You will perform each week an experiment as indicated in the Manuals and Course Schedule section. You have 1 hr 50 min time to perform each experiment, by yourself or with a lab partner. Each experiment will come with a manual that you can access below.

For each lab, your perfomance will be evaluated by your teaching assistant based on the following components:

1. Pre-Lab Quiz (15 pts): Short set of questions (on Blackboard) about lab procedure and goals.
2. Data table (10 pts): A reasonably-formatted copy of the data you took in lab (along with calculated quantities, as relevant).
3. Analysis (60 pts): Varies, consists of the following components:
   • Graphs (see the PHY121/122 Plotting Tool)
   • Calculations, including uncertainty propagation (relevant work shown)
   • Questions (listed in lab manuals; some selection will be chosen by your TA)
   • Other: Some labs require other specific items, which will also belong to this section.
4. Abstract (15 pts): A concise summary of all important results of the experiment.

The pre-lab quiz will always be due on the same day that the lab is performed. All other components will generally be due by the start of the subsequent lab class, with possible exceptions to be specified by your TA.

Reports are to be done individually (including data collection - you and your partner should independently record all data). Although collaboration is allowed, your work should be your own. Work that is duplicated between reports will be punished severely.

Your final score will be an average from your single lab grades scaled by a factor that will be determined at the end of the semester. This final lab score will contribute 25% to your grade in PHY 122. You will receive a single final grade for PHY 122.

The first lab sessions will take place in the week starting from Monday, January 23.

• Lab 0 (January 22 - January 25): Introduction to Labs
• Lab 1 (January 29 - February 01): Diffraction, Interference, and Polarization ( Data Sheet)
• Lab 2 (February 05 - February 08): Reflection and Refraction ( Data Sheet)
• Lab 3 (February 12 - February 15): Optical Instruments ( Data Sheet)

• Lab 4 (February 26 - February 29): The Oscilloscope (Data Sheet)
• Lab 5 (March 04 - March 07): The Electric Field (Data Sheet)

• Lab 6 (March 18 - March 21): Capacitors ( Data Sheet)

• Lab 7 (April 01 - April 04): DC Circuits ( Data Sheet)
• Lab 8 (April 08 - April 11): Magnetic Forces on Charges and Currents (Data Sheet)
• Lab 9 (April 15 - April 18): Induction (Data Sheet)
• Lab 10 (Apr 22 - Apr 25): Atomic Spectra (Data Sheet)

(April 29 - May 02): Make-up Lab Week for Labs 7 - 10. No lab classes.

Link To All Data Sheets

Here are some documents you will find helpful. You can find more information via links on the Reference Documents Page.

Lab Report Expectations

Guide to Uncertainty and Error Analysis (Quick Reference)

Guide to Making and Using Plots

Here is a link to the plotting tool we will use to make our graphs in this class:

PHY121/122 Plotting Tool

You are responsible for keeping track of deadlines for your lab reports. A list of deadlines (and return dates for work) is available here: Due Dates

Be alert to announcements about changes to this schedule from your TA or via Blackboard.

New for Spring 2023 and 2024: Late lab report penalty is 10% per day up to 5 days, then will not be considered and will receive zero points.

Exceptions for partial credit may be granted by a TA or the course instructor, with suitably documented reasons.

If you need to be absent for a lab experiment (please keep these to illness or significant reason to be absent, e.g. family emergency,jury duty) you will have the opportunity to make up the lab experiment in the dedicated make-up week. Under such circumstances, please submit a make-up request via the PHY122 Make-Up Request Form.

If you are absent for a non-excusable reason your lab grade for that particular experiment will be Zero (0) points! Remember to arrange for a make-up!

There are three ways to ask questions or report problems:

• To contact your TA, use the e-mail addresses provided at the top of this page. This is the best option for lab-specific questions, such as checking requirements.
• To contact all TAs, use PHY121_lab@stonybrook.edu. This is the best option for general physics questions. If you cannot get in touch with your own TA and have a question on how to do a calculation (or why numbers look weird), this is also a reasonable place to contact.
• For administrative concerns and TA issues contact the course instructor, Richard Lefferts, at phy_introlabs@stonybrook.edu.