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RULES OF LABORATORY WORK

Basic Physics Laboratory 

I. GENERAL RULES

1. The aim of the Basic Physics Laboratory is to permit students to perform experimental verification of fundamental laws of physics, provide students with the opportunity to use measuring instruments, to apply different methods of measurements and to perform analysis of results of measurements. 

2. To be admitted to classes alloted to the Basic Physics Laboratory, students of Physics and Biophysics are required to get a pass in Mathematics in Laboratory and Programing in LabView environment, students of Optometry are required to get a pass in Mathematics in Laboratory. 

a) Within 30 hours of classes alloted to the Basic Physics Laboratory, 6 hours is alloted to the classes at Preliminary Laboratory (for students of Computer Technologies, 3 hours from 15 hours of classes alloted to the Basic Physics Laboratory are allotted to Preliminary Laboratory.

3. The Basic Physics Laboratory experiments are divided into the following sections: 1) Mechanics, 2) Electricity and Magnetism, 3) Vibrations and Waves, 4) Geometric Optics, 5) Physical Optics,  6) Quantum Physics. 

Complete list of experiments is displayed on the board at the entrance to the Laboratory and on the website of the Basic Physics Laboratory.

4. Each experiment is arranged at an individual measuring stand with all necessary instruments to perform this experiment, except some small instruments given on the list of experiments that are to be collected from the laboratory workers. 

5. Electric devices can be connected to the source of power only after prior consent of the teacher and only in her/ his presence!

6. Students are fully materially responsible for any damage to the measuring instruments caused by them. 

7. Students can enter the Basic Physics Laboratory only in the presence of the teacher. 

8. Prior to starting experiments, students should:

a) leave their outerwear and big bags or luggage in the cloakroom,

b) have their protocol stamped,

c) collect the small instruments or devices needed for a given experiment from the laboratory worker. 


II. PREPARATION FOR THE EXPERIMENT AND ITS PERFORMANCE

1. Prior to taking up each experiment, students are obliged to.:

a) Learn about the construction and principles of work of the instruments to be used, 

b) Learn about a given phenomenon studied in the experiment,

c) prepare a plan of experiment. 

Attention!  The problems mentioned in the list of experiments give a general idea. The problems related to the experiment should be learned about from the books recommended. 

2. The teacher has to check if the students knows enough to be able to perform a given experiment. Students who are not theoretically prepared to perform a given experiment are not allowed to do it and insufficient grade. 

3. Reports from experiments should be handwritten on A4 sheets. It is recommended to write notes on the measurements and results, which are not considered a document, but are treated as personal remarks. 

Attention!  The form of reports on FILAMI experiments (hand or computer written) is up to the teacher. 

4. The report is prepared at three stages. 

stage I. Prior to the experiment realisation the students should write:

a) the title of experiment, aim of the experiment and expected outcome,

b) describe the method of measurements and draw a scheme of connections, 

c) propose the method of results analysis.

stage II. When performing the experiments the students should write:

a) results of test measurements, 

b) calculations and remarks on planning the final measurements, 

c) results of final measurements.

Attention! Students should write down direct reading from the instruments and systematic uncertainties, preferably in the form of a table. 

stage III. After completion of the experiment, students should have in their protocols the following. 

a) calculations of the quantities to be determined,

b) estimation of measuring uncertainties, 

c) plots and graphical analysis of uncertainties, 

d) physical analysis of results and their interpretation based on statistical analysis and discussion of the agreement of results. 

e) analysis of the sources of uncertainties, 

f) conclusions.

5. Prior to leaving the Basic Physics Laboratory, the results should be written in the report and confirmed by the signature of the teacher. Then, students should check what kinds of instruments and apparatuses they will need for the next experiment. 

6. The experimental setup can be dismounted after confirmation of the results. Dismantling of electric circuits should begin with disconnecting the circuit from the power source. The experimental stand should be tidied up. 


III. CONDITIONS TO GET A PASS

1. Students work is evaluated by the teacher conducting the laboratory classes taking into regard the following. 

a) Preparation for experiment performance, 

b) Work on the measurement stand, 

c) Form and promptness of results analysis. 

Report from a given experiment should be handed to the teacher at the end of the class; in particular cases, on consent of the teacher, the report could be given before the subsequent class. 

2. A report evaluated as insufficient is returned to the student who is obliged to correct it according to the remarks of the teacher and give back in one week from the date of the returning at the latest. The necessary condition to get a pass on a given experiment is to get at least a sufficient grade for the corrected report. 

3. If the report is given to the teacher with delay (the longest acceptable delay is one week) and it is evaluated as insufficient, it no longer can be corrected. To get a pass the report given with delay must be evaluated at least as sufficient. 

4. Students will not get a pass if

a) they do not satisfactorily explain a missed class (pp. III.5.),

b) they are not prepared for laboratory class (pp.II.2.),

c) they hand in the corrected version of originally unaccepted report in time longer than one week. 

5. Missed class should be explained to the teacher at the next class after the missed one as otherwise the missing class is treated as unexplained. Missed experiments must be performed and passed in the working hours of the Basic Physics Laboratory according to its schedule. Performance of missed experiments in the time of second chance exam session. 

In the semester in which 30 h of laboratory classes are planned the necessary condition for getting a pass on the Basic Physics Laboratory classes is getting a pass on at least 7 experiments out of 8, while in the semester in which 15 h classes are planned, it is necessary to get a pass on all 4 experiments from the schedule. 

Attention!  Experiments with no pass are evaluated with insufficient grade and taken into account in evaluation of the mean grade. 

6. If the mean grade is lower than sufficient even though the student performed the minimum number of experiments, the student has to pass the special colloquium in which he/she must perform (fully) a randomly selected experiment from those that they already performed, in the presence of an exam commission. 

7. On completion of a semester work in the Laboratory, students get a grade on the basis of all grades from all experiments performed in the semester. 

Attention!  Planning of final measurements and statistical analysis of results is obligatory only for students of Physics and Biophysics.

FINAL PASS   

  • PHYSICS and MOLECULAR BIOPHYSICS, I year

    • In the first semester students of the first year of physics and molecular biophysics are obliged to perform 7 experiments in the field of Mechanics, including 4 in the Classical Laboratory and 3 in Filami with programing in LabView environment, of these 3 one experiment requires writing a program.
    • In the second semester students of the first year of Physics and Molecular Biophysics are obliged to perform 7 experiments in the field of Electricity and Magnetism, including 4 in the Classical Laboratory and 3 in Filami with programing in LabView environment, of these 3 one experiment requires writing a program. 
    • In the sections Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism for general pass it is acceptable if students have one experiment, either from the Classical Laboratory or Filami, with no pass, but they must have a pass on the experiment in Filami involving writing a program. 
    • If the mean grade is lower than sufficient even though the student performed the minimum number of experiments, the student has to pass the special colloquium in which he/she must perform (fully) a randomly selected experiment from those that they already performed, in the presence of an exam commission.

Attention!  Experiments with no pass are evaluated with insufficient grade and taken into account in evaluation of the mean grade. 

  • PHYSICS II year  

    • In the third semester the students of physics are obliged to perform 8 experiments in the field of Vibrations and Waves, including 4 in the Classical Laboratory and 4 in Filami involving programing in LabView environment, and 8 experiments in Thermodynamics in the Classical Laboratory.
    • In the fourth semester the students of physics are obliged to perform 5 experiments in the field Quantum Physics and 8 experiments in Optics in the Classical Laboratory, including 4 in Geometric Optics and 4 in Physical Optics. 
    • In the field in which 4 experiments are planned, all four must be passed, in the field in which 8 experiments are planned, 7 must be passed. 
    • If the mean grade is lower than sufficient even though the student performed the minimum number of experiments, the student has to pass the special colloquium in which he/she must perform (fully) a randomly selected experiment from those that they already performed, in the presence of an exam commission.

Attention!  Experiments with no pass are evaluated with insufficient grade and taken into account in evaluation of the mean grade. 

  • MOLECULAR BIOPHYSICS II year 

    • In the third semester, the students of molecular biophysics are obliged to carry out 4 experiments in Thermodynamics in the Classical Laboratory.
    • In the fourth semester, the students of molecular biophysics are obliged to carry out 4 experiments in Geometric Optics in the Classical Laboratory and 5 experiments in Quantum Physics.
    • Students have to get a pass on all experiments. 

  • DISPENSIG OPTICS I year

    • In the first semester, the students of optometry have to perform 8 experiments in the Classical Laboratory including 4 in Mechanics and 4 in Geometric Optics.
    • In the second semester, the students of optometry have to perform 8 experiments in the Classical Laboratory including 4 in Electricity and Magnetism and 4 in Physical Optics.
    • In each semester the minimum requirement is a pass on 7 experiments. 
    • If the mean grade is lower than sufficient even though the student performed the minimum number of experiments, the student has to pass the special colloquium in which he/she must perform (fully) a randomly selected experiment from those that they already performed, in the presence of an exam commission. 

Attention!  Experiments with no pass are evaluated with insufficient grade and taken into account in evaluation of the mean grade. 

  • MEDICAL PHYSICS I year

    • In the first semester, the students of medical physics are obliged to carry out 4 experiments in Mechanics in the Classical Laboratory preceded by 3 hours of classes on statistical analysis and presentation of results.
    • In the second semester, the students of medical physics are obliged to perform 4 experiments in Electricity and Magnetism in the Classical Laboratory.
    • Students have to get a pass on all experiments. 

  •  COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES I year

    • In the first semester, the students of computer technologies are obliged to perform 4 experiments in Mechanics in the Classical Laboratory, preceded by 3 hours of classes on statistical analysis and presentation of results.
    • In the second semester, the students of computer technologies have to perform 4 experiments in Electricity and Magnetism in Filami. 
    • Students have to get a pass on all experiments.

  Attention!  Experiments with no pass are evaluated with insufficient grade and taken into account in evaluation of the mean grade. 

  •  ASTRONOMY II year

    • In the fourth semester, the students of astronomy are obliged to perform 12 experiments in the Classical Laboratory.
    • The minimum requirement is to get a pass on at least 10 experiments. 
    • If the mean grade is lower than sufficient even though the student performed the minimum number of experiments, the student has to pass the special colloquium in which he/she must perform (fully) a randomly selected experiment from those that they already performed, in the presence of an exam commission.

Attention!  Experiments with no pass are evaluated with insufficient grade and taken into account in evaluation of the mean grade. 

  • CHEMISTRY I year

    • In the first semester students of chemistry are obliged to perform 8 experiments in the Classical Laboratory, including 1 experiment performed within preliminary classes.
    • The minimum requirement is to get a pass on the preliminary classes (necessary to be admitted to laboratory) and at least 6 experiments. 
    • If the mean grade is lower than sufficient even though the student performed the minimum number of experiments, the student has to pass the special colloquium in which he/she must perform (fully) a randomly selected experiment from those that they already performed, in the presence of an exam commission.

Attention!  Experiments with no pass are evaluated with insufficient grade and taken into account in evaluation of the mean grade. 

  • BIOLOGY and GEOLOGY I year

    • In the first semester the students of biology have to perform 4 experiments in the Classical Laboratory, preceded by 3 hours of classes on statistical analysis and presentation of results.
    • The minimum requirement is to get a pass on all 4 experiments. 

 

Attention! According to the rules of the Laboratory, if a student had earlier passes the experimental classes, repeats a given year of studies or has moved to another direction of studies, the earlier pass is valid but only if the earlier grade was good or higher.