It is easy to lose sight of the fact that all science is based on experiment, either to test the predictions of theories or to present data the theories cannot explain in order to spur better theories. If you find science difficult, you are not alone. The concepts themselves are often not easy to grasp. Research has shown that we each must construct our own models of understanding. Simply listening to lectures and rote memorization are not good ways to learn. We must be able to assimilate the concepts and apply them to predict further phenomena. Research has also shown that learning improves when a student thinks about a concept or problem by him/herself first and then discusses it with a small group of peers. That is the philosophy we will follow in this workshop. The abilities to work within a group of peers and to communicate ideas, both orally and in writing, are important skills to have. These are fundamental goals of this workshop.

Most of the experiments in this workshop will utilize data sensors interfaced to a computer. We utilize PASCO's Data Studio software, because of its powerful ability to take data, present it, and analyze it. You will find most of the analysis tools you need in Data Studio. You can find the area, highlight a particular region, find averages, or a host of things with Data Studio. You will find that you can normally be able to fit or model data with an analytic function. In addition we have the powerful program MathCad available, because you have already learned how to use it. Feel free to use MathCad when you think it is useful. Microsoft Excel is also available for you to analyze your results and to make plots. Remember to print out and include any computer results for inclusion with your group's report.

Purpose of the Course

The purpose of this workshop is

1. to teach you some important physical phenomena and concepts,

2. to teach you to think for yourself and to work in groups of peers,

3. to teach you better oral and written communication skills,

4. to introduce you to proper laboratory procedures, to use computers and data sensors, and teach you some basic laboratory techniques, and

5. to give you confidence in your ability to take measurements and adequately analyze and interpret data.

Course Organization

Physics 241W is a dependent course for Physics 241E, but it is not part of Physics 241E. It is a one-credit course with an independent grade. You must, however, be registered in both a 241E lecture and a 241W workshop. Each workshop section will have up to 24 students (and no more).
Every student must purchase the manual for Physics 241W at the UVa bookstore. This manual contains the workshop activities which you will use each week.

Registration in Physics 241W will be blocked on the semester's first day of classes August 28, 2002. The workshops start on Monday during the semester's first full week of classes (September 2, 2002). In that first week, you must attend the section of your choice on time. If you are registered for that section, your place in that section is secure. If you do not attend or are late to your registered section, your name will be dropped from that section's enrollment. Those who wish to add to that section will then be added if space is available. Since only 24 students may be in a section, if more students want to add than is space available, names will be drawn at random and added to the enrollment until the 24 spaces are filled. The remaining students must find other sections to attend. Let us re-emphasize this point: If you are registered for a section and wish to secure your place in that section, you must attend that section on time during the first full week of classes. Note, however, that there are normally two sections being held simultaneously so that each time slot has space available for 48 students in the two sections. In the extraordinary event that you cannot attend any sections during that first full week of classes, say due to illness or a death in the family, please contact Larry Suddarth (room 214 - physics building, 924-6843, lts7x@Virginia.edu) as soon as possible. Contact Mr. Suddarth regarding any problems with registration.

It is your responsibility to be registered for a workshop. If you are unable to find a workshop open that meets your schedule, you may try to find someone to switch with you. The best way to do this is to go to a suitable section the first week to see if space becomes available or to see if someone will switch with you.

Your work in Physics 241W will consist of three parts:

1. A pre-workshop activity that you must complete before coming to the workshop. This will be done on WebAssign.

2. Perform the workshop itself, answering all the questions and predictions, and attaching data, results, graphs, and analysis as requested with your group members that will be turned in at the end of the workshop.

3. A post-workshop quiz that you must complete in the specified time period. This will be done on WebAssign.

Each workshop is two hours (technically one hour and 50 minutes) long. You are expected to have vacated the room within one hour and 55 minutes to allow the next section to begin on time. The workshops meet during each full week of classes and are overseen by a graduate instructor (teaching assistant commonly called a TA, for short). The graduate instructor's responsibilities are to ensure the safety of the students; protect the equipment; provide good teaching pedagogy to help you learn as much as possible, provide additional instructions and information concerning the workshop, grade your work and, together with the faculty, assign your grade. A faculty member will be present occasionally in the lab.

The first part of the first meeting of the semester will be organizational and preparatory. You will be added or dropped from the section (as discussed above), meet your faculty member and graduate instructor, exchange information with your instructors, be informed of any changes to class policies, etc. In addition, you will fill out an evaluation to help us improve the workshop experience that in no way will affect your grade. Then we will perform a short experiment that will be graded as part of the workshop. There will be no pre-workshop assignment the first week, but there will be a post-workshop quiz. We generally try to have activities on material that you have already seen in lecture, sometimes weeks earlier. However, that is not always possible, and there will be weeks where you will need to make special preparation for the workshop. This will include reading ahead in the textbook.

Preparation

For each workshop, you must do the pre-workshop activity that can be found on the Physics 241W web page http://www.phys.virginia.edu/classes/241w.stt.fall02/. It is important for you to look at this page often, because any changes to this manual will be given there. The pre-workshop activity will be given on WebAssign, and you will need to complete the answers online by a given deadline. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK AT THE WEBSITE OFTEN ENOUGH TO BE AWARE OF THE WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT, PRE-WORKSHOP ACTIVITY, AND CHANGES IN THE WEEKLY WORKSHOP. We are not having you submit a lab report as has been done in past years, but in exchange, we are requiring you to spend time preparing for the workshop each week. We expect that since you are better prepared, the workshop will be a better learning experience.

In order to complete the pre-workshop activity each week, you should do the following:

1. Read over completely the workshop material in this manual (including the relevant appendix and outside reading assignments, where appropriate) for the week's activity to get an overview.

2. Connect to the Physics 241W web page to learn about any changes, suggestions, or additional material given for this week's activity.

3. Read the instructions again, but this time more carefully; highlighting the important features of the workshop. Try to work through any derivations you do not understand. In other words, be an active reader and study the manual.

4. Complete the pre-workshop activity on WebAssign.

5. Bring a graphing or other scientific calculator to the workshop.

Before attending your workshop section during the first full week of classes, look over the workshop manual and become familiar with the appendices to which you should refer as needed throughout the semester. Particularly important are Appendix B: Graphical Analysis and Appendix D: The Accuracy of Measurements and Significant Figures. Refer to Appendix D and apply it appropriately throughout the semester.

You can learn how to use WebAssign by logging onto http://www.webassign.net/guide.html/index.html.

Procedure in the Workshop

Since the workshop periods are two hours long, you will need to be efficient in the use of your time. Normally you will work in groups of three. You will be assigned to a different group each week. We encourage a free exchange of ideas between group members (and also generally in the laboratory), and we expect you to share both in taking data and in operating the computer system. You will turn in your workshop materials as a group at the end of the period. Everyone must fill out the material asked for in the manual, but you only should turn in one set of graphs and data when you are asked to print them out. Be sure that all such printouts are well noted with the activity number and your lab partners' names. You and your group members will not necessarily receive a common grade for the workshop each week, because we will grade both your results and your answers.

Grading Policy

Each week's activity will be graded as follows:

The pre-workshop activity is worth 20%.

The weekly workshop experience is worth 50% based on the performance in the laboratory as evidenced by your performance (which is, of course, subjective) and by your grade on what you turn in each week.

The post-workshop quiz is worth 30%.

Your final workshop grade will be determined by taking the average of all your workshop grades. No workshops will be dropped. Grades will be assigned on a curve based on your graduate instructor's students only. Do not be concerned about the average grades that the graduate instructors have. We will account for that.

Absences and Tardiness

Absences and tardiness will be accepted only for legitimate excuses, i.e. illness, a death in your family, a university sponsored trip, etc. If possible, contact your graduate instructor before the time of the lab (e.g. end an email). Without a bona fide reason, all absentees receive a grade of zero for that workshop. If you miss a laboratory session because of a legitimate excuse, your faculty lab instructor will excuse your absence provided that you submit a written excuse petition signed by you. An email will suffice. This should be done no later than the next scheduled lab period. For approved absences, it may be possible to make up a missing workshop, but it must be done no later than the Wednesday of the following week. See your graduate instructor or faculty member for further information.

Late arrival for any lab session is very disruptive and will be penalized. After a 10-minute grace period, the lab instructor will deduct 10% from your grade during the first 15 minutes of tardiness and 10% for each