Syllabus for PHYS 30180 (12/13)
| PHYS30180 PHYS30280 Lab Tutor: Dr. E. Kerins | Physics core unit Credit rating: 20 Credit rating: 10 |
Third Year Laboratory
Feedback
Feedback will be offered orally by demonstrators in lab sessions, orally by demonstrators when they mark each experiment, and in writing for all lab reports.
Aims: Obje:
These are presented in section 2 of this booklet.
Prerequisites: PHYS20101, PHYS20141, PHYS20161, PHYS20171,
PHYS20252, PHYS20312, PHYS20352
Follow-up courses
4th year projects or postgraduate research.
Classes:
Laboratory work is divided into three blocks, A and B in S5 and C in S6. Each block is worth 10 credits, and takes 12 days, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9.00am to 5.00pm for six weeks.
MPhys students take either block A or block B, and block C.
BSc students take two blocks (usually A and B) and do their project (PHYS30880) during the remaining block.
Students may express a preference as to which blocks they take. However, the final choice of blocks for each student will be made by the Laboratory Tutor for logistic reasons.
Students in some degree programmes take only one block, as indicated on the programme pages.
Experiments last 12 days (10 days of experimental work plus two for preparing presentations and for Assessment: ). Experiments will be assigned beforehand by the laboratory tutor on the basis of student requests.
Students will be given a great deal of freedom in the way they perform the experiments, but demonstrators will discuss the experiments with them at the beginning and will be available to assist and advise at all stages.
Assessment
Assessment is by presentation and interview on completion of each experiment. Assessment will take into account the following: experimental skill and logbook notes, the oral presentation, understanding of the relevant physics, quality of the results and the analysis, originality and initiative. There will also be assessment on written accounts of each experiment. Each written account must be in printed (word-processed) form. The credit split for interview/written account is 75/25. Dates for interviews and deadlines for written reports will be published well in advance and late penalties will apply.
Late submissions of lab. reports: the standard penalties as detailed in Section 8.1 of the Blue Book will apply.
Late interviews: 20 marks will be deducted if an interview is not booked by the end of the fifth week. If an interview is not booked by the end of the sixth week, or if students fail to show up for an arranged interview they will be awarded zero.
Passing the lab is a requirement for the award of an honours degree.
Please note that you are required to pass the lab (>40%) in order either to progress to year 4 of an MPhys course, or to graduate with an honours BSc. Students who fail lab may be awarded an ordinary BSc degree.
Induction to the Laboratory Course
All 3rd year students will attend at the beginning of the year, a presentation by the Laboratory Tutor and will receive from their Personal Tutors a handout describing in detail the organisation, philosophy, and methods of assessment.