Syllabus for Experimental Methods for Physics I

Learning outcomes

The course is meant to prepare students for further studies in experimental physics.

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• formulate hypotheses and problem statements under given conditions
• design and perform physics experiments to investigate problem statements according to the scientific method
• plan and evaluate experiments based on estimated uncertainties and experimental methods
• analyze experimental results using computers
• document experimental work in in the form of a logbook and a laboratory report
• discuss ethical aspects in experimental studies
• present and argue for chosen methods and obtained results

Content

Design of experimental studies and the scientific method. Introduction to ethical aspects in experimental physics. Basic measurement techniques, data handling and analysis. Measurements uncertainties and propagation of measurements uncertainties. Basic statistics for experimental physics. Regression and least squares fitting. Data analysis in Python. Logbook keeping and reporting.

Instruction

Lectures in the form of flipped classroom, tutorials and laboratory exercises. The course uses programmeintegrated communications training with feedback and self-evaluation.

Assessment

Home assignments (1 credit). Logbook, written report and oral presentation of project (2 credits). Oral examination (2 credits).

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the assessment method indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.