WINTHROPUNIVERSITY courseSyllabus
DepartmentofChemistry, Physics, &Geology
Semester:Fall 2017Course:PHYS201L(002)– General PhysicsILaboratory
Credithours:0Co-requisite: PHYS201
Laboratory Meeting TimeandPlace:Wednesdays 5-7:50, Sims 205.
Studentsneedto register foroneofthe lab sections,PHYS201L.
Professor:Dr. Ponn Maheswaranathan (Mahes).
Office: 213-B, Sims, OfficeHours: MW9:30 -11:00 orbyappointment. Phone: 323 4940, E-mail:
Textbook:College Physics, by OpenStax,
LabScore:Thelabscore(25%ofPHYS201)willbe distributed as follows:
After the completion of the lab, you need to do a post-lab quiz, individually, on BB through the PHYS 201 page, which will carry 10% of the each lab score. Completed Lab hand-out is due the following Tuesday before lecture, will carry 10%, and the Write-up (data tables, graphs, and conclusion) will carry 80%.
CourseDescription:
PHYS201Lis thelaboratorycomponent to accompanyPHYS201 which deals withmechanics andwavemotion. Experiments in mechanics, fluids, oscillations, wavemotion, and sound will be conducted.This coursewill beusedto incorporatetheGeneral Education Writing Component, wherestudents will writelab reportswith conclusions, aminimum of20 pages of writing.
CourseObjectives:
•Develop an understandingofphysics' role as themost basicofthesciences.
•Demonstrate an understandingofthehistoryofscientificdiscovery.
•Learn theintroductoryphysics concepts associated with mechanics, fluids,oscillations, wavemotion &sound.
•Gain an understandingofphysics'rolein technologyand ineverydaylifeand to discuss thestrengths and limitations ofscience.
•Learn how to designandcarryout introductoryphysics experiments.
•Learn how to use computers fordata collection & analysisandgraphing.
•Drawconclusions fortheexperiments and writelaboratoryreports.
University-Level Competency:
General physicsI(co-requisite course)introducesstudents to the roleofscientific reasoningin solvingintroductoryphysics problems (e.g. describingmotion and calculatingforce,forces involved in circularmotions, how automobile airbagsreduceinjuryduringacollision, and describingthelaws thatgovern wavemotion). Theywill applythescientificmethodologies of inquiryduringthelaboratory, PHYS201L, and writewell-reasonedconclusions. Theywill also beintroduced to thehistoryofscientificdiscovery(e.g., topics and devicesareintroduced with historical perspectives)and learn that thetheoriesin physics evolveinto laws aftercontinuous
re-evaluations and arguments.In addition theywill seehow thescientific advances madein a laboratory, transforms into useful technological devices (e.g., thedevelopment ofthetransistor from vacuum tubeto silicon chip).
AttendanceandParticipation:
The attendancepolicydescribed in theWinthrop Universityundergraduatecatalogwill befollowed. Students are encouraged toattend all thelabs and to activelytakepart in laboratory activities.
Students with Disabilities/Need of Accommodations for Access:
Winthrop University is committed to providing access to education. If you have a condition which may adversely impact your ability to access academics and/or campus life, and you require specific accommodations to complete this course, contact the Office of Accessibility (OA) at 803-323-3290, or, se inform me as early as possible, once you have your official notice of accommodations from the Office of Disability Services.
StudentConductCode:The policy on student academic misconduct is outlined in the “Student Conduct Code Academic Misconduct Policy” in the online Student Handbook (
Syllabus changepolicy:Theinstructorwill makechanges to this syllabusas deemed necessary fortheprogression ofthecourse.
Rules for thelaboratory:
1. You must read theweb-link and the relevant materials from thetextbook beforethelab period and beprepared forthelaboratory.
2. You will work in agroupoftwo. Both partners should activelytakepart in collectingthe data and in the experimental process.
3. At the end ofyourlab workyou need to return allthelaboratoryequipment to the appropriateplaces whereyou took them.
4. You need to handletheequipment carefully,givingspecial attention whenwarranted.
5. Whenyou leavethelaboratory,you need to makesurethelaboratorytableis clean and freeof anymaterials.
6. Do not miss anylaboratory.You will receive"0" for all missed laboratories.
LAB SCHEDULELab # / Wednesday Lab / Experiment
1 / Aug. 30 / Graphing with Excel
2 / Sept. 6 / Density
3 / Sept. 13 / Vectors
4 / Sept. 20 / Data Collection with a PC
5 / Sept. 27 / Friction
6 / Oct. 4 / Energy
7 / Oct. 11 / Ballistic Pendulum
8 / Oct. 18 / Torque
9 / Oct. 25 / Rotational Motion
10 / Nov. 1 / Hooke's Law and SHM
11 / Nov. 8 / Archimedes' Principle
12 / Nov. 15 / Vibrating String
13 / Nov. 29 / Speed of sound in air
Lab Write-up:
At the completion of each lab everystudent is required to turn in alab write-up. Students may work with theirpartner(s)to completemost ofthewrite-up. This means sharingideas not paragraphs. However, the conclusion section must be completed independently!Students are encouraged to becreativewith their conclusions and explain whetherornot their results are accurate.Iftheresults arenot closeto the accepted values student areexpected to give reasons for anydiscrepancies. The conclusion section is thepart ofthelab which ismost important to check forstudent comprehension ofthetopic.
How to writeaconclusion?
* Conclusion is themostimportant part ofyourreport.It is abriefsummary-paragraph, about halfapage. You must writeyourown conclusion,aftercompletingthedatacollection and analysis.It must bewritten as thelast piece andattached afterdatatables and graphs.
* Conclusion should statethings that areuniqueforyourinvestigation which can be accomplished byincludingvalues ofthe experimentallydetermined physical quantities. Just rememberthatyoucannot writeyour conclusion without completing yourexperiments or investigations. General statements like"Ihavedetermined thedensities ofgiven solids"is not acceptable.
* You maystartyour conclusion byre-statingthepurposewith appropriatechanges. Thenyou need to brieflystate(don’t repeat procedure)howyou conducted theexperiment and collected thedata. Continuethis with summarizing yourresults, referringto thedatatables andgraphs when appropriate, andanswerthepurpose. Thenyou maydiscussabout someofthedifficulties you had,errors and theirpossible causes, and suggestions forimprovement.Describeyour reasoningusingphysics terminologyand principles. You should explain as completelyas possiblewhat goes throughyourmind that leadsyou toyourconclusion. Whilewe encourage you to discuss theinvestigations withyourpartners,yourconclusion must beyourown thought.
Divisionofthe conclusionpoint(1) arelistedfor10point total labreport score:
*Startyourconclusionbyre-stating thepurposewith appropriate changes (0.2pt). Thenyouneedtobrieflystate (don’trepeatprocedure)howyouconductedthe experiment and collected thedata(0.2pt).Continuethis withsummarizingyour results (make ituniqueby listingyour experimental values)(0.2 pt),referring tothedata tablesandgraphs when appropriate, and answer the purpose(0.2pt). Thenyouneedtodiscuss about
someof the difficultiesyouhad,errors andtheirpossiblecauses, andsuggestionsfor improvement (0.2pt). Describe your
reasoningusingphysicsterminologyandprinciples.Youshould
explainascompletely aspossible whatgoesthroughyourmind that leadsyoutoyour conclusion.While we encourage youto
discussthe investigations withyourpartners, yourconclusion
mustbe yourown thought.