Here you will find information for the undergraduate physics laboratories taught at the University of Rochester Department of Physics and Astronomy.
If you have any questions about lab policies, have complaints or praise about the experiments, have missed a lab, or anything of that nature, you should read the FAQ then email your TA (physlabs@pas.rochester.edu).
General Info: general remarks about the labs
Lab Manuals: lab manuals for all sections
FAQ: answers to frequently asked questions
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In order to complete any of the Introductory Physics courses (PHY 113, 114, 121-123, 141-143, 181-184), you must complete all five of the associated labatory 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.
You will receive an email after each lab is graded with all your lab grades to date. If you are missing a grade for a lab you completed, please email your TA (physlabs@pas.rochester.edu).
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. It is an easy two points out of the twenty the lab is worth -- do not forget to do this section!
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 08: Electron Beams | Experiment 08.pdf |
| Experiment 09: Superconductivity and Ohm's Law | Experiment 09.pdf |
| Experiment 07: Absolute Volt & Electrostatic Potential | Experiment 07.pdf |
| Experiment 10: Electronic Circuits | Experiment 10.pdf |
| Experiment 11: Velocity of Waves | Experiment 11.pdf |
| 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.
Often there really is, but it can be difficult. However, if you have a complaint about a lab, including about the time, please email your TA. 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.
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.