3rd Year U/G Laboratory, Projects
and Microprocessor Course
• Professor Jon Marangos, Head of Lab
• Dr Mark Richards, Deputy Head of Lab and Head of 3rd Year
• Mr Geoff Green, Senior Technician
• Mr Graham Axtell, Senior Administrator
• Professor Mark Neil, Microprocessor Course
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Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
3YL Introduction: Jon Marangos
Safety: Jon Marangos
Projects: Mark Richards
The Lab Team: Geoff Green
Microprocessors: Mark Neil
Any questions?
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What is 3YL for ?
• Third year lab is designed to teach you more advanced skills in
practical physics. You will work on difficult, less well structured
physical problems, with limited guidance.
• The idea is that we are setting out to train you as professional
physicists, and so we try to instil the necessary qualities, of
independence, accuracy, recording your work, care, attention to
safety.
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Procedures: Lab Structure.
-Standard Experiments (3 taken in one term for a total ½
course unit)
- Many one-term Projects (½ course unit), covering a
broad range of physics.
- A short course and experimental work (worth 2
experiments: can be extended) on Microprocessors
{A half unit typically = 3 short experiments; a full unit = 3
short experiments + 1 long project}
4
Procedures: What Lab
Options Must You Take ?
- BSc Year 3:
½ unit of lab (term 1 or term 2) + ½ unit project* in the
other term + 4 options.
- BSc Theory Year 3: Advanced Classical Physics (ACP: replaces Lab) +
½ unit project in the other term + 4 options.
- BSc Physics with Music Year 3:
1 term project only (term 1 or 2)
- MSci Year 3, and MSci Year in Europe Year 4:
½ unit of lab, in either
term 1 or term 2 (No project) + 5 options
- MSci Theory Year 3:
ACP (replaces Lab) + 5 options
- Occasional Students: Projects or short experiments as required by
your home institute. You may do 1-term or 2-term projects as
required. Plenty of flexibility.
* The option also exists for an essay style project
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5
Experiment Groups
• A/ "Astronomical image processing" & "Radiation
laws" - Jing Zhang
• B/ "Waves on strings", "X-ray Diffraction" & "Laser
spectroscopy" – Tim Sumner
• C/ "Hall effect" & "Photoelectric Effect" – Alex Tapper
• D/ "p-n junction" & "Boltzmanns constant by bi-polar
p-n junction" – Sergei Popov
• E/ "Compton effect" & "Waveguide experiment" Mark Richards
• F/ "Solar radiation" & "Wind turbulence" - Oliver
Buchmuller
• G/ Microprocessor Course – Mark Neil
All experiments are pre-allocated based
upon your preference submissions
• You have already got a lab partner and have filled in your experiment
preferences form (If not you had better get moving!)
• Your pre-assigned experiments have been notified to you earlier this
week, they are also on the noticeboard at the lab office
• You start your first experiment tomorrow morning if you are doing lab
this term
• We believe this has been a very fair process that uses “student happiness
optimizer” software
• A student happiness coefficient of nearly 100% has been achieved – this
means you are all very happy
• We do not expect to change these allocations except under exceptional
circumstances that can only be approved by the Head of Lab
Procedures: Lab Hours and Reports
- Lab hours:
Monday 10-12
Monday 2-5
Thursday 2-4
Friday
9-12
10 hours per week
- Students can work out of these periods, but ONLY during
normal college hours (9-5) and if there is a demonstrator
or technician present in the lab at the same time who is
made aware that you are there.
- Reports: full details on the web pages. 1st and 2nd
marking. Forms and cover sheets available on web.
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Laboratory Attendance Register
• The Laboratory Attendance Register MUST be filled in
for each session
• Essential for Safety reasons and to be compliant with
UKBA regulations
• Register located at entrance to Lab on Level 4 Blackett
2. Experiment cycles for this term
• 1st cycle: Sign on experiment Fri Oct 10th, complete
by Thursday October 30th, report due Monday
November 10th.
[1st marking should be complete by November 17th with
feedback made to student in the 1st half of that week]
• 2nd cycle: Sign on Thurs 6th November expected to
complete by Thurs 27th November, report due
Monday 8th December.
[1st marking complete by Monday 15th December, with
feedback that week]
• 3rd cycle: Sign on to next experiment on Monday 1st
December, expected to complete by Friday 19th
December, report due 1st Monday of 2nd term.
Reports
- No joint reports.
- Aim for 2000-3000 words.
- Maximum length 3000 words (6000 for projects).
- Over-length reports will be penalised.
- Any plagiarism will be dealt with severely.
- Make sure you have treated errors properly – there will be a talk on
errors in week 4.
- There are extensive guidelines on report writing, plagiarism etc on
line. Failing to read them will lose you marks.
- Talk on report Writing, also in week 4.
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Report Hand in and Feedback
• Hand in by deadline is ESSENTIAL, a ZERO mark will be given for any
work handed in late
• Hand in requires on-line submission only via Blackboard where it is
automatically checked for plagiarism
• Markers have been asked to return reports within 1 week. They will give
you full feedback, this feedback is given in an online form which will have a
link to your original report with additional notes. If you require more detail
at this point you will need to arrange a meeting with the Marker.
You can access your marks and feedback from:
https://share.imperial.ac.uk/fons/Physics/Teaching/labreports/default.aspx
• Your mark will only be released once finalised after 2nd marking.
• If you don’t have your last report back at the end of the next experiment,
go and visit the demonstrator to get some feedback before starting to write.
Mark scheme and marking template
• 15% Title/Abstract/Introduction
• 15%
Experimental
method/Conclusion
apparatus
• 55% Results, Analysis & Discussion, Error
treatment (observations on your performance
in lab will be factored into this mark)
• 15% Overall structure and presentation.
&
What are 3rd year lab experiments
like ?
- An experiment guide is provided to orientate you and
provide useful guidance – it is not intended to give step-bystep advice so expect to think for yourself
- It may need some time to make things work before taking
some “good” data.
- You need to go beyond the guide to get a very good mark.
- Time management is your responsibility, not ours!
- You have 3 weeks (30 hours) to finish one experiment:
then 1 week to write the report.
- No need for more time than the timetabled lab hours to
complete the experiment and report.
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Things to note: Keeping a notebook and clear
record
You are obliged to keep a clear record of your
work in a laboratory notebook
The record in your notebook should be the basis
of the report and will be discussed during the
experiment with your demonstrator so make sure
it is complete
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Things to note: Demonstrators
- They are there to help – do make use of them if you have a
problem.
- The technicians also know the experiments very well.
- First try to solve problems for yourself.
- Contact details on the web and on the notice board.
- You may try to contact demonstrators outside lab hours.
- All reports are 2nd marked by Academic Staff
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Things to note: Basic practice and forthcoming
events
- Talk on Errors & Report Writing
by Dr Mark Richards, Thursday 30 th
October at 1 pm.
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Things to note: Occasional students
- You can do a mix of projects and short experiments as
required by your home institute.
- You are encouraged to get your IC tutor to read through a
draft of your first report before handing it in.
- If you have special requirements see Prof Marangos ASAP.
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Safety
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Safety in
the Lab
- Health & Safety is a major issue in the workplace
- As Imperial graduates you will likely end up as leaders in
your chosen field
- You as Line Manager will be legally responsible for the
Health & Safety of your workers
- You should consider Risk Assessment and the Best
Working Practice rules in Y3 Lab as part of your
professional training
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Safety in
the Lab
- Each Y3 Lab experiment has a Risk Assessment analysis
form (a legal requirement in a UK workplace)
- This details the risks (high voltage, high temperature, UV
light source, laser, X-rays, cryogen, etc) associated with
that experiment
- Before starting the experiment you must:
(i) Read and discuss the contents of the Risk Assessment
form with your Demonstrator
(ii) Sign a copy of the Risk Assessment form
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Safety in
the Lab
Rules in Y3 Lab
- NO eating or drinking and drink and foodstuffs not
allowed in Lab (go out to take a coffee break)
- Never work alone:
(i) Work with Lab partner
(ii) Must be Demonstrator/Technician in Lab
- Only work in normal College hours (9-5*, Mon-Fri)
- Outside normal Lab hours must sign-in / sign-out &
inform Technician of your presence
- Emergency (*medical only 9-5) - ext 4444
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Safety in
the Lab
Also:
- Act sensibly at all times.
- Report any chemical spills.
- Report any electrical faults.
- Report any accidents, even if minor.
- Turn off unused equipment.
- NEVER look directly into a laser beam.
- Understand the dangers associated with both your own
and other peoples work (electrical, chemical, cryogens
etc.)
- Note: If you are carrying out a full Project in the Lab,23you
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must do a Risk Assessment analysis
Safety in
the Lab
Remember:
- Ultimately, you are responsible for your experiment
and your actions
- Protect yourself and your colleagues - work safely
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Microprocessor Experiment
Mondays 10:00-12:00, 14:00-16:00
Thursdays 14:00-17:00
Fridays 9:00-12:00
Mark Neil - Microprocessor Course
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The Course Goals are:
• To explain the inner workings of a computer at a fundamental
programming level (assembler) with hardware interfacing.
• To teach you how to work independently and find for yourself
everything you need for your project.
– Hence, no book. Everything you need is on the Web
– During the first weeks of the course, we will get you started with lectures
and exercises to teach you the basic principles needed.
• To teach you to design, construct and document a commercial product
• To give you insight into the use of microprocessors which have a wide
range of applications in automobiles, appliances and other industrial
applications as well as tools in research laboratories
• To give you useful career skills
Mark Neil - Microprocessor Course
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Skills you will learn in the lab
• Designing basic electronic circuits and interfaces
• Understanding how a microprocessor functions
and how to use one
• Programming in the microprocessor’s most basic
language (assembler) including
– the basic commands
– writing a structured program
– using tools to compile and download your programs
to the microprocessor chip
Mark Neil - Microprocessor Course
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The course is assessed on the projects
you create
• You will use a microprocessor to create an application and construct
something useful
– Some electronics will be needed
• You will work through building some electronics in the first weeks of the lab
– You will learn to interface the microprocessor with various devices
• There is a wide selection of possible devices to connect to the microprocessor
– You will make a new product of your choice
• Many interesting inventions have been produced in the lab in previous years
• You will need to write a good and clear report on the product you
have made, and demonstrate the functioning of your product.
Mark Neil - Microprocessor Course
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Course Duration and Milestones
• 4 weeks of lectures/training followed by 2-3
weeks for project completion and writing your
report.
• The ‘experiment’ ends on 27th November and
amounts to 2.0 experiment units.
• It is possible to extend the work to a full-term
‘project’ worth 3 units.
FOR MORE INFO...
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/physicsuglabs/thirdyearlab/
Mark Neil - Microprocessor Course
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Course Sign-Up and Start
• We start tomorrow at 9am!!!!!!
• Decide on 2 or 3 units (later).
FOR MORE INFO...
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/physicsuglabs/thirdyearlab/
Mark Neil - Microprocessor Course
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BSc or Essay Projects
A chance to find out what real
research is like
Mark Richards
Mark.richards@imperial.ac.uk
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/physicsuglabs/thirdyearprojects
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Projects
• Compulsory for BSc & BSc Theory students.
• MSci and MSci Year in Europe students do not do 3rd year projects. You
have the opportunity to do extended projects in the 4th year.
-
Assessment:
Project plan (feedback given by supervisor)
progress report (feedback given by supervisor)
viva (20%)
Draft report (feedback given by supervisor)
continuous assessment (20%)
Final report (30+30%)
• Students work in pairs for BSc projects for one full term (10 hours minimum
per week) – or individually for essay projects.
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/physicsuglabs/thirdyearprojects
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Types of Project Available.
• 3rd Year Lab based Projects
• Projects in the research groups
- Experimental
- Computational/Theoretical
- Essay Projects
• Projects Proposed by students
• 2 Term Projects : only allowed for Occasional or Erasmus
students
o More details will be provided at ‘intro to projects’ talk
on 17th October at 1pm
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/physicsuglabs/thirdyearprojects
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Deadlines and Forms and Key Milestones
Deadline
Week #
Term 1
Milestone *
Assessed By:
Assessment
Supervisor
Mainly formative
BUT 5% deducted
from overall project
mark if not
submitted
Supervisor
Mainly formative
BUT 5% deducted
from overall project
mark if not
submitted
1
2
21-Oct
3 Project or Essay Plan
4
5
11-Nov
02-Dec
6 Progress report
7
8
9 Continuous assessment
19-Dec
Final report draft outline to
10 supervisor (optional)
11 Viva (latest date)
Supervisor
supervisor
Supervisor/Assessor
20%
Formative feedback
20%
Term 2
20-Jan
2 Final Project report
Asessor /Marking Panel
(30 + 30) = 60%
* weekly project meetings between student and supervisor should occur throughout
What to do now?
• If doing a BSc project this term find a partner and start looking at website
for available projects asap.
• All students should aim to register for a project ASAP – even if doing it in
term 2.
• Web-site literature will be continuously updated.
• To book a project you must have agreement of supervisor and completed
the online registration.
• Project cannot start until this is done
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/physicsuglabs/thirdyearprojects
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The Lab Team:
Some Comments
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The Team
•
•
•
•
Geoff Green – Chief Technician
Lee Parker – Senior Technician
Graham Axtell – Administration
Rob Whisker – Website Manager
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The Laboratory
• Two Main Laboratories – Room 410
Blackett & Room 403Huxley
• Several small annex rooms
• Micro Course in First Year Lab
• Serving Hatch 4th Floor Blackett Lobby
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Procedures
• Keep the workplace TIDY – Bags & Coats –
Tidying up at the end of experiment
• Safety – Risk assessments, special
precautions, training and record keeping.
• Signage – information, warning, instruction.
• Please take time to read these properly.
• The lab is open for your use Monday to
Friday 9 until 5. Just let us know you are
there.
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Facilities
• Undergraduate Workshop
• Getting machining done, Drill, Lathe,
Bandsaw
• Using the other workshop facilities
• Storeroom
• Finding your way around, locating and
identifying components and materials
• Working outside timetabled hours
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Questions?
4141
End
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