Third Year Laboratory (S5)

PHYS30181 Third Year Laboratory (S5) 10 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 6 Michael Keith Unit coordinator Department of Physics & Astronomy 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 5.0 The Yr3 Physics Laboratory (PHYS30181) offers an 8-week practical course designed to develop advanced laboratory and data analysis skills in final-year physics students. It combines hands-on experiments with presentations and written reports to assess experimental competence and scientific communication.<ul class="___1sxglwx f1pkrkt5 f1xlm3kd" node="[object Object]"><li class="___1byvshk fyz9r5i" node="[object Object]">The course includes 64 hours of practical lab work with paired students conducting experiments, assessed through a 70% interview and 30% report grading split.</li><li class="___1byvshk fyz9r5i" node="[object Object]">Students must achieve at least 40% overall to pass, with strict policies on report length, late submissions, and interview attendance.</li><li class="___1byvshk fyz9r5i" node="[object Object]">Learning outcomes emphasize critical evaluation of results, error analysis, professional record-keeping, risk assessment, and scientific writing, supported by 100 notional learning hours and detailed feedback mechanisms.</li></ul> The Yr3 Physics Laboratory (PHYS30181) offers an 8-week practical course designed to develop advanced laboratory and data analysis skills in final-year physics students. It combines hands-on experiments with presentations and written reports to assess experimental competence and scientific communication.<ul class="___1sxglwx f1pkrkt5 f1xlm3kd" node="[object Object]"><li class="___1byvshk fyz9r5i" node="[object Object]">The course includes 64 hours of practical lab work with paired students conducting experiments, assessed through a 70% interview and 30% report grading split.</li><li class="___1byvshk fyz9r5i" node="[object Object]">Students must achieve at least 40% overall to pass, with strict policies on report length, late submissions, and interview attendance.</li><li class="___1byvshk fyz9r5i" node="[object Object]">Learning outcomes emphasize critical evaluation of results, error analysis, professional record-keeping, risk assessment, and scientific writing, supported by 100 notional learning hours and detailed feedback mechanisms.</li></ul> <span class="TextRun SCXW263687527 BCX8 NormalTextRun" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:none !important;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:17.2667px;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-GB" lang="EN-GB">The <span class="TextRun SCXW263687527 BCX8 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSI1IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjMiPjxnIGZpbGw9Im5vbmUiIGZpbGwtcnVsZT0iZXZlbm9kZCIgc3Ryb2tlPSIjMzVGIiBzdHJva2UtbGluZWNhcD0icm91bmQiPjxwYXRoIGQ9Ik0wIC41aDVNMCAyLjVoNSIvPjwvZz48L3N2Zz4=");background-position:0px 100%;background-repeat:repeat-x;border-bottom:1px solid transparent;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:none !important;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:17.2667px;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-GB" lang="EN-GB">third year<span class="TextRun SCXW263687527 BCX8 NormalTextRun" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:none !important;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:17.2667px;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"> laboratory aims to develop your laboratory and data analysis skills on a range of finals level physics experiments. Classes:<span class="TextRun SCXW9686909 BCX8 NormalTextRun" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:none !important;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.3458px;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB">Most students will take 10 credits of lab per semester (PHYS30181/PHYS30182), though some programmes only have one semester of lab. Each semester students will work on a single 8-week lab <span class="TextRun SCXW9686909 BCX8 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSI1IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQiPjxnIGZpbGw9Im5vbmUiIGZpbGwtcnVsZT0iZXZlbm9kZCI+PHBhdGggc3Ryb2tlPSIjRUIwMDAwIiBkPSJNMCAzYzEuMjUgMCAxLjI1LTIgMi41LTJTMy43NSAzIDUgMyIvPjxwYXRoIGQ9Ik0wIDBoNXY0SDB6Ii8+PC9nPjwvc3ZnPg==");background-position:0px 100%;background-repeat:repeat-x;border-bottom:1px solid transparent;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:none !important;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.3458px;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB">experiment<span class="TextRun SCXW9686909 BCX8 NormalTextRun" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:none !important;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.3458px;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB">, running for the first 8 weeks of the semester. Lab hours are 09:00 to 17:00 (with reasonable rest break periods permitted) on Tuesdays or Thursdays (the lab day will be allocated at the start of semester).<span class="TextRun SCXW9686909 BCX8 NormalTextRun" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:none !important;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.3458px;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB">Students will usually work in pairs on their experiment and will be given a great deal of freedom in the way they perform their experiments, but demonstrators will discuss their experiments with them at the beginning and will be available to assist and advise at all stages. 3 Report 100% PHYS20101 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics Pre-Requisite Compulsory PHYS20141 Electromagnetism Pre-Requisite Compulsory PHYS20352 Statistical Mechanics Pre-Requisite Compulsory PHYS20342 Electromagnetism 2 Pre-Requisite Compulsory PHYS20151 Properties of Matter Pre-Requisite Compulsory N Practical classes & workshops 64 0 36