The coordinator of the laboratory is
Dr Kevin Varvell - Room 355 Physics School
Tel 9351 2539
Laboratory work e-mail :-

Experimental Physics is a laboratory course based on a set of individual experiments which cover many different aspects of experimental physics. In this unit of study all students will spend two weeks on each experiment, selected according to the rules given in the Experimental Physics Notes book. All work must be recorded in individual logbooks. These must be A4 size 'science notebooks'.

Students work in a partnership; usually one pair of students works together. Laboratory tutors will check your work. Unless one of the partners is away for that particular session, both students in a partnership must present their books to the tutor at the same time. If your work is unsatisfactory you will be asked to bring it up to the required standard and demonstrate that you have mastered the material, repeating parts of the experiment if necessary.

During the semester you work with the standard experiments described in the Experimental Notes. You and your partner will also have to write a report on one of the experiments you performed during the semester. Each team is also expected to make an oral presentation of the report work during the last session of the semester.

The Intermediate Physics Laboratory, (Rooms 419-423) is located at the western end (the end nearest to No.1 Oval) of the Physics Building on Level 4 (two floors above ground level). The laboratory sessions are from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on each of Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Students will be assigned to one of these sessions by their timetable.

You must attend your first scheduled laboratory session, during the first week of the first semester, which is used for registration and for an introduction to the unit of study. The sessions start at 2:00 pm and will be held in one of the Physics Lecture Theatres; a notice outside the laboratory will advise you which Lecture Theatre is being used. If you have not been assigned a time for laboratory work, attend the earliest session you can.

Laboratory Booking System

It is your responsibility to ensure that your lab marks are correctly recorded in our LabRAT system. Login to LabRAT here

Missed Session

Experimental Physics forms an important element of the Intermediate Physics course. Students who miss sessions or arrive late or leave early may be severely penalised. If you are unable to attend because of illness, misadventure or other difficulties you must submit a special consideration claim with supporting documentation (see Section 2.3).

Text

The module is defined in terms of the Intermediate Physics Experimental Notes, available at the University Copy Centre. (These notes contain descriptions of the experiments for both first and second semesters).

Assessment

The experiments take two weeks each and are worth 10 marks each. In addition, 1 or 2 bonus marks per experiment may be given. The written report is worth 15 marks, and the oral presentation is worth 10 marks, making a total of 73 marks.

For more details of the assessment, see the Experimental Notes.

Specific Objectives

After studying this module, you should be able to:

• perform physics experiments, analysis and interpret data and draw conclusions from your results
• solve experimental problems in physics and link these to appropriate theories
• work independently and in groups
• present the results of physics experiments in the form of a written report and orally
• appreciate the role of logbooks, computers, uncertainties and equipment in experimental physics

Each experiment has further specific objectives which can be found in the Physics Experimental Notes.

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