Introduction to Experimental Physics
Code
10538
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
Department
Departamento de Física
Credits
3.0
Teacher in charge
André João Maurício Leitão do Valle Wemans
Weekly hours
3
Total hours
39
Teaching language
Português
Objectives
Provide students with the first contact with physics laboratories, and through the study of simple physical systems train them to:
• Create awareness of the systematic errors in the methods and instruments, and arrange for their removal;
• Undertake measures and proceed to registration;
• Perform calculations accurately, clearly and concisely;
• Make estimate of the accuracy of the final result;
• Analyze the results and draw correct conclusions;
• Communicate with clarity and precision results.
Recognizing the need of the experimental method, as an essential part of the scientific method, the search for new knowledge and testing and validation of theoretical representations.
Bibliography
a) Practical session protocols;
b) Manual for Report Elaboration and Treatment of Experimental Results;
c) “Fundamentals of Physics” Holliday, Resnick e Walker; “Physics” Alonso and Finn; or other equivalent books;
d) References given on the Lab protocols and Manual.
Teaching method
Laboratory practical classes (3h/week). After initial exposure to the concepts underlying the experimental method will be conducting weekly group, a laboratory experiment. The learning is complemented with 4 mini tests and a presentation.
Evaluation method
The evaluation has 3 components, reports of the experimental studies, questionnaires in moodle and final presentation.
Reports of the experimental work: students make 5 experimental work delivering the report at the end of their laboratory class. The note of this component corresponds to the arithmetic average of the 5 reports Nr.
Questionnaires in moodle: students answer 4 questionnaires in moodle on the subject taught in the lessons of introduction and treatment of experimental data. The questionnaires are open for one week (7 days) and the students answer the questionnaires as many times as they want counting the highest grade. The note of the questionnaires is the arithmetic average of the 4 questionnaires, Nq.
Final presentation: each group makes a presentation about an experiment to be specified by the teacher. The presentation is classified as 0 to 20 corresponding to the note of presentation, Na.
The final grade is calculated by the following expression NF = Nq + 0.2 0.1 Na + 0.7 Nr with partial notes rounded at the decimal.
It is necessary to be present in 2/3 classes to have approval for the course.
Should a student miss a experimental work he has 0 values in that report.