive on time so that you can get instructions for the lab and have time to finish. If you are more than 10 minutes late, you may not be allowed into the lab and will have to make it up during another section.
Making Up Missed Labs:
You should make every effort not to miss your regularly scheduled lab. If you
miss your regular lab section, you must
make arrangements with your instructor to make it up before your next lab. If you
do not, your final grade will be lowered by 10% per week.
Instructor for Sections 0101 and 0201 - (Monday and Tuesday
sections)
Office:
Room 4331
e-mail: eno@physics.umd.edu Phone:
301-405-7179
Office Hours: I’m
happy to meet with you! Contact me with
an email and we’ll find a time that is convenient for both of us. Meeting with your instructor during office
hours is one of the best ways to get the most out of your educational
experience.
Instructor for Section 0301 - (Friday section)
Office: Room 0367
e-mail: well@squid.umd.edu Phone: 301-405-7649
Teaching Assistant: TBA office
hours: TBA
office:
TBA
e-mail:
TBA phone: TBA
Required Texts:
- "Physics 276 Laboratory Manual", Fall 2004 Edition, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, Wiley
Custom Services.
- "An Introduction to Error Analysis: The Study of Uncertainties in Physical Measurement", John R. Taylor (University Science Books, 1997, ISBN 0-935702-75-X).
Recommended Texts:
- "Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences", Phillip R. Bevington and D. Keith Robinson (McGraw Hill, Inc., 2003, ISBN 0-07-247227-8).
- The standard Physics 272 textbook, "Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Volume 2" by F. Tipler, or any equivalent text, will be useful for explaining the basic physics in the course.
Grading: 15% in-class spreadsheet
65 % Lab Reports
20
% Final Practical Exam
All
experiments must be completed to pass the course.
Experiments: There are seven experiments (with Lab 6 split into two parts). Much of your in-class work will be carried out in Excel spreadsheets and you will need to turn in a copy of your spreadsheet at the end of each lab period. You also will need a lab notebook to keep a record of your work. These notebooks will be checked periodically by your instructor or TA. Acceptable lab notebooks should be 8.5" x 11", bound (with spiral or book binding), and have numbered and quad-ruled pages. Pages should be permanent, not perforated for tear-out. Some experiments require you to work with a lab partner, and for these experiments you will need to identify your lab partner on your submissions. We will use the web to collect lab reports and post grades.
Tips for Doing Well:
(1) Read the lab manual carefully before you go to the lab and attempt an experiment.
(2) During class, keep a complete record in your lab notebook of the experiment including diagrams of measurement configurations actually used to obtain data, your results, and the analysis used to obtain the results.
(3) Use your spreadsheet to record, plot and analyze your data in class as you collect it.
(4) Include estimates for the uncertainties in your measurements. Include systematic errors as well as statistical errors.
(5) When something in the lab isn't making sense or isn't working raise your hand and discuss with your instructor.
(6) Do not leave class unless you have finished your data analysis, discussed your results with your instructor and turned in your spreadsheet
(7) Do not forget to turn in your complete lab report by the start of the next lab.
Lab Reports: You are required to submit a written report of your results for each experiment. The reports will be submitted electronically and will be due at the start of lab the following week. Your lab report should be submitted as an MS Word file, complete with data and figures. An outline of the requirements for the report is given in the lab manual. If you had a lab partner for the experiment, you must identify your lab partner on your report.
General Comments on Lab reports: Finishing all the lab reports is very important. If you
can't completely finish a lab, it is still important to turn in what you do
have. When you are working on your report, feel free to discuss among
yourselves to try to figure out what is going on. By all means get together in
small groups and discuss. However, do not use these discussions as an excuse to
copy someone else's report, or let someone else copy yours. That is cheating
and is strictly forbidden. It is also very self-defeating since the other part
of your grade will come from tests. The right way to proceed is to first work
through all the analysis and write up your report by yourself. 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.
Late Reports: Late lab reports will be assessed a penalty of 5% per day. A missing lab report will cost one letter grade for the course. Missing a lab entirely, and not making it up will result in failure in the course.
Discussions: Some class
meetings will mainly be devoted to discussions of the physics and data analysis
for the experiments. Participation in these sessions is just as important as
the experiments themselves. Attendance is mandatory.
However, this is not a lecture course, and the main way that you will learn
experimental physics is to by doing and discussing, rather than just
discussing.
Academic Integrity - The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate students. As a student, you are responsible for upholding the highest standards of academic integrity in this course and should be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html.
In case of Bad weather: Winter in the Washington Metro area can bring large
snowstorms that make travel dangerous. Should this happen and the University is
closed as a result during a scheduled lab, class will be cancelled, and we will
most likely reschedule the lab for the following week. Closing is announced
over local radio and TV as well as on the University’s
homepage.