Physics 120 Laboratory

Winter 2022

 

Professor:         Scott LaBrake, Ph.D.

Course:             Physics 120 Lab

Email:               labrakes@union.edu

Office:              ISEC 119 & 072

Office Hours:   MW: 10:30am – 1:30pm

                         Th: 11:00am - 12:00pm 

                         F: 10:30am – 11:30am

                         By Appointment

Web:                 http://minerva.union.edu/labrakes

 

 

 

Course: 

This course serves as an introduction to those basic concepts of physics that form the foundation of all the natural sciences.  The first of a two-course sequence in Physics, this course serves to introduce the student to the fundamental laws of classical mechanics and are applied to a variety of simple systems.  Throughout the course the conservation laws serve as unifying physical principles.  Mathematics, a powerful tool in the understanding of natural phenomena, assumes its natural role.

 

 

Attendance/Expectations: 

·              Attendance is mandatory!  It is expected that you will attend lab at your scheduled time and be present for the duration of the laboratory time.  Do not assume that you may merely attend the other section. 

·              In order to pass PHY120 you must obtain a passing grade in lab.  In order to do this, you need to do more than just attend the labs.  You need to hand in something for every laboratory exercise that you perform.  What is required to be handed in will be announced in lab.

·              It is the policy of the department that students must score 70% or higher on the lab component of the course in order to pass PHY 120. 

·              Your participation in the completion of the laboratory will be factored into your final grade.  This means that you should not just sit idly by and let your lab partner perform the lab.  Further, it is the responsibility of the student to have with you at the start of the laboratory, a copy of the week’s laboratory exercise.  The instructor may not provide copies.

·              Make sure that you have copies of all necessary data or graphs to complete the labs before you leave the lab.  Not having the data or graphs is no excuse for not having the lab completed on time. 

·              Further it will be expected that you will have your calculator, textbook and a copy of the lab with you at every laboratory exercise. 

·              Laboratory sections will be capped at 18. 

 

Course Grade: 

Your laboratory grade will be determined based on a professional judgment of your work by turning in each of the associated handouts for each laboratory assignement located below.

             

                      

Honor Code: 

Union College recognizes the need to create an environment of mutual trust as part of its educational mission. Responsible participation in an academic community requires respect for and acknowledgement of the thoughts and work of others, whether expressed in the present or in some distant time and place. Matriculation at the College is taken to signify implicit agreement with the Academic Honor Code, available at honorcode.union.edu. It is each student's responsibility to ensure that submitted work is his or her own and does not involve any form of academic misconduct. Students are expected to ask their course instructors for clarification regarding, but not limited to, collaboration, citations, and plagiarism. Ignorance is not an excuse for breaching academic integrity.

 

For Physics 120 laboratory, any written work, derivations not done in the lecture or laboratory portion of the class, calculations, computer generated code, interpretations of data/graphs must be your own work and a reflection of your understanding of the material. Data and any graphs made, by using the data taken with your lab partner during the laboratory period, may be created with your lab partner only. Please cite your lab partner when submitting any data or graphs.

 

Students are also required to affix the full Honor Code Affirmation, or the following shortened version, on each item of coursework submitted for grading: ``I affirm that I have carried out my academic endeavors with full academic honesty.'' [Signed, Jane Doe]

 

Recitation: 

Brief outline of the theory and techniques necessary for successful completion of the lab will be given promptly at the start of the lab.  It is the responsibility of the student to be ready (know the background theory, have read the laboratory ahead of time and worked out any pre-lab materials) when the laboratory class starts.  Occasionally the start of the lab class will be used as a short lecture class.  In other words, I may use the beginning of the lab class as a time to lecture on the theory behind a topic pertaining to class, but not covered in detail in class.

 

Additional Comments:

 

Lab Schedule

 

 

Week 1            No Lab - will be done in week 2

Week 2            Kinematics Graphs & Projectile Motion

Week 3            Air Resistance

Week 4            No Lab - exam 1 this week

Week 5            Flying Pigs

Week 6            Springs & Karate Boards

Week 7            Ballistic Pendulum

Week 8            No Lab - exam 2 this week

Week 9            Rotational Motion

Week 10          No Lab - last week of class