PHY 370: Experimental Physics, Fall 2007

 

Text: An Introduction to Error Analysis 2nd Ed.( John Taylor), The Art of Electronics 2nd. Ed. (Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill)

Instructor: Dr. Matt Marone Room 243 Science And Engineering Building

                  Phone 301-2597, e-mail: marone_mj@mercer.edu

Office Hours: By appointment

Class: TR 10:50-11:40 SEB 140, Lab TR 1:40-2:55 SEB 115

Prerequisite: Phy 306

General:

Introduction to experimental techniques including: computerized data acquisition, data analysis, analog electronics and instrumentation. Students will also learn the LabVIEW programming language. This is a very hands on class.  The nature of experimental work is such that you may find it necessary to work in the laboratory for additional time beyond what is now scheduled.  I will be happy to open up the laboratory for you, outside of the regularly scheduled times.  The computers and experimental equipment are not for personal use, but only for use on authorized projects.  Do not down load your e-mail onto laboratory computers, surf the web or otherwise use the equipment in a manner that has not been approved by the instructor.

 

Grades: Your Final class grade will be derived from the following percentages:

 

LabVIEW Programs (20%)

Electronics experiments (20%)

Class Project (30%)

Modern Physics Experiments(20%)

Lab. Notebook and Documentation (10%)

 

                       

A (90 and above), B+ (85-89), B (80-84), C+ (75-79), C (70-74), D (60-69) F (below 60)

 

    Lab. Notebook and Documentation:

Keeping an accurate laboratory notebook is very important in experimental work.  You must document all your experiments, circuits and programs.  Even the things that do not work should be written down for future reference.  Should you come up with a new idea or invention, the documentation will be especially important in establishing rights to your invention.  Please purchase a laboratory notebook.  The Bookstore has a large supply of notebooks that are used for chemistry classes.  Notebooks should be bound and have numbered pages.  Spaces should be available for signatures, dates and witnesses.  Remember that 10% of your grade will come from how well you document your work.

 

    Laboratory Reports/ and Labview Programs:  Laboratory reports and computer programs are to be the individual work of the student.  You may work together with your lab. Partner, but the report must be written by you and you alone.  The format of the reports will be explained in the laboratory class.  No late laboratory reports or projects will be accepted!

 

     LabVIEW programs are to be fully documented including help information for all front panel items.  You will submit the program to me on a disk.  I will run your program to see how, and if it accomplishes the required task.  Part of the grade assigned for the program will reflect the ease by which the user may interact and use the program for the desired objective (“user friendly”).  The logic and organization of the program diagram will also enter into the grade as well as help items and documentation.

 

    Modern Physics Experiments:  We will recreate the classic Milliakan oil drop experiment that determined the fundamental charge (charge of the electron).  We will also conduct one other modern physics experiment which is yet to be determined.  Before you are allowed to start the experiment, you must pass a short oral interview, which demonstrates your basic knowledge of the experiment.

 

The exact details of this experiment will be provided to you in class. There are, however, some general ideas, which govern your report. You should provide a historical context, which indicates why the original experiment was so important to physics.  You will describe experimental techniques and equipment used.  Theory, mathematical analysis of data, and a logical chain of thought resulting in a conclusion are all important parts of experimental work, and will be covered in your report.

 

Electronics/ Instrumentation experiments: You will conduct several electronics experiments and learn how to use some common laboratory instruments.  We will also cover basics AC circuits and Op-Amps.  Laboratory reports are required for these experiments.  In some cases you will simply be learning how to use a particular instrument and make some basic measurements. Work sheets and notebook entries must be included.

   

 

Class project: The best way to learn about experimental physics is to build experimental apparatus.  Students may choose a device they wish to instrument, subject to the instructor’s approval.  We also have some previous experiments that need to be developed further.  These include a flux gate magnetometer and an online Chaladni plate  experiment designed to illustrate vibrations. A previous class began work on a flux gate magnetometer.  We will continue this work and use it to tie together what we have learned about AC circuits, operational amplifiers and computer interfacing.  As an outreach to the educational community, we have been developing a series of online experiments.  These experiments provide a way for students access experimental equipment that would otherwise be unavailable at their schools. The online experiment we will be working on is a remotely controlled Chaladni plate.  This device will enable remote users to determine the resonant frequencies of a vibrating plate and observe the nodal lines.

 

 

Cell Phone and Pager Usage: Out of courtesy for all those participating in the learning experience, all cell phones and pagers must be turned off before entering any classroom, lab, or formal academic or performance event

Classroom etiquette: You are expected to conduct yourself as a mature student, respectful of your classmates and instructor.  You may be asked to leave the room if your behavior is disturbing the instructor or your fellow students.

 

Documented Disability Statement:

Students with a documented disability should inform the instructor at the close of the first class meeting.  The instructor will refer you to the office of Student Support Services (SSS) for consultation regarding evaluation, documentation of your disability, and recommendations for accommodation, if needed.  Students will receive from SSS the Faculty Accommodation Form.  On this form SSS will identify reasonable accommodations for this class.  The form must be given to the course instructor for signature and then returned to SSS.

 

To take full advantage of disability services, it is recommended that students contact the Office of Student Support Services, immediately.  The office is located on the third floor of the Connell Student Center.

 

October 26  Last Day to Withdraw

August 24 Last day for late registration



 

Tentative Schedule of Experiments

 

Date

Experiment

Jan 10

LabVIEW Intro 1

Jan 12

LabVIEW Intro 2

Jan 17

LabVIEW Intro 3

Jan 19

Oscilloscope, function generator

Jan 24

Millikan Oil Drop

Jan 26

Millikan Oil Drop

Jan 31

Millikan Oil Drop

Feb 2

Vacuum Systems

Feb 7

Vacuum Systems

Feb 9

Vacuum Systems

Feb 14

Op-Amps

Feb 16

Op-Amps

Feb 21

Op-Amps

Feb 23

AC Circuits

Feb 28

AC Circuits

Mar 2

Machine Shop

Mar 14

Flux Gate Magnetometer

Mar 16

Flux Gate Magnetometer

Mar 21

Flux Gate Magnetometer

Mar 23

Flux Gate Magnetometer

Mar 28

Flux Gate Magnetometer

Mar 30

Flux Gate Magnetometer

Apr 4

Online Experiment

Apr 6

Online Experiment

Apr 11

Online Experiment

Apr 13

Online Experiment

Apr 18

Online Experiment

Apr 20

Online Experiment

Apr 25

Online Experiment

Apr 27

Online Experiment

May 4

Final Report on Online project

 

Important Dates to remember

Tuesday, January 17

Last day for late registration, drop/add, and to apply for the Georgia tuition grant

 

Friday, 24 March

Last day for withdrawal from regular classes