PHYSC 3622
Modern Laboratory Methods II (Lab II)
Instructor:
Dr. Penger Tong, Office: PS 226, Tel: 744-5800.
Email: ptong@osuunx.ucc.okstate.edu
http://physics.okstate.edu/tong/homepage.html
Class Schedule:
Tuesday & Thursday, 1:30-4:20pm in PS 045.
Text:
R. A. Dunlap, Experimental Physics, ISBN 0-19-504949-7 (Oxford
University Press, UK, 1988).
References:
D. W. Preston and E. R. Dietz, The Art of Experimental Physics, ISBN
0-471-84748-8 (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1991).
Objectives:
This laboratory is intended to familiarize the student with the concepts and practice of science
inquiry, in the context of experimentation. It emphasizes the use of good laboratory techniques using
modern instrumentation, careful logging of experimental data, and the proper statistical analysis of
data. The experiments in Modern Laboratory Methods I (Physc 3322) will focus on test instruments,
integrated electronics, signal processing, computer interfacing and data acquisition. The experiments
in Modern Laboratory Methods II (Physc 3622) will be directed to classical and modern physics and
will involve lasers, wave propagation, thermometry, radiation detection, optical interferometry and
spectroscopy. While the experiments that you will perform in this course are unlikely to lead to new
physical laws, they will help you to develop an appreciation of the operating principles and
applications of modern laboratory methods used in research.
Experiments: (* indicates new experimental project)
2.1. Laboratory computations (graphing and curve-fitting)
2.2. Photoelectric effect
2.3. Spectrophotometry
2.4. Gamma ray spectroscopy and adsorption
2.5. Coaxial transmission line
2.6. Dye lasers*
2.7. Chaos in a driven resonant circuit*
2.8. Study of wave patterns using image processing techniques*
2.9. A computer controlled experiment*
Lectures:
1. Laboratory computations [2 hrs] (graphing and least square fitting)
2. Photoelectric effect and light intensity measurement [2 hr]
3. Optical spectroscopy [2 hr]
4. Nuclear physics and instrumentation [2 hrs]
5. Wave propagation in transmission lines and fibers [2 hr]
6. Lasers [2 hr]
7. Chaos in a driven RLC circuit [2 hr]
8. Image processing techniques [2 hrs]
9. Computer interfacing (GPIB) & data acquisition [2 hrs]
Course materials:
 Two laboratory notebooks (small blue lab book, 7'' x 9 1/2'', 120 pages, available at the
Student Union Bookstore).
 A 1'', three ring, hard sided binder for the laboratory manual.
 A pocket calculator.
Course requirements:
The two lab notebooks will be used on alternate experiments. You need to turn in the first
notebook used during the previous experiment, while using the other for the current experiment. The
function of the laboratory notebooks is to provide a record of all significant events that occur during
an experiment. There is a certain minimum amount of information required, but an effort should be
made to exceed the minimum. A log of events as they happen is a valuable document, even if one
later realizes that something wrong was being done. A 30% of the grade for each experiment will be
based on the student's ability to convey to the instructor the exact sequence of events that occurred
(including the mistakes) while the experiment was being performed. See the instruction sheets
entitled "rules for laboratory notebooks" for details.
At the completion of each experiment, you should write a lab report to summarize the main
results of the experiment and discuss any problems, referring to the relevant pages in the notebook.
The report should be written in the same notebook that records the experimental data and should not
exceed 3 typewritten pages. We have many computers in the lab and you should use them to write
the lab report and paste it on your notebook. Whereas spot checks will be made on the laboratory
notebooks in general, the lab report will be carefully read by the instructor. Your lab reports will
form the basis of your grade (70%) in the course. In the lab report you need to demonstrate that you:
(i) understand the nature and purpose of the experiment,
(ii) are able to record your techniques, observations, and analysis in a coherent manner,
(iii) understand how to evaluate sources of error,
(iv) have adequately documented your use of reference information, computation and
modeling software, etc., and
(v) have adequately compared your experimental results with theoretical predictions.
To summarize: What did you do? Why did you do it? How did you do it? What are your
results? Where might your data contain errors? What additional sources of information did you draw
from? What does the theory say, and how does it compare to what you actually obtained?
Grading
Each lab report together with your data logging in the notebook will be given a grade of
Accepted, Conditionally Accepted, and Unacceptable. A Conditionally Accepted report is one that
lacks one or two items (identified when the grade is given), and can be upgraded to Accepted by
providing those items. An Unacceptable report is one in which so much information is missing or
flawed that it is impossible to convert it into a complete, coherent report. The only way to upgrade
an Unacceptable report is to repeat the experiment and rewrite the lab report.
You need to finish five experiments (Exp. 2.1-2.5) plus a lab project (select one from Exp.
2.6-2.9) in this course. A minimum of seven Accepted reports is required in order to receive an A in
the course (the project report is counted as two reports). Six Accepted reports are required for a B,
and five Accepted reports are required for a C. Any Conditionally Accepted reports which are not
completed by the end of the semester will not count towards your final grade.