UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
Department of Physics
PHYLAB3 Laboratory Course 2012
Schedule of groups
and days for the experiments
Marks will be
published here
General information
- PHYLAB3 laboratory class will usually run in 2011 on Mondays
from 14.00 - 17.00, and on other afternoons 14.00 - 17.00 (by
arrangement). The computers in the lab may be accessed at any time in
working hours. Equipment can be used at any time it is available for the
week following the Monday on which you start the practical.
- Please be in the laboratory on time at 14h00 on
the Mondays that you have been scheduled a practical. Students who have
not read the instructions for the experiment can not expect to carry out
the experiment. It will be a waste of time for both the demonstrator and
you. You will be sent away, and will have to reschedule. Note
that on many occasions in the schedule TWO groups have been asked to come to
the pre-prac discussion, although only one group will carry on with the prac
that day, while the other group goes home early to return for the prac the
following week.
- When an experiment uses the apparatus similar to that
in a previous experiment, you are expected to be familiar with the
operation of that apparatus. If you did not understand it fully the first
time, that was the time to have asked, eg if you are doing a gamma-gamma
coincidence experiment, you are expected to already be familiar with the
operation of photomultiplier tubes, high voltage, amplifiers,
discriminators, gates, oscilloscopes, data acquisition systems etc.
- Each student should record ALL their data, such as
time, date, apparatus, settings (eg HV, amp gain, distances etc), a sketch
if needed, data set names ... in their own lab books. No loose sheets of
paper. That is the way a professional scientist should work. A new blue
lab book will be given to you. Your lab book will be assessed at the end
of the semester, in addition to the individual laboratory reports.
- Students must please ensure that the doors to both
PHYLAB3 and PHYLAB2 are locked when they leave the labs. There is a risk
of theft of lab equipment and computers. Also turn off the lights. The
switchboard is on the wall on on your right,
five metres before you exit through the PHYLAB2 door.
- If lab doors (either PHYLAB3 or PHYLAB2 or the inter leading doors) are found left open, then the privilege
of access to labs after hours may be withdrawn. This will inconvenience
those trying to complete lab, projects, and use the computers in the lab
for essays.
- You
must have your lab book signed on the day you take data. A pre-analysis
must be presented to the academic demonstrator for your practical within 7
days of taking data. The final laboratory report (word processed) must
follow 14 days after the data taking (i.e. before you start your next
practical).
- All computer programs used must be submitted. Each
student is required to use his or her own computer analysis program, or to
acknowledge the use of a program written by someone else (in which case,
of course, you receive a lower mark).
- Guide
for PHYLAB3 Laboratory Notebook and Reports describes how to keep a
notebook and write up reports. Though students work in pairs, each student
must keep a notebook, and hand in an individually written report and
analysis.
- Rules for PHYLAB3.
To be signed by all students.
The experiments (first semester)
PHYLAB3 coordinator: Assoc Prof Andy Buffler
The experiments (second semester)
PHYLAB3 coordinator: Dr Rudolph Nchodu
Project (second semester) Coordinators: Prof David Aschman and Dr Will Horowitz
Projects will be introduced near the end of the first semester (in May)
which will allow for the July vacation time to be used for the project.
Project marks are counted in PHY3022S and not PHY3021F.
Programming
in Python/VPython
Python is taught to the UCT undergraduate PHY3021F physics students as it is
a particularly nice language: free, portable, interactive, modern,
object-oriented, and easy to learn.
ab/120112
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