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PHYS 119 A: General Physics Laboratory

Meeting Time: 
to be arranged
Location: 
* *
SLN: 
20269
Instructor:
Jens Gundlach

Syllabus Description:

Welcome to PHYS 119. My name is Jens Gundlach, and I am in charge of PHYS 119 this quarter.

In this class everyone is welcome, regardless of other identities you hold in addition to that of physics student. I expect everyone in this class to treat each other with respect.

Through the online lab assignments, we will emphasize:

    • Hypothesis testing by experiment
    • Visualization of results and comparison with textbook expectation
    • Design of experiments

Assignments

There are eight graded lab assignments, some of which may have multiple parts. You can see all the parts required in a given week by clicking "Assignments" in the menu on the left.

We will use Pivot to perform video experiments.  Your TA will announce how to get access to Pivot during the first week of the quarter. Note that you have already paid for the access to Pivot as a part of the lab fee that you paid during the registration.

    • The labs are due Wednesday at 5 pm.  Before then you need to collect and analyze data from video experiments on Pivot and answer questions based on your work.
    • After you start any of the assignments, you can save your work and go back to it as many times as you want before its deadline, allowing you to talk to peers or a TA, and then go back and finish.

Grading

Each lab assignment will be graded based on the following:

      • Adequate (2 points): All questions answered thoughtfully, and measurements closely match those expected.
      • Needs improvement (1 point): Some questions could use more explanation, and/or some measurements do not match those expected.
      • Inadequate (0 points): Many questions could use more explanation, and/or many measurements do not match those expected.

You will get a grade of No Credit if either of the following criteria is met:

      • You receive 0 points for any lab assignment.
      • You receive less than 9 out of the 16 points possible.

Make-up work

If you receive 0 points or 1 point for lab assignments, you can do or redo up to 2 labs without asking for permission.

        • After the deadline, you will temporarily no longer be able to submit new work. Once the lab has been graded, it will be reopened, and you can complete missing work or change your responses based on feedback.  You need to contact your TA to make sure that they grade the new work.

If you need to make-up more than 2 labs due to a valid reason (family and medical emergency etc), contact me.

Resources to Succeed

This website describes recommended practices to succeed in this course, and contains a list of resources you may find helpful for a variety of issues students may encounter during your time at UW.  Contact me if you need help finding the resources you need.

One very important practice described in the above website is working collaboratively.  If at all possible, please do arrange with fellow students to work through assignments together.

Office Hours and Posting Questions

During the week the TAs will hold office hours on Zoom where you can ask questions.  Click "Office hours" in the menu on the left for the office hour schedule. 

Use the Discussion Board (click "Discussions" in the menu on the left) for physics questions or syllabus related questions.  Students are encouraged to answer each others' questions, but I will also monitor this frequently and will respond if needed.

Contact information

For personal correspondence related to grades, health issues, etc... send an email with your course (Phys 119) and name as it appears on Canvas to me (Jens Gundlach) at gundlach@npl.washington.edu.

For administrator questions related to registering, overloading, etc... send an email with your course (Phys 119) and name as it appears on Canvas to the program coordinator at phys1xx@uw.edu.

Religious Accommodations

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for the accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).

Safe campus

I am committed to ensuring a safe environment on campus. I suggest you check out the resources available here. These include services if you have a lab or tutorial that is late at night and need someone to walk with you.

Academic integrity and student conduct

The University takes academic integrity and student conduct very seriously. Behaving with integrity and respect is part of our responsibility to our shared learning community. 

Screenshots or recordings of instructors, other students, and course materials during active video (Zoom) participation sessions are strictly forbidden. Streaming or posting inappropriate materials on any course platform is also not allowed. 

The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) defines prohibited academic and behavioral conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals. Allegations of misconduct by students may be referred to the appropriate campus office for investigation and resolution. More information can be found online at https://www.washington.edu/studentconduct/.

If you’re uncertain about if something is academic and behavioral misconduct, ask me. I am willing to discuss questions you might have.

Catalog Description: 
Sound, light, and modern physics laboratory. Credit is not given for both PHYS 119 and the PHYS 123 laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 116, which may be taken concurrently. Credit/no-credit only. Offered: AWSpS.
GE Requirements: 
Natural Sciences (NSc)
Credits: 
1.0
Status: 
Active
Section Type: 
Lab
Last updated: 
April 16, 2021 - 9:22pm
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