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:
* 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.)
Put succinctly, the goal is to understand how we know, not what we know.*
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.
The PDF linked here presents the departments expectations of you in terms of your behavior in the lab and ethical considerations when it comes to presenting your work. Please download and read it. Your TA will go over it on the first day in lab.
Not meeting these expectations can have consequences for both your grade in the course and possibly your standing as a student at the University of Chicago.
Your first in-person meeting will occur during Week 3
Links to experiments will go live at the start of the quarter.
The description of how your reports will be graded can be found here.
Your first in-person lab meeting will occur during Week 3. You should receive information about your lab room and TA assignment during Week 2.
In the meantime, you have an important preparatory assignment (Introduction to Experimental Physics) to complete before the end of Week 2. When you are finished, upload your assignment to Canvas by Friday, October 6 at 5:30 pm CDT to receive credit.
Links to experiments will go live at the start of the quarter.
Week | Days | PHYS 141 Experiment | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sep 30 | - | Oct 4 | NO LAB |
2 | Oct 7 | - | Oct 11 | Introduction to Experimental Physics (No In-Person Meeting) |
3 | Oct 14 | - | Oct 18 | Precision Measurements I |
4 | Oct 21 | - | Oct 25 | Precision Measurements II |
5 | Oct 28 | - | Nov 1 | Cratering I |
6 | Nov 4 | - | Nov 8 | Cratering II |
7 | Nov 11 | - | Nov 15 | Energy Conservation in Real Systems |
8 | Nov 18 | - | Nov 22 | Moments of Inertia |
- | Nov 25 | - | Nov 29 | NO LAB / Thanksgiving break |
9 | Dec 2 | - | Dec 6 | NO LAB |
Links to experiments will go live at the start of the quarter.
Week | Days | PHYS 142 Experiment | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jan 3 | - | Jan 5 | NO LAB |
2 | Jan 8 | - | Jan 12 | NO LAB |
3 | Jan 15 | - | Jan 19 | Coulomb's Law I |
4 | Jan 22 | - | Jan 26 | Coulomb's Law II |
5 | Jan 29 | - | Feb 2 | Electrical Measurements |
6 | Feb 5 | - | Feb 9 | Oscilloscopes and AC measurements, Capacitance |
7 | Feb 12 | - | Feb 16 | Induction and Faraday's Law |
8 | Feb 19 | - | Feb 23 | e/m of the electron |
9 | Feb 26 | - | Mar 2 | NO LAB |
Week | Days | PHYS 143 Experiment | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mar 19 | - | Mar 23 | NO LAB |
2 | Mar 26 | - | Mar 30 | NO LAB |
3 | Apr 2 | - | Apr 6 | Wave Motion & Sound |
4 | Apr 9 | - | Apr 13 | Interference |
5 | Apr 16 | - | Apr 20 | Diffraction |
6 | Apr 23 | - | Apr 27 | Geometrical Optics |
7 | Apr 30 | - | May 4 | Polarization |
8 | May 7 | - | May 11 | Thin Film Interference |
9 | May 14 | - | May 18 | NO LAB |
Out-of-lab Make-up Assignment | Make-Up Lab: Waves |
When you registered for the course, you were placed into a 2 hour and 50 minute lab section by the Registrar.
It is essential that you are in an appropriate lab section by Friday of Week 2. Contact Tiffany Kurns (tkurns@uchicago.edu) with all lab section scheduling requests.
If you miss a lab (due to sickness or emergency), please contact both your lab TA and Tiffany Kurns (tkurns@uchicago.edu) as soon as possible. Tiffany will work with you to find a different lab section to attend later in the week (if one is available and you are able).
If you are unable to attend an alternate section during the same week as your absence, you will need to contact the instructor for the course.
The instructional laboratory staff is always interested in feedback. Let us know if you find typos or mistakes, or let us know if you have comments about what you like or don't like about the lab experience.
Please use our Online Feedback Form to leave anonymous (or non-anonymous) comments.