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Here you will find information for the undergraduate physics laboratories taught at the University of Rochester Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Summer Session I: May 19th to June 23th - PHY
113 and PHY 121 labs -P081 (B&L 267)
Summer Session II: June 30th to August 1st - PHY 114 and
PHY 122 labs - P082 (B&L 268)
There are NO labs during the shaded periods (Memorial day and Independence day), makeup labs will be scheduled.
For Summer 2025, please contact your TA, Amna Ahmed at aahmed43@ur.rochester.edu.
If you have any questions about lab policies, grading, the
experiments, or anything of that nature, you should read through
the website then email the Lab TA. If you know you will miss a
lab (illness, personal emergencies, etc.), please contact Amna
ASAP.
General
Info: general remarks about the labs and grading
Lab
Manuals: lab manuals for all sections
FAQ:
answers to frequently asked questions (read this before you
email physlabs!)
A note about this webpage: it utilizes internal and external CSS (cascading style sheets). If something seems fishy, please make sure CSS options are enabled in your browser, and/or download the latest version of said browser.
In order to complete any of the Introductory Physics courses (PHY 113, 114, 121-123, 142, 181-184), you must complete (and pass) all five of the associated laboratory exercises. These labs provide a hands-on realization of a sample of the topics that are covered in the parent course.
Before you attend lab, you must download and print the lab manual, and complete the "prelab" section of the exercise. The prelab section will be collected at the beginning of the lab session. The worksheets in the lab manual (which you will fill out as you complete the lab) will be collected at the end of the lab session. Lab manuals may be downloaded from this website by visiting the lab manuals page.
You will need your completed prelab, a copy of the lab manual, a calculator, and a pen or pencil for each lab. You are also allowed to have your course textbook at your lab bench if you need it, but anything else (backpacks, etc.) must be put along the sides of the room or the back wall.
These laboratories can be interesting and educational if you arrive well prepared. Because your completed lab write-up is due at the end of the laboratory session, it is vital that you have read over the manual before coming to lab. If you haven't read the manual beforehand, you will lose time during the lab period that should be used for the lab itself, and may find yourself pressed for time at the end of the period.
In general, students work in small teams (two or three students) however each student must prepare their own report. It is recognized that students in a team will collectively discuss the experiment and the interpretation of the data, however students are not permitted to copy each other's write-ups.
All pre-labs and post-labs are graded by TA's according to same set of rubrics. The prelabs carry 2 points while the postlabs will be graded out of 20. Missing the lab will count towards an incomplete grade('I')in the course. The grade for the course will be awarded on completion of all the labs. At the end of the semester, the course instructor is provided with all student grades including full grade distributions so that accurate curving will be possible. It is up to the instructors to decide how the laboratory grade will be counted toward the final course grade.
Your grades will be displayed on blackboard after each lab is graded with all your lab grades to date. Please check to make sure that this is consisitent with the grade on your lab report. If you are missing a grade for a lab you completed or have a question about a grade, please email your lab section TA's. A PDF file with the names of the TAs for the various sections can be found in the following link: PDF
Here you may download the lab manuals for your physics course. Please bring a printed copy with you to your lab session; the TA will not have extra copies. The prelab, the first page of the lab, will be collected at the start of the lab session. TA's will also make sure that the postlabs are blank before the experiment.
| Experiment 01: Statistics | Experiment 01.pdf |
| Experiment 02: Acceleration of Gravity | Experiment 02.pdf |
| Experiment 03: Conservation of Momentum and Energy | Experiment 03.pdf |
| Experiment 04: Moment of Inertia and Oscillations | Experiment 04.pdf |
| Experiment 05: The Mechanical Equivalent of Heat | Experiment 05.pdf |
| Instruction Video for Multi-meter (Exp
#5) |
IntroToMulti.mp4 |
| Experiment 06: Coulomb's Law | Experiment 06.pdf |
| Experiment 08: Electron Beams | Experiment 08.pdf |
| Experiment 09: Superconductivity and Ohm's Law | Experiment 09.pdf |
| Instruction Video for Multi-meter (Exp
#9) |
IntroToMulti.mp4 Lab9.mp4 |
| Experiment 12: Geometrical Optics | Experiment 12.pdf |
| Experiment 13: The Wave Nature of the Electromagnetic Spectrum | Experiment 13.pdf |
| Experiment 06: Coulomb's Law | Experiment 06.pdf |
| Experiment 07: Absolute Volt & Electrostatic Potential | Experiment 07.pdf |
| Experiment 08: Electron Beams | Experiment 08.pdf |
| Experiment 09: Superconductivity and Ohm's Law | Experiment 09.pdf |
| Instruction Video for Multi-meter (Exp #9) | IntroToMulti.mp4 Lab9.mp4 |
| Experiment 10: Electronic Circuits | Experiment 10.pdf |
| A Short instruction video for the oscilloscope (for Experiment 10) | Scope Primer |
| Experiment 11: Velocity of Waves | Experiment 11.pdf |
| A Short instruction video for the oscilloscope (for Experiment 11) | Scope Primer |
| Experiment 12: Geometrical Optics | Experiment 12.pdf |
| Experiment 13: The Wave Nature of the Electromagnetic Spectrum | Experiment 13.pdf |
| Experiment 14: The Atomic Spectrum of Hydrogen | Experiment 14.pdf |
| Experiment 15: The Millikan Oil Drop Experiment | Experiment 15.pdf |
| Appendix B: Error Analysis | Appendix B |
You should have signed up for a lab when you registered for the course. If you need to change your lab time, you should use the online registration system, or visit the registrar's office, whichever is appropriate. You may need to fill out an add/drop form. If you have difficulties, please email physlabs. If this is a one time change, see the next question.
It is occassionally possible to make up labs during a lab section later in the week. However if this is not possible, then there will be an opportunity at the end of the semester to make up a limited number of labs. Please email physlabs to let him/her know that you will be absent.
It is a good idea to email physlabs as soon as possible. As for making up the lab, it is occassionally possible to make up labs later in the week; however if this is not possible, then there will be an opportunity at the end of the semester to make up a limited number of labs.
You will need to contact the lab admin (physlabs@pas.rochester.edu) about this as soon as possible. It is occassionally possible to make up labs later in the week. This is not always an option because we do not have enough equipment for the extra students. However, there will be an opportunity at the end of the semester to make up a limited number of labs.
Please be patient. The Physics Lab Adminstrator receives a large number of student emails per day, especially during the begining and end of the terms. Some questions (if they involve checking records or changing schedules) require extra time to answer. If you are afraid your email was lost however, feel free to send a polite reminder.
Often there really is, but it can be difficult. However, if you have a complaint about a lab, including about the time, please email physlabs. We do consider comments, and make changes to the lab manuals based on student feedback. To reassure you: Remember that every student in your class is doing the same labs with the same time constraints, and will be graded the same way.
Please do not send me emails like this. Please.
Though opinions of course vary, we're glad to hear yours. We especially like the way you've given some specific examples of what your complaints are and even offered some suggestions. When the labs are updated, we refer to your ideas.
Last updated: May 11, 2023