PHY 324 H1S – PRACTICAL PHYSICS II
Course Outline - Winter 2018
This is a practical course that further develops the core experimental and computational skills
necessary to do Physics: mathematical models, computational simulations and solutions,
experimental measurements, data and error analysis. Students are working in a team of two or three
for the sections with an odd number of students. Laboratory experiments cover the following topics:
- Electric DC and AC Circuits
- Classic Experiments in Measuring Fundamental Constants (G, g, e, e/m, R, h)
- Magnetic Fields
- Mechanical and Electromagnetic Waves
- Wave Optics
- Particle Physics
- Quantum Physics
- Thermal Physics
Course Web Site: https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~phy224_324/web-
pages/New_Practicals224_324.htm and on the Portal.
Course Coordinator and Supervisor of LEC0101:
Dr. Natalia Krasnopolskaia.
Office: MP 251A
Office Hours: Wednesday, 12 – 14
Tel.: 416-978-8803
Email: [email protected]
Lecturer and Supervisor of LEC0201:
Dr. Brian Wilson
Office: MP 129D.
Office Hours: By appointment.
Phone: 416-978-4540.
Email: [email protected].
Laboratory Instructors:
Marking Scheme:
16 Weights for Experiments of Free Choice, including an option of
Machine Shop Mini-Course (2 weights) and Open Project (≤ 4 weights) 72 %
4 Weights for Exercises 18 %
Computational Assignment 10 %
TA/Lab Demonstrator Office Phone Email Section
Mr. Nishant Bhatt MP 033/037 416-978-4395 [email protected] LEC02
Alex Cabaj MP 605 416-978-2955 [email protected] LEC01
Mr. John Feng MP 037 416-946-3099 [email protected] LEC01
Mr. Hazem Daoud MP 918 [email protected] LEC02
Mr. Tailong He MP 602 416-978-2661 [email protected] LEC02
Mr. Robert Les MP 815 416-978-6632 [email protected] LEC02
Mr. Xuesong Zhang MP 619A 416-978-2706 [email protected] LEC01
Mr. Chao Zhang MP 078/093 416-946-7175 [email protected] LEC01
Recommended Readings:
1. J.R. Taylor: An Introduction to Error Analysis: The Study of Uncertainties in Physics
Measurements, 2nd ed., University Science Books. 1997.
2. P.R. Bevington, D.H. Robinson: Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences,
3rd ed., McGraw Hill. 2003.
Mandatory Laboratory Exercises:
There are four mandatory exercises scheduled to the first four sessions of the course:
- Non-Linear Circuit Elements
- Building a Thermocouple
- Thick Lenses
- Atomic Spectra.
Each exercise takes one 3-hour session. Students are expected to assemble a setup; to make required
measurements; to record all data; to make a photo or a drawing of the device; to estimate the result
of measurements; to improve the experiment technique if the intermediate result is far from the
expected one; to find all sources of experiment uncertainty and to show the results of measurements
to a supervising instructor at the end of the session. A mark for the exercise is equivalent to a mark
for a one-weight experiment. One weight is worth 4.5 % of the final course mark. Each team
submits a paperless lab report on each Exercise by uploading it to the Portal in MS Word or PDF
format. An identical copy is uploaded to turnitin.com for similarity check. Each report is graded
with rubrics. Rubric for one weight is limited by 27 points. A missed lab session must be made up.
Experiments of Free Choice:
The lab experiments are booked by students in cooperation with a supervising instructor during the
last half an hour of the preceding session. The list of experiments is posted to the web page
https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~phy224_324/web-pages/experiments.pdf. Students are working
in pairs. Each team of two students performs a combination of experiments that gives 16 weights in
total. One weight is worth 4.5 % of the final course mark. The one-weight experiment takes one 3-
hour lab session; and the two-weight experiment takes two 3-hours sessions. Each team submits a
paperless lab report by uploading it to the Portal in MS Word or PDF format. An identical copy is
uploaded to turnitin.com for similarity check. Each report is graded with rubrics. Rubric for one
weight is limited by 27 points. A missed lab session must be made up.
Computational Assignment:
The Assignment is a piece of the term work made and submitted by each student individually. The
Assignment report may be uploaded to the Portal, or submitted in a hard copy. Anyways, the report
must be uploaded to the Turnitin. The task is posted to the Portal and the course web site on the
page https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~phy224_324/web-pages/computational.htm. Students are
required to study a description of mathematical techniques, study the datasheet and produce a
Python code to process the given data with the required outcome. The report on the assignment
must include: an introduction with physics background or description of the origin of the data to be
processed; table of given data; description of the steps you made for writing the Python code (e.g.
the modules used); a drawing of the result/function (if applicable) or the table of calculated values
(if applicable); table and the discussion of uncertainties and their origin; a conclusion.
Machine Shop Mini-Course (optional):
This workshop is voluntarily taken by students as an equivalent of two weights of experiment work
and is marked as a two-weight experiment. The activity gives practical skills in understanding
technical drawings, processing a metal (aluminum) piece to create a part of a real machinery and to
conclude on the quality of the product. This activity teaches students to make measurements and
calculate uncertainties of the measurements of real objects, produced by the students. The workshop
is taken in the Machine Shop of the Department of Physics under supervision of a qualified staff
member. The report must include: a drawing of the part; a description of the measurements made; a
statement on possible uncertainty due to the measurement tools used; a statement on possible
uncertainty due to the worker’s omission; a description of the process of producing the part; a photo
of the product; and a final statement on the product parts’ sizes and their uncertainties. The report is
submitted in a hard copy to the machine shop supervisor and is graded by him.
Open Project:
The Open Project is an alternative to one or several experiments in the case the team of students
cannot book an experiment of free choice by any reason. The Open Project is marked for so many
weights as many 3-hour sessions it takes. The Open Project cannot take more than four three-hour
sessions. The Project proposal must be prepared by the team of students at least one week in
advance before the first session with this project. The first session is devoted to the project
discussion with the lab section supervisor and lab technologist and preparation of the final version
of the project that is approved at the end of the session by the lab section supervisor. The report on
the Open Project must include: the objective of the project; the final version of the proposal; the
description of the procedure; the schedule of the project execution; the table of measured and
calculated quantities with the corresponding uncertainties; the description of functioning of the
product (may be a code, or a device, or both); discussion of the project outcome; discussion of the
uncertainties of measurements produced; and a conclusion. The report is submitted in electronic
copy by uploading it to the Portal and Turnitin.com.
Due Date:
The reports on all kinds of activity listed above are uploaded to the Portal by one of the lab partners
and are due in 6 days after the last session with the current experiment/project/assignment. E.g., if
the last session is on Tuesday, the submission deadline is next week Monday midnight. If the last
session is on Thursday, the submission deadline is next week Wednesday midnight. Late
submission is penalized by taking off 5% of the assigned mark for every business day of the delay.
The report, submitted in 5 or more business days after the deadline without a special permission, is
not accepted and is graded with zero. Neither reports are accepted after April 10.
Laboratory Report Requirements:
The lab report is submitted to the Portal page of your section LEC0X01 and the Turnitin.com web site
simultaneously. The report should not take more than 5 pages per one weight of the experiment. The
report on a three-weight experiment should not exceed 12 pages.
The mark for the report is composed with Rubric that can be found on the page of an assignment on
the Portal. The rubric and graded report with marker’s comments are uploaded back to the Portal by a
TA – the experiment supervisor and marker.
For a good grade, students are expected to prepare a lab report with all details of the experiment setup
(a photo or a device drawing is an asset); short theoretical introduction; clear explanation of methods
of measurements; detailed description of the procedure of the measurements; complete set of the
results of measurements with the obtained values’ uncertainties presented in tables and diagrams;
details of calculations of uncertainties for indirect measurements; discussion and analysis of the
obtained results; comparison of the results of the experiment with the expected values; as well as
summary/conclusion completed. Outline the experiment objective at the beginning of the report.
The following sections are recommended: introduction into physical background of the experiment;
list of equipment with a reading error or resolution; a photo or a drawing of a setup that can be taken
from the online handout (if possible) or made manually, or got as a photo; objective of the experiment;
explanation of a procedure; explanation of method(s) of measurements; a table with the results of the
direct measurements (and their uncertainty); description of difficulties; malfunctioning equipment (if
applicable); failure in getting expected values of quantities (if applicable); ideas on improving the
results of the measurements; calculation of required physical quantities; calculation of their
uncertainties; analysis of the value of each uncertainty; a table or tables with all numerical results of
the measurements and the calculations; graphs of functions with captions, properly labelled axes and
error bars; discussion/analysis of the results; and a brief summary/conclusion. The report must be a
result of a friendly and cooperative team work.
The details of the procedure of the report submission to the Turnitin.com web site is described on
the Portal and on the web page “Lab Report” https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~phy224_324/web-
pages/labreport.pdf. The similarity index of >20% entails penalty for plagiarism. 10% off of the
assigned mark will be taken for every 10% more matches. To avoid this penalty, students should
never copy parts of the posted experiment write-up and/or manual.
Schedule:
The sessions are scheduled twice every week on Tuesday and Thursday. The first session takes
place on January 4, 2018, at 9-12 for the LEC0101 and 13-16 for LEC0201.
Week # (session dates) Session # Notes
1 (Jan 4, Thursday) 1 Jan 4: First class. Introduction talk of the course
coordinator. Creating teams of students. Workshop on
paperless lab.
2 (Jan 9 and Jan 11) 2 Mandatory lab exercises.
3 (Jan 16 and Jan 18) 3 Mandatory lab exercises.
4 (Jan 23 and Jan 25) 4 First experiment. Machine shop mini-course starts
(optional).
5 (Jan 30 and Feb 1) 5 Experiments continue.
6 (Feb 6 and Feb 8) 6 Experiments continue.
7 (Feb 13 and Feb 15) 7 Experiments continue.
8 (Feb 19 – Feb 23) Reading Week. No classes.
9 (Feb 27 and March 1) 8 Experiments continue. Open Projects can start (optional).
10 (Mar 6 and March 8) 9 Experiments continue.
11 (Mar 13 and March 15) 10 Experiments continue.
12 (Mar 20 and March 22) 11 Last session on March 22.
13 (Mar 26 - March 30) 12 Last experiment report is due on March 28.
Computational Assignment preparation time.
14 (Apr 3) Computational Assignment report due before 11:59 PM.
No sessions this week.
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