Rules
The aims of the physics laboratory:
1. Broadening the students’ knowledge of the branches of physics that are important to the given Faculty, especially its fundamental rules through their quantitative study.
2. Familiarizing students with the basics of measurement techniques, including learning about a number of different measuring devices, and acquiring skills in using them, as well as ways to develop experimental results (uncertainty calculations, graphical analysis of results, etc.)
I. Order regulations.
1. You should come to the exercises on time.
2. Leave your outer clothing in the changing room.
3. Smoking and eating in the laboratory is forbidden.
4. Students are obliged to stay at their measuring station only while working in the laboratory.
5. Students may proceed to perform an exercise only after obtaining permission from the tutor of a particular team.
6. Due to the varied nature of individual experiments, there are no strictly defined breaks during classes. Students are allowed to leave the laboratory premises after informing the tutor and making sure that the measuring station remains under the care of other team members.
7. At the time of the introduction of the restrictions related to the epidemic state, students are required to attend classes in protective masks and to disinfect their hands before classes (the same requirements apply to tutors).
8. During the epidemic precautions, between classes, students are required to leave the laboratory premises - ventilation of the room and disinfection of laboratory table desktops and computer keyboards and mice takes place then.
II. Organization of work in the laboratory.
1. All information on the organization and rules of the laboratory, instruction manuals for experiments, evaluation of the uncertainties and timetables can be found on the laboratory website: labfiz1p.if.pw.edu.pl.
2. The teams performing the experiments can count two or three students. The division of the students’ group into teams is made during the first class in the Laboratory.
3. The allocation of the student to another laboratory group is possible only with the approval of the laboratory Manager, in exceptional and justified cases.
4. Only the registered students can participate in the Physics Laboratory.
5. The timetable of the exercises for each group is presented in the laboratory showcase and on the laboratory web page. The supervisor of the group sets the date (day, time) and place of the consultation by all the instructors in the group.
6. Before the exercise each student should prepare the protocol in form of squared paper (A3 size) with the laboratory stamp completely filled. All the measurement results should be written in the protocol. The additional pages of the final report should be enclosed in the protocol. The protocol must be readable and the results must be written using the ballpoint pen or pen.
7. The student writes the final report individually and takes responsibility for its content.
8. After checking the laboratory set up by the tutor, students make measurements according to the instruction given by the tutor or according to information presented on the information plates.
9. During the exercise students must regard safety regulations and all recommendations contained in the instruction manuals. In any doubt please ask tutor for help.
10. After all the planned measurements are made, based on their results in the protocol, the student performs calculations and prepares graphs and calculations of uncertainty.
11. The protocol should be checked and signed by the tutor. The protocol without tutor’s signature is invalid.
12. The final reports (containing the protocols) are collected during the next class by the group supervisor. Lack of the final report causes reduction of the grade by 2 points for each week of delay. If the following week does not include classes, it is not counted as a week of delay.
13. The lowest grade for the exercise is zero points.
14. Before the final report preparation, the student has the right to consult and explain doubts during the tutor’s consultation. It is advisable to clarify the mistakes made before making subsequent reports.
15. Regulations give the possibility of correcting the first report once (if it was handed in on time). The corrected report should be returned one week after being evaluated by the instructor.
16. The corrected reports are kept in the laboratory secretariat until the last day of the examination session.
17. Regulations provide for one correction date during the last class. During this time, it is possible to do the exercise that the student missed during the class cycle or write a revision colloquium on uncertainty calculus.
18. In special, justified cases of absence from classes (hospital stay, chronic diseases...) the Manager of the laboratory gives the possibility on an additional date for missed (single) classes.
III. Laboratory exercise grading
1. The exercise grade is the number of points from the interval 0 to 11 points.
2. The exercise grade (excluding exercise 1) is the sum of the grade of the preliminary test and the grade of the final report. All grades are written on the protocol.
3. The exercise starts with the preliminary test (written or oral) which concerns the knowledge of physical phenomena and the methods applied in the measurements procedure:
a) general knowledge of the branches of physics to which the exercise relates to;
b) specific knowledge of the phenomenon under study;
c) knowledge of the measurement method used in the given exercise.
4. The preliminary test is graded on the scale 0 - 5 points, but the grade 0 forecloses the possibility for the student to take part in the exercise.
5. Exercise number 1 has no preliminary test.
6. There is no option to correct the grade of the preliminary test.
7. The tutor has right to evaluate student’s commitment in the laboratory work during the exercise. In the case of gross negligence or failure, the tutor can reduce the final grade what must be noted on the protocol.
8. The final report is graded on the scale 0 to 6 points.
9. The final report should contain:
a) Introduction: the aim of the experiment, fundamental relations, laboratory setup scheme, all the parameters of the measuring devices, all relevant information concerning measurement procedure.
b) Measurement results.
c) Properly made graphs.
d) Evaluation of results (with intermediate calculations), proper units, adequate presentation of the results, which enable its discussion and comparison with the theoretical or table values.
e) Evaluation of the uncertainties, proper reporting of the results.
f) Conclusions based on the analysis of the results and uncertainties.
10. The final report should be written “reader friendly”. It means that the reader, without any excessive effort, should know what was done and what the results are. There is a sample report on the laboratory’s website.
11. The tutors check originality of final reports. When the student files a report written in part or in whole by someone else (plagiarism), the report will be graded on zero points and the student can be struck off the students list.
12. Lack of the final report means grade zero from the given exercise.
13. The final report without the measurement results and without the evaluation of the uncertainties will be graded on zero points.
14. To pass the laboratory, the student must collect minimum 51% of the maximal number of points to obtain.
15. When the program of the laboratory includes a test on the methods of the uncertainties evaluation, this test is graded on the scale 0 to 11 points. The date of the test is set by the group supervisor.
16. All exercises are obligatory. One excused absence (illness, etc.) on the exercise enables to perform this exercise in the additional term.
17. All final reports must be submitted within the deadline of 7 days from the day of the last class of a given student group.
18. Students who have passed the laboratory class in previous years should report this fact at the beginning of the semester to the group supervisor. Grades may be rewritten within a maximum of three years, only for classes performed in the same mode.
19. There is no provision for the transcription of grades for individual exercises performed in previous semesters.
20. In cases where the Physics Laboratory classes do not constitute a separate course (for example, when they are interlocked with a lecture or are part of another course), the credit rules are determined by the course director.
21. In all other cases not covered by these rules, the decision is made by the tutor in consultation with Laboratory Manager.
Warsaw, February 20, 2023.
Manager of the Laboratory
Anna Kalbarczyk, PhD