Physics Laboratory I

Code:

FIS1005

Acronym:

FIS1005

Level:

100

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Physics

Instance: 2021/2022 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Physics and Astronomy
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Physics

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L:B	0	Official Study Plan	3	-	6	48	162
L:CC	3	study plan from 2021/22	2	-	6	48	162
			3
L:EF	86	study plan from 2021/22	1	-	6	48	162
L:F	68	Official Study Plan	1	-	6	48	162
L:G	0	study plan from 2017/18	2	-	6	48	162
			3
L:M	2	Official Study Plan	2	-	6	48	162
			3
L:Q	3	study plan from 2016/17	3	-	6	48	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

To make the students at ease with laboratorial instruments, measurement techniques and data acquisition.
To perform practical activities on the area of Physics.

Learning outcomes and competences

To take measurements and to record data accurately.
To familiarise oneself with basic and universal instruments for measuring physical quantities.
To use basic techniques of data analysis.
To distinguish the concept of "uncertainty" and "error".
To motivate the understanding of some concepts in physics.
To perform experimental activities in a competent way from the available protocols.
To develop cooperative skills in group work.
To promote research of relevant information related to the sugested experiments.
To write proper reports of the experimental activities.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Introduction. Safety rules. Laboratory logbook and its use. Structure of a laboratory report.
2. Data Analysis. Notions of measures and measurements. Mean and standard deviations. Statistical uncertainty. Simultaneous use of statistical and experimental uncertainties. Propagation of uncertainties of independent quantities. Graphical representation. Linear and logarithmic scales. Linearization of graphics. Use of basic software for graphing and data fitting (Excel and Open Office).
3. Instruments and measurement techniques. Universal instruments and their use (operation, sensitivity, precision and scale): multimetres, oscilloscopes, signal generators, simple interfaces and sensors. Use of measurement techniques. Zero techniques (eg: Wheatstone bridge). Signal amplification (eg: optical lever). Video analysis to study movements.
4. DC and AC electrical circuits. Basic analysis of DC and AC circuits; rms values.
5. Perform a set of basic laboratory experiments.

Examples of possible laboratory experiments:
Voltmeter-ammeter method. Measurement of electrical resistance
Voltmeter-ammeter method. Plot the characteristic curve of a diode
Balanced Wheatstone bridge (determining resistance) and out of balance (conditioner of temperature sensor).
Projectile motion: determining the angle of maximum range.
Rolling of a cylinder on horizontal and tilted surfaces.
Use of the oscilloscope to analyse the behaviour of high-pass and low-pass filters: analysis of a RC circuit: amplitude and frequency responses
Frank-Hertz experiment
Study of Hooke's law using an optical lever.
Elastic hysteresis.
Experiments with a spiral spring. Experimental study of simple harmonic vibration.
Study the law of cooling of a body - Newton's law, study of the "fusion" / "freezing" phenomenon
Determination of the focal length of a lens.

Mandatory literature

Docentes da UC; Notas da Unidade Curricular, 2017

Complementary Bibliography

M. C. Abreu, L. Matias, L. F. Peralta; Física Experimental, Uma Introdução, Editorial Presença, 1994
Guilherme de Almeida; Sistema Internacional de Unidades (SI) - Grandezas e Unidades Físicas, Terminologia, Símbolos e Recomendações, Plátano Editora, 2002
Kirkup Les; Data analysis with Excel. ISBN: 0-521-79737-3
Kirkup L.; An introduction to uncertainty in measurement using the GUM (guide to the expresssion of uncertainty. ISBN: 0-521-60579-2

Teaching methods and learning activities

The first weeks of classes will be devoted to homogenizing laboratory knowledge and introducing some new topics through a topic discussion followed by simple work and analysis. The students will give a simplified analysis of these works, which will be analyzed by the teacher who will give the respective feedback. These works, being obligatory, will not count for the final evaluation.

The teacher support manifests itself, class after class and from group to group, through:
- the personalised discussion of the objectives of each work;
- comments and / or insightful questions about the implementation of each experimental method;
- questions to ensure understanding of the physics concepts involved in each work;
- discussion on the correctness of entries made by students.

It is assumed that students:
- continue to develop skills in the sense that they would adopt a correct attitude on the experimental work;
- interpret and assemble electric circuits with many components;
- use appropriately equipment such as: multimeters of various brands and models, current sources and voltage sources, image recording as a process of collecting numerical data, function generators and oscilloscopes and - use some software on automatic data recording, as well as specific numerical analysis software.

The constant positive feedback between student and teacher ensures an effective  and verifiable progress by the increasing ease in the student achievement during the semester.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Teste	25,00
Trabalho escrito	20,00
Trabalho laboratorial	55,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	114,00
Frequência das aulas	48,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

To obtain attendance, the student should:
- do not exceed 1/4 of the live sessions;
- deliver the execution and respective data analysis of 3 of the 4 experiments/exercises of the first series
- deliver the execution and respective data analysis of at least 6 of  the second series (3 in each laboratory);
- deliver a written report of one experiment chosen by the teacher;
- obtain a minimum grade of 8.0 in 20 in the continuous assessment.

Calculation formula of final grade

The evaluation of the discipline is made only through the two following elements:

1 - Continuous assessment during classes (55%), which includes (i) assessment of the sudents performance and its evolution during the semester, with a weight of 15% and (ii) evaluation of the laboratory registration book, weighting 40%, which relates to 4 of the last studies carried out in each of the second series laboratories(*).


2 - Specific Assessment (45%), with the following components
(i) Report of an experiment from the last 6 performed by the student on the second series, previously chosen by the teacher, weighing 20%
(ii) Individual assessment session, weighing 25%, with a practical work (drawn from a pool of 12 possible experiments) and preparation of a summary report (20%) and the answering to a small set of questions about the remaining practical works (5%).

A minimum grade of 8.0, in 20, is required in Continuous assessment and in Specific Assessment.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

As most of the assessment components require laboratory work throughout the semester, it is recommended that all students in this situation contact the teacher at the beginning of classes to enable the practical component to be performed on a flexible schedule.

Classification improvement

Since most assessment components require continuous work in the lab, grade improvement can only be done on the last item (Individual Assessment Session).

The student will be able to improve all components in the next school year, according to FCUP's “Student Achievement Assessment Regulations”, by re-attending the Curricular Unit. This registration is made at the beginning of the school year and is counted in the maximum credits to which the student can enroll.

Observations

The practical assignments are divided into two series:
The first grade consists of four homogenization works that will be evaluated bto give feedback for the students (not counting for the final evaluation)
The second grade consists of 16 practical assignments (8 in each of the two labs where the classes take place) of which 8 (4 in each laboratory) will be evaluated.