Course Description
Physics is largely driven by experimental discoveries and observations. As physics has evolved, these experiments have become increasingly sophisticated in terms of the concepts involved, equipment used, measurement techniques and data analysis. Phys 252 aims to provide the first stepping stones between introductory level physics experiments and professional experimental physics. The course offers a variety of experiments from classical and modern physics. It also provides training in error analysis and discussion of experimental results via formal reports and presentations.
A student who has completed this course course will demonstrate the ability to:
- set up and troubleshoot laboratory apparatus,
- keep a laboratory notebook,
- analyze data and perform error analysis using standard statistically meaningful techniques,
- produce laboratory reports in the style of scientific journal articles, and,
- present findings of experiments orally.
Course Number: PHYS 252
Instructor: Prof. David Collins, Physics
Contact Information:
- Wubben Science 228B
- Telephone: 248-1787
- Email: [email protected]
Classroom: Wubben Science 218
Prerequisites: PHYS 231 (co-requisite for this semester).
First Day Handout: Pdf Format
Course Structure
Phys 252 meets twice per week. The class will be divided into small groups with each working on one experiment. Groups will cycle through the available experiments; there will be seven or eight of these during the semester.
Links
- Literature
- I. Valiela, Doing Science: Design, Analysis, and Communication of Scientific Research, Oxford (2001). Data analysis, research design, scientific writing, and data presentation.
- S. Vaughn, Scientific Inference, Cambridge (2013).
- A. Bevan, Statistical Data Analysis for the Physical Sciences, Cambridge (2013).
- I. Hughes, Measurements and Their Uncertainties : a Practical Guide to Modern Error Analysis, Oxford (2010).
There are many undergraduate texts that describe data analysis, statistics and scientific communication. You are encouraged to consult these.
- Sample Journal Articles
- The wave-particle duality of light: A demonstration experiment, T. L. Dimitrova and A. Weis, Am. J. Phys. 76, 133-136, (2008). This is a "demonstration" type of experiment in that it illustrates a phenomenon qualitatively. Thus some of the typical data analysis is absent.
- Measurements of the speed of light in water using Foucault’s technique, J. Brody, L. Griffin, and P.Segre, Am. J. Phys. 78, 650, (2010). This is a variant on an experiment that we perform in this course.
- Bessel’s improved Kater pendulum in the teaching lab, D. Candela, K. M. Martini, R. V. Krotkov, and K. H. Langley , Am. J. Phys. 69, 714, (2001). Another variant on an experiment that is performed in this course. This contains a significant and involved theory section.
- An accurate formula for the period of a simple pendulum oscillating beyond the small angle regime, F. M. S. Lima and P. Arun , Am. J. Phys. 74, 892, (2006). A more accurate version of a simple pendulum period experiment. This contains a significant theory section.
- Determination of the half-life of 212Po, K. Ruddick , Am. J. Phys. 74, 658, (1995). Mostly experimental article.
In this course, formal lab reports will be written in the style of journal articles. While the formatting details of these vary from one journal to another the general structures are quite similar. A good source of journal articles, whose content is frequently accessible to undergraduate audiences, is the American Journal of Physics. A few examples of articles that you may could consult to get an idea of a journal article structure are listed below.