COURSE GOALS: By performing advanced lab tasks, students will learn about the more complex aspects of experimental work, which is an indispensable part of research in physics. The knowledge gained from lectures in general physics students will be deepened by experimental work on individual problems, contributing to a deeper understanding of specific topics and acquiring experimental experience. They will be introduced to advanced devices for measurement of physical quantities and the building of experimental research measurement setups. At the Physics Lab 4, students have great autonomy in solving tasks, and each task will be performed in two consecutive terms, allowing them to form a working hypothesis based on the first experimental results, which can be confirmed or refuted on the second term. In this way, students will develop a comprehensive ability to solve problems.
LEARNING OUTCOMES AT THE LEVEL OF THE PROGRAMME:
1. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
1.2. demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of the most important physics theories (logical and mathematical structure, experimental support, described physical phenomena);
1.3. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of basic experimental methods, instruments and methods of experimental data processing in physics;
2. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
2.1. identify and describe important aspects of a particular physical phenomenon or problem;
2.2. recognize and follow the logic of arguments, evaluate the adequacy of arguments and construct well supported arguments;
4. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
4.1. present complex ideas clearly and concisely;
4.2. present their own research results at education or scientific meetings;
5. LEARNING SKILLS
5.1. search for and use professional literature as well as any other sources of relevant information;
LEARNING OUTCOMES SPECIFIC FOR THE COURSE:
Upon passing this course, the student will be able to:
* independently use measuring devices and apparatus, to perform complex experiments in the field of mechanics, electromagnetism, optics and thermodynamics;
* analyse the measured data using statistical methods and present the results on graphs;
* present the results of their work in the form of a written report, which is structured as a scientific paper, as well as a short oral presentation, which is structured as a talk at a scientific conference;
* connect theoretical knowledge with experiment and functioning of the parts of the apparatus;
* generalize the results of measurements, evaluate them critically, and interpret them in the light of the well-known theory;
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Students independently perform five of the following 10 tasks:
Free and forced oscillations: Using torsional pendulum with damping and driving motor, students study the behaviour of free oscillations, dumped oscillations and driven oscillations.
Coupled pendula: Students study the phenomena of coupled oscillations in coupled pendula: the in-phase oscillations, the opposite phase oscillations, and the beat regime.
Stefan-Boltzmann law: Students use Moll thermocouple and a lamp to verify the Stefan-Boltzmann law.
Photo-electric effect and Planck constant: Students use the photo-electric effect to determine the Planck constant.
Electric field: Students determine the layout of the equipotential lines for metal objects of different shapes and configurations on a graphite base.
Joule-Thomson effect: Students experimentally determined Joule-Thomson coefficient of N2 and CO2 gasses, and compare the results with values from literature and theoretical models.
Barometric formula: Students use the apparatus for the simulation of thermodynamic phenomena with glass balls and compare the height dependence of the number of balls height with predictions of barometric formula.
Electric oscillating circuit: Students study the dependence of impedance and phase shift on frequency, for serial RLC circuit. They also study the damped oscillations in RLC circuit.
Polarization of light: Students use linear polarizers and ?/4 plates for polarization of light.
Modulus of elasticity: Students measure the dependence of strain on the force using metal bars.
Every task is performed in two consecutive terms.
REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS:
Students must prepare themselves for each task. They assemble the apparatus independently and carry out measurements. During the second term, students repeat the measurements and / or carry out additional measurements and have short oral examination. They submit the written report the next time they come to the lab. At the end of the semester, students present the results of the last task orally before the instructor.
GRADING AND ASSESSING THE WORK OF STUDENTS:
During the semester, students have short oral examination during every task and submit a written report after each task that is also evaluated. At the end of the semester, students present the results of the last task orally before the instructor. Weight factors in the final grade are: oral examination 30%, written reports 40%, and the final presentation 30%.
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