Year 1 Lab Work (One Semester)

PHYS10280 Year 1 Lab Work (One Semester) 10 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 1 William Bertsche Unit coordinator 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' First part HE study/Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 5.0 Year 1 Lab Work (One Semester) ‘This course unit detail provides the framework for delivery in 21/22 and may be subject to change due to any additional Covid-19 impact.  Please see Blackboard / course unit related emails for any further updates.’ Honours Physics students attend Laboratory throughout their three years' study. The First Year Laboratory is an integral part of the overall laboratory course. ClassesOne day per week throughout the session on either Monday or Thursday as scheduled by the laboratory tutor. Laboratory times are 11.00-1.00 and 2.00-5.00. Attendance is obligatory OrganisationThe general first year teaching laboratories are located on the 1st and 2nd floor of the Schuster Annexe. Digital and Circuits labs are in the electronic lab on the 3rd floor of Schuster.     A demonstrator is assigned to each pair of students for the duration of each experiment. The demonstrator gives guidance and instruction and may be consulted at any time during the laboratory hours. Each laboratory has a dedicated technician who maintains the equipment.  AssessmentStudent performance on each experiment is assessed by the demonstrator during the course of the experiment and by a final interview.  Assessment takes into account: physics understanding, experimental skill and results, quality of data analysis, uncertainties and final results, and quality of notes in lab notebook.  Lab reports are marked by a demonstrator.  The assessment takes into account the layout and presentation of the report, content and arrangement of material, and technical writing style. The final mark is calculated from a weighted average of the marks for each individual component.First semester only: Scientific computing/data analysis 30%, experiments 30%, lab reports 25%, Special Topics 15%Second semester only (in restricted circumstances with prior approval from the lab tutor): Experiments performed 100% Late Experiment Assessment InterviewsExperiment assessment interviews must normally be completed within 2 weeks of the end of each lab experiment block. Late interviews are only permitted at the Demonstrator’s discretion, for example if a student has an authorised absence on the normal interview day. Any interview not completed before the end of the next lab block will result in a mark of 0 being awarded for that experiment.  Late Lab ReportsReports are treated as coursework and any reports submitted after the published submission deadline are subject to standard University penalties as detailed in the Undergraduate Handbook “Where a student has a DASS recommended coursework deadline extension, please note that this will only apply to submission of your final (individual) lab report, not to any reports written jointly with your lab partner”.Work and Attendance Requirements for First-semester students:To pass lab, students must obtain 40% overall, and have completed and been assessed in experiments corresponding to at least 50% of the scheduled days for lab experiments, each with a mark of 40% or more excluding late penalties; have submitted one individual lab report per semester of lab assessed at 40% or more excluding late penalties; and have non-zero marks in data analysis and scientific computing. Students in danger of failing due to lab reports, experiments or data analysis and scientific computing will be notified by the lab tutor during the semester when this becomes apparent, and will be directed to remedial action that needs to be taken. This may include completion of experimental work during the semester at a time consistent with their timetable. Students who are failing at the end of the year due to lab reports or data analysis/scientific computing may be required to submit reports or other work as directed.Work and attendance requirements for second-semester students:To pass lab, students must obtain 40% overall, and have completed and been assessed in experiments corresponding to at least 50% of the scheduled days for lab experiments, each with a mark of 40% or more excluding late penalties. Students in danger of failing will be notified by the lab tutor during the semester when this becomes apparent, and will be directed to remedial action that needs to be taken. This may include completion of experimental work during the semester at a time consistent with their timetable. Computing and Data Analysis:1. To develop the appropriate skills and confidence to use computers for the tasks required in laboratory work. 2. To introduce the basic concepts and methods required for laboratory data analysis. 3. To develop sound judgement in interpreting experimental results and uncertainties. 4. To develop the skills required for good scientific communication. Special Topics in Physics:1. To promote awareness of selected topics at the forefront of modern-day research in physics. 2. To introduce and develop group-working skills.3. To enhance writing and written presentation skills. 4. To develop skills in assessing the quality of one’s own and others’ work. CircuitsTo ensure that students can competently use an oscilloscope and to foster an understanding of the way electrical signals are shaped by passive circuit elements. Computing and Data Analysis:On completion successful students will be able to:1. Use python commands and scripts to manipulate and present experimental data in the form of graphs and tables.2. Estimate the precision of experimental results, from an understanding of the experimental procedure and from a statistical analysis of repeated measurements.3. Calculate the uncertainty in quantities derived from experimental results of specified precision.4. Round numerical values and uncertainties sensibly.5. Use the method of least squares-fitting and interpret chi-squared, χ2.6. Distinguish between random and systematic errors. Special Topics:On completion successful students will be able to:1. gather information on a subject which goes substantially beyond that provided in lectures.2. work in a group to produce a piece of work which promotes physics as an interesting area of study.3. recognise the demands of group work.4. grade their own and other’s work against specified assessment criteria. CircuitsOn completion successful students will be able to:1. Describe the behaviour of capacitors and inductors.2. Observe and explain transients.3. Design and build integrating and differentiating circuits.4. Explain ringing, damping and Q-factors in resonant circuits, including critical damping.5. Use complex notation and complex impedances for:Determination of amplitude and phaseResonant circuitsLow-pass and high-pass filtersA.C. bridges. Special Topics:Students will attend a series of specialist lectures on selected topics at the forefront of modern day research in physics and a session introducing the project and group working.  In the weeks following the lectures they will work together in small groups to produce a short booklet on one of the topics discussed in the lectures.  The booklet should be designed for students studying A-level physics and aim to convey the excitement of modernday physics to them.  Students will be expected to research beyond the material presented in the lectures in order to produce an informative and attractive piece of work.  Each group will assess and grade their own booklet along with a number of booklets from other groups, and these grades will form the basis of the final course assessment.Circuits:1. Elementary circuit theory - discrete components, Kirchoffs laws and complex analysis2. Semiconductor amplifiers - real and ideal systems3. Positive feedback, oscillators and control loops4. Analogue - to - digital conversion  8 Practical skills assessment 100% Oral feedback will be given by demonstrators during the lab sessions and the assessment interviews at the end of each experiment. An annotated copy of each Lab Report will be returned to the student and the marker will discuss their comments with students. Students are also sent an email copy of each experiment assessment and lab report Feedback & Marksheet.  N There are no specific textbooks for First Year Lab. The main first year textbook, Young & Freedman’s University Physics, is likely to be useful for understanding the physics behind most of the experiments. Students should also read through the pre-lab material for their experiments on Blackboard before the start of each lab block.  Assessment practical exam 4 Lectures 6 Practical classes & workshops 66 0 24