What to Expect the First Four Weeks
Before lab sections begin
Try to register for your desired lab section before the first day of classes, January 16. Sections may be full, but don’t worry. There is enough space for everyone and spaces will become available as everyone adjusts his/her schedule.
Registration will be closed starting the first day of classes.
There are no lab sections during the first (partial) week of classes, i.e. the week of January 16.
Purchase the lab manual at the UVa bookstore. Look through the manual to become familiar with it.
Review Appendix B: Graphical Analysis, Appendix C: Oscilloscopes, and Appendix D: The Accuracy of Measurements and Significant Figures in the manual before attending the first lab.
The first lab session (week of January 21)
You must attend your desired section the first full week of classes, the week of January 23. See Registration and Enrollment.
The first part of the lab will be organizational. Larry Suddarth will oversee enrollment for each section. You will meet your lab instructor, who will give some introductory remarks.
You will complete exercises based on the appendices you will have read (B, C, D).
Before
the second lab session:
- Read the first lab writeup in your manual (Electrostatic Force and Coulomb's Law) and write a prelab summary as discussed in the General Introduction of your lab manual.
The second lab session (week of January 28)
At the beginning of the lab, you will watch a video that summarizes most of the procedures and techniques you will accomplish during the lab
After the video, you will break up into groups of two to do the lab. You will have a different lab partner every week according to a posted schedule. You will be assigned a number so that you can keep to that schedule. Groups are to have two students (unless there is an odd number of students in the lab in which case one group of three will be allowed).
The lab ends promptly after 2 hours and 50 minutes at 10 minutes before the hour.
After the lab, you will need to make sure that each partner has a copy of the journal you took in class. Once you leave the lab, the journal may not be altered.
Before
the third lab session:
- Write your report as soon as possible, while your memory is still fresh. This will also give you time to revise it before you turn it in.
- Read the second lab writeup in your manual (Ohm's Law & Meters) and write a prelab summary.
The third lab session (week of February 4)
Turn in your report (with journal attached) at the beginning of the lab.
Again, you will watch a video and do the lab.
You probably now understand the flow of the course. There will be no labs during the week of the Spring Break (March 9 - 17). In addition, you will write up the last lab (Radioactivity, Beta and Gamma Rays) in class and hand it in then.