College of Arts and Sciences

General Physics I Lab

Spring 2015

Instructor: Faisal Masood

Office: P017
Tel: 06 5152565
Email: fmasood@aus.edu

The lab is an integral part of a Physics course. Students are expected to attend all the
scheduled lab sessions.

Goals:
The goals of this lab are:
To acquire experience in using the lab equipment and techniques.
To develop skills in measurements, data collection, and data analysis.
To learn proper communication of scientific results by means of written reports.
To reinforce the concepts and theories taught in the lectures.

Lab Manual:
The lab manual can be purchased from the university photocopy center. It contains the theory
behind the experiments as well as worksheets. You should read at least the theory part of the
experiment to be performed and the reading assignment before the lab session. Each student
is expected to bring the lab manual, 2 sheets of graph paper, a pencil, a transparent plastic
ruler (30 cm) and a scientific calculator to each lab session. Students who do not bring their
calculators will receive a warning at first, and later a 10% deduction on the lab report grade.

Attendance:
There are no scheduled make-up classes for lab. Students will not be allowed to attend the
session if they arrive more than 10 minutes late from the start of the session. Students who
arrive late but less than 10 minutes from the start of the session will receive a 10% deduction
on the lab report grade. Students who present a valid excuse for not attending a lab session
may be allowed to attend another session during the same week after the approval of both
instructors (only one time a semester). Preparation for exams (Mid-terms), over-sleeping,
and desire to leave early for vacation are not excusable. Students with unexcused absence
will receive a zero for missed experiment.

Student Behavior and Academic Integrity Code:

Academic dishonesty, including all forms of cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication, is
prohibited as stated in the University Catalogue. Students found in possession of any
cheating material (including graded lab reports) will receive zero for that experiment
and will be asked to leave the lab. The matter will be reported to the Head of the Physics
department.

Cell (Mobile) phones and pagers must be turned off in the lab; penalties will be enforced.
Lab Reports:
In general, two students will work together with each lab setup. If necessary, larger groups
will be used as directed by your instructor. However, after obtaining the data, when
writing the lab report (writing objectives, drawing graphs, performing calculations,
answering questions, and discussion of results etc.) each student is expected to work
independently. Your lab report is due at the end of each lab session. You will have plenty of
time to complete each lab if you stay focused on the assigned task. The lowest lab report
grade will be dropped at the end of the semester. Zero given as a penalty will not be
dropped.

Lab Quizzes:
The instructor shall give unannounced quizzes. These are short exams covering the materials
of the experiment to be performed and the experiment performed in the last week. There will
be no make-up for any quiz. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped at the end of the semester.

Lab Practical Exam:

During the last week of the semester, there will be a practical final exam. You will be asked to
perform two experiments (individually) closely related to the ones you have performed
during the semester. You will not be allowed to use your lab manual or any completed lab
report or any book.

General rules and regulations:

Carefully follow all the instructions of the lab staff; failure to do so will result in a
disciplinary action (asked to leave the lab, reported to the Chair of the Physics department,
etc).
Eating and drinking (of any kind) are not permitted in the lab.
Students are expected to stay at their workstations at all times. Moving from one
workstation to another is prohibited.
The lab instructor has the right to switch the student partners of any group at any
times. Rotation of partners will be done weekly.
Personal belongings (back-bags, books, etc) must be kept in the drawers of the table.
Visitors are not allowed in the lab.
Students are not allowed to leave the lab without the permission of the lab instructor.
Students who mark or write on the instrument or table will be penalized.
Students are not allowed to move or operate any instrument unless they are asked to
do so.
Students are advised to report all unsafe conditions and personal injuries to the lab
instructor immediately.
Be neat and write with legible handwriting. Illegible work will be marked as
incorrect. No marks will be given after student clarification of graded illegible work.
The instructor makes the final decision as what is illegible handwriting.
Before leaving the lab students should make sure that:
Control knobs of all instruments are turned to zero.
All instruments are turned off.
The workstation is neatly organized.

Standards for Evaluation:

Lab Reports: 45% Lab Quizzes: 25% Lab Practical Exam: 30%

Letter grade will be assigned as follows:

A 90, 87 A- < 90, 84 B+ < 87, 81 B < 84, 78 B- < 81,
75 C+ < 78, 71 C < 75, 69 C- < 71, 60 D < 69, F < 60.
 PHY 101 Lab (Spring 2015)

Lab
Week of Experiment Title
#
1 15 Feb 19 Feb Introduction/ Review of Error Analysis

2 22 Feb 26 Feb Analysis of Data

3 1 Mar 5 Mar Measurements

4 8 Mar 12 Mar Kinematics of Rectilinear Motion

Acceleration Due to Gravity by Free Fall

5 15 Mar 19 Mar
Method

6 22 Mar 26 Mar Addition of Vectors

7 29 Mar 2 Apr Projectile Motion

8 5 Apr 9 Apr Spring Break

9 12 Apr 16 Apr Newtons Second Law

10 19 Apr 23 Apr Friction

Conservation of Mechanical Energy.

11 26 Apr 30 Apr Demonstration of: ( Simple Pendulum &
Simple Harmonic Motion)

12 3 May 7 May Collision in Two Dimensions

13 10 May 14 May Rotational Inertia of Disk and Ring

14 17 May 21 May Review/ Make-Up

15 24 May 28 May Lab Final