Table of Contents
Remote Labs for PHYS 131-132-133
Lab structure
The labs this summer will be 100% remote and you are not required to be on campus for any part of the lab sequence.
Lab work consists of a series of 2-part experiments. Each project has the following format:
- Work on Part 1 of the project individually and submit a lab notebook showing your work.
- Meet with your group and TA to discuss results, learn analysis techniques, brainstorm ideas, and/or plan for the next part of the project.
- Work on Part 2 of the project individually and submit a lab notebook showing your work.
- Meet with your group and TA to discuss results, draw conclusions, and bring the project to a close.
- Submit a final summary and conclusion report.
Students will be assigned to a group of 4-6 students and will meet twice per week with a TA.
- Each group will be assigned a 50 minute time slot for a Zoom meeting with the TA.
- You will be assigned to either 2:30-3:20 pm, 3:30-4:20 pm or 4:30-5:20 pm Central Time; you will not be required to meet for the full 3 hours.
- If there is sufficient demand, a morning lab slot of 8:30-9:20 am Central Time will be added for students in far-off time zones.
- You will be contacted within the first few days of the start of each course to be notified of your assigned lab group. Your TA will reach out to you with Zoom meeting information and any further instructions.
- Students should come to the meeting prepared (with all individual tasks complete) and ready to talk about results and questions.
- Students will submit a copy of their lab notebook (showing work in progress) to the TA prior to the meeting.
- Students may (and in fact are encouraged to) talk to their lab partners outside this 50 minute meeting, as needed.
- Lab reports are due 48 hours after the conclusion of the last meeting of a project.
Lab meeting schedule (Summer 2022)
As you look over the calendar below, remember the following:
- Complete the individual portion of each lab before the meeting date scheduled below. (That means that for a meeting on Thursday, you should work on the lab Tuesday or Wednesday. For a meeting on Monday, you should work on the lab Friday, Saturday or Sunday.)
- Individual lab notebooks are due BEFORE the meeting – by 2:00 pm Central Time on the day of the meeting (for afternoon lab sections) or by 8:00 am Central Time (for morning sessions). Late notebooks WILL NOT be accepted.
- Individual lab reports are due 48 hours after the end second meeting of each project.
| Week | Monday | Thursday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 13 (Start of PHYS 131) NO LAB | June 16 Paper Drop (Part 1) |
| 2 | June 20 (Juneteenth Observed) NO LAB | June 23 Paper Drop (Part 2) |
| 3 | June 27 Pendulum (Part 1) | June 30 Pendulum (Part 2) |
| 4 | July 4 (Independence Day) NO LAB | July 7 (Start of PHYS 132) NO LAB |
| 5 | July 11 Millikan Oil Drop (Part 1) | July 14 Millikan Oil Drop (Part 2) |
| 6 | July 18 e/m of Electrons (Part 1) | July 21 e/m of Electrons (Part 2) |
| 7 | July 25 NO LAB | July 28 (Start of PHYS 133) NO LAB |
| 8 | August 1 Wave Motion (Part 1) | August 4 Wave Motion (Part 2) |
| 9 | August 8 Interference and Diffraction (Part 1) | August 11 Interference and Diffraction (Part 2) |
| 10 | August 15 NO LAB |
Goals
For the introductory physics laboratories here at the University of Chicago, we have adopted a set of learning objectives. By the end of this course, you should be able to do the following:
- collect data and revise an experimental procedure iteratively and reflectively;
- evaluate the process and outcomes of an experiment quantitatively and qualitatively;
- extend the scope of an investigation whether or not results come out as expected;
- communicate the process and outcomes of an experiment; and
- conduct an experiment collaboratively and ethically.
Put succinctly, the goal is to understand how we know, not what we know.*
* These goals were first outlined by the Physics Education Research Lab at Cornell University for labs at all levels, but especially for introductory labs. You can read more about the philosophy behind these learning goals here.)
Each lab you work on this year will relate back to one or more of these course objectives and will help you develop and apply the tools of experimental physics. The aim is to teach critical thinking through experimentation, and for you to see how the concepts of lecture are applied (and limited by) specific physical situations.
Grading
The rubric for the every project this quarter is identical and is shown below. Your grade is based both on participation (e.g. your completed lab notebook and participation in group meetings), and on the quality of your final report (e.g. your summary and your conclusions). The total maximum score is 12 points for a two-part project.
| Complete (2 points) | Needs improvement (1 point) | Not acceptable (0 points) | |
| Lab Notebook (Session 1) | Submits a lab notebook prior to the meeting that shows reasonably complete notes and data for all the tasks assigned for that session. | Submits a partial lab notebook prior to the meeting, or submits a notebook that lacks care and is rushed. | Does not submit a lab notebook, submits a lab notebook that is missing significant sections, or submits a lab notebook after the meeting has begun. |
| Lab Notebook (Session 2) | Same criteria as above | Same criteria as above | Same criteria as above |
| Meeting Participation (Session 1) | Comes to the meeting fully prepared, on time, and ready to discuss results. Answers TA and group questions and participates in a meaningful way during the discussion. | Participates only reluctantly, or arrives late to the meeting. Is substantially unprepared or comes with only a partial set of data and/or notes. Is unable to answer questions. | Misses most or all the meeting, or is “not present” (i.e. doing something else) during the meeting. Does not provide data at meeting or is otherwise unable to discuss work. Is disruptive or disrespectful to the group. |
| Meeting Participation (Session 2) | Same criteria as above | Same criteria as above | Same criteria as above |
| Report: Summary | Adequately describes the experimental procedure (if appropriate), and gives reasons for decisions made regarding procedure. Clearly presents important data in tables and graphs, and appropriately labels and describes these data (including units and use of appropriate significant figures). Includes correct units and appropriate number of significant figures on all calculated values. | Omits significant elements of the experimental procedure, is unclear, or gives inadequate justification for choices made during the experiment. Does not present data appropriately, does not include units on values, or does not keep appropriate significant figures. Is unclear or makes major mistakes in reporting or summarizing work. | Does not present a meaningful description of experimental procedure. Presents no data or plots, or presents data in a confusing manner. Provides incorrect units or makes fundamental flaws in calculations that render the answer meaningless. |
| Report: Conclusions | Makes conclusions that are complete, and clearly supported by the data. Compares data to models or predictions where appropriate and include uncertainties in that discussion (if applicable). | Makes conclusions which are mostly correct, but which miss minor points. Does not use data as effectively as possible to support conclusions. | Makes conclusions that are directly contradicted by the data, overstates conclusions beyond what the data support, or is unclear in how conclusions are derived. Uses unsupported speculation to explain discrepancies in their data, or uses phrases like “human error”, or “if we had better equipment”. |
Guidance for writing your summary and conclusions
After your experiment has finished, you will need to write up your summary and your conclusions. This should be a separate document, and it should be done individually (though you may talk your group members or ask questions). Include any data tables, plots, etc. from the your lab notebook as necessary in order to show how your data support your conclusions.
The summary is just a retelling of the facts. What were the important things you did? How did you make measurements? What changed as you worked through the project? What are the take-away results?
The conclusion is your interpretation and discussion of your data. What do your data tell you? How do you data match the model (or models) you were comparing against, or to your expectations in general? (Sometimes this means using the $t^{\prime}$ test, but other times it means making qualitative comparisons.) Were you able to estimate uncertainties well, or do you see room to make changes or improvements in the technique? Do your results lead to new questions? Can you think of other ways to extend or improve the experiment?
Each of these above sections does not need to be long; one or two paragraphs for the summary and another one or two paragraphs of conclusion should be sufficient. What is important, however, is that your writing should be complete and meaningful. Address both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the experiment, and make sure you cover all the “take-away” topics in enough depth.
Don't include throw-away statements like “Looks good” or “Agrees pretty well.” Instead, try to be precise, state your facts clearly and honestly, and don't overreach or stretch your conclusions beyond what the data tell you.