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Syllabus
Physics 482 Modern Experimental Physics II
Spring Semester 2015
(April 13, 2015)
Disclaimer: The terms of this syllabus are subject to change. Changes to the terms of this
syllabus, either for the course as a whole or for a given lecture section, may be made either in
lecture, on the course web page, or by email.
Instructor:
Office location:
Office phone:
Email address:
Office hour:
Prof. Zhenyu Ye
SES 2258
(312) 996-2198
yezhenyu@uic.edu
Monday 12-2pm or by appointment
Course Location and Time:
SES 270, Monday 4:00-5:50pm
SEL 2073, Friday 2:00-5:50pm
Teaching Assistant:
Office location:
Office phone:
E-mail address:
Office hour:
John McCorkindale
SES 2144
(312) 996-5442
johnmc@uic.edu
Monday 1-2pm or by appointment
Shiyong Li
SEL 2091
(312) 996-6105
sli72@uic.edu
Monday 12-1pm or by appointment
Credit Hours: Four
Web Page: see http://physicsweb.phy.uic.edu/482/ for an outline and Blackboard for details
Prerequisites: Completion of PHYS 481
Required Text: None – see suggested readings
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Overview and Class Rules
This class is scheduled to meet twice a week. The first meeting on Monday will consist of a
lecture. The second meeting on Friday will be entirely dedicated to the lab. The lab experiments
are quite extensive and time consuming. Attendance and arriving in time will be mandatory for the
class. There will be no eating or drinking allowed in the class. Students must make an effort to
keep their workspace clean and organized. Students failing to clean up after themselves will be
penalized on their lab reports after a verbal warning from one of the TAs or instructor.
Experiments will be conducted in groups. There will be two-three students per group. Students
will take data in their groups; however, each student must turn in individual reports. It is strongly
recommended to write the reports separately to avoid the temptation to copy and paste a partner’s
report. Reports that are found to be near verbatim copies of one another will be considered as
plagiarized and both students will face severe consequences. These can range from failure of the
assignment, failure of the course, and for extreme cases dismissal from the university.
Lab reports will be quite different from the reports that were required in previous physics labs.
Physics 482 is designed to not only imbue the student with the ability to apply experimental
techniques to problems on their own, but to teach them how to write in a concise manner about
scientific matters. Reports must be typewritten, double spaced, and in 12-point font. A small
portion of each lab grade will depend upon spelling and grammar. Errors such as these are
inexcusable and would look quite unprofessional in the workplace. Graphs and plots must be done
using the analysis framework taught (ROOT) or similar computing software, and must follow the
provided format. Hand-drawn plots will not be accepted. A detailed report format guide is
provided in this manual. The report format and guidelines are not negotiable and will be strictly
enforced.
Laboratory Report Format
Lab reports are to be a professionally written with proper grammar and no spelling errors. Modern
word processors have excellent spelling and grammar checkers. However it is still a good idea to
read through your report and not trust what your program tells you. Variables and parameters must
be italicized and an equation editor such as MS Equation is mandatory for reproduction of
formulas in the report. Do not handwrite equations in your report. Each report must contain a
separate cover sheet stating the following: name, partner’s name, experiment title, and date. The
lab reports will contain six specific areas: an abstract, history, introduction, results & discussion, a
conclusion, and references.
Attendance: Attendance is compulsory. Common sense dictates that data cannot be taken if the
student does not show up to class. Coming late to the class for every 15 minutes on Monday or
Friday will result in losing 10% of the full points for that experiment. Missing the class on Monday
(Friday) will result in losing 30% (70%) of the full points for that experiment. The instructor
reserves the right to require you work on your own or deny your access to the lab should you arrive
too late to the class.
Abstract (5%): The abstract will be a brief statement that informs the reader about the contents of
the report. What did you do? Why did you do it? What are your most important results? The
abstract should be no more than five sentences long.
Introduction (15%): What is the context of the report with respect to the class? Describe the
situation that you are examining either experimentally or computationally. Start with a figure of
your experimental set up. Use a paint program to design the figures. Hand drawn figures are not
acceptable. Describe the details of the figure and add material as needed to aid in the reader’s
grasp of the system, actual photos of the set up work well here. Describe the equipment in detail.
What is the model number of the system, who makes it? Include the specifications of the
equipment (power, wavelength, etc.). Describe the theoretical basis for the experiment. Develop
the appropriate equations, explain the symbols contained in each equation. Do not simply quote
the equations. Important equations should have an equation number. Equations should always be
part of a grammatically correct sentence.
Results and Discussion (50%): Provide a detailed discussion of what was actually done during
the experiment. This does not mean a laundry list of steps. As with the other sections, the results
and discussion section must be written in paragraph form. If data can be included in a table within
this section, do so. Otherwise larger, more extensive data tables can be attached to the report as
separate pages. Include discussions of properly formatted graphs. A good way to start writing this
section is to produce the graphs that you need to explain the importance of the work, and then write
a paragraph about each graph. If you have many similar plots describe the differences and
similarities between them. An uncertainty or error analysis is usually included in this section of the
report. The uncertainty analysis is not a list of all of the mistakes that were made in the laboratory.
If mistakes were made, then the proper procedure is to go back and do the laboratory over. Rather,
the uncertainty analysis is where you provide quantitative arguments about the quality and validity
of your results. A very instructive way to do the uncertainty analysis is to consider how certain
you are of each individual measurement that is used in determining final results. State the basis for
each of the individual uncertainties. Never use human error. Mistakes are not uncertainties. Then
explain how the uncertainty in each individual measurement impacts the uncertainty in the final
results for the laboratory. There are other, often statistical, methods for doing an uncertainty
analysis. While other methods might be more traditional in the professional literature, they also
assume the author has a detailed understanding of the statistics. The method that is suggested here
will help you better understand the statistical methods when you encounter them.
Conclusion (20%): A conclusion should never include comments about whether you liked or
disliked the experiment. It is not a summary of the report as a whole. It should include your
important numerical results (compare this to most important numerical results in the abstract). It
may also include qualitative results.
References* (10%): This section will include the references you used in the introduction section.
Books and journal articles must be reported using the proper format.
*Notice
For Electronics Lab Reports, Results and Discussions are 60%. You don’t need References.
Graph Format
As stated previously all plots are to be created using the ROOT framework or similar computing
software. Plots should be readable: labels are to be made with at least 12-point font. Each plot
must contain an appropriate title (Current vs. Voltage). The axes must be labeled appropriately
with proper units (Current (A), Voltage (V)). The independent variable must be situated on the
x-axis. A good example of a properly formatted plot can be seen below.
Laboratory Equipment
It is important to keep your workstation neat and orderly. Be sure to turn off all electronics you
used during the lab and to return all equipment back to the place where it belongs. Any student
found guilty of wanton negligence or abuse of lab equipment (such as leaving an oscilloscope on,
touching equipment that we are not using in lab, blowing circuits on purpose, making hazardous
circuits, etc.) will be removed from the class. THIS IS YOUR OOPORTUNITY TO LEARN
HOW TO PROPERLY USE THE SKILLS AND TOOLS OF YOUR CHOSEN FUTURE
PROFESSION.
Laboratory Reports
The students will be required to complete reports for all the electronics labs, advanced physics
labs, and final project. The reports will be due by 12:00pm on FRIDAY the next week after the
completion of the experiment, either in Prof. Ye’s mailbox in Physics Main Office SES 2236 or by
email to Prof. Ye. Reports that are turned in late will lose 15% of the full points for each
additional day (including weekends) that the reports are late, after the total number of days
being late for all the turned-in reports exceeds 14. One project will be chosen to include also
an oral presentation, to be done during the week of May 4-8 and must be approximately
thirty minutes in length for each presentation (24 minutes for the oral talk, and 6 minutes for
Q&A). A laptop and projector will be provided.
Grading Policy
Laboratory report and presentation grades will be basis for the course grade determination. A
single letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F is assigned at the end of the semester according to the total
score each student has earned. The relative weights of the lab reports, final exam and
presentation are: report for electronic lab 1-5: 6%; report for 1-week advanced experiment 1-2:
8%; report for 2-week advanced experiment 3-5: 10%; presentation: 12%; exam: 12%.
Tentative Schedule
Week 1: Reaction Time
Week 2: Introduction to NIM Electronics
Week 3: Digital Electronics with PSpice*
Week 4: Digital Electronics
Week 5: Digital Electronics
Week 6-15: Advanced Experiments**,***
Alpha Particle Spectrometer
Gamma Ray Spectroscopy
e+e- Annihilation
Angular Distributions of Cosmics Rays,
Muon Lifetime
Finals’ Week: Final Exam and Presentation
* There will be no lecture on January 19, 2015 due to the MLK day.
** No lecture or lab in the week of March 23-27, 2015 due to the spring vacation.
*** No lab on April 10, 2015.
Important University Policies
Disability Services
Concerning disabled students, the University of Illinois at Chicago is committed to maintaining a
barrier-free environment so that individuals with disabilities can fully access programs, courses,
services, and activities at UIC. Students with disabilities who require accommodations for full
access and participation in UIC Programs must be registered with the Disability Resource Center
(DRC). Please contact DRC at (312) 413-2183 (voice) or (312) 413- 0123 (TDD).
Academic Integrity
As an academic community, UIC is committed to providing an environment in which research,
learning, and scholarship can flourish and in which all endeavors are guided by academic and
professional integrity. All members of the campus community–students, staff, faculty, and
administrators–share the responsibility of insuring that these standards are upheld so that such an
environment exists. Instances of academic misconduct by students will be handled pursuant to
the Student Disciplinary Policy: http://www.uic.edu/depts/dos/studentconduct.html
Religious Holidays and Observance
Students who wish to observe their religious holidays shall notify the faculty member by the
tenth day of the semester of the date when they will be absent unless the religious holiday is
observed on or before the tenth day of the semester. In such cases, the student shall notify the
faculty member at least five days in advance of the date when he/she will be absent. The faculty
member shall make every reasonable effort to honor the request, not penalize the student for
missing the class, and if an examination or project is due during the absence, give the student an
exam or assignment equivalent to the one completed by those students in attendance. If the
student feels aggrieved, he/she may request remedy through the campus grievance procedure.
http://www.uic.edu/depts/oae/docs/ReligiousHolidaysFY20132015.pdf
Grievance Procedures
UIC is committed to the most fundamental principles of academic freedom, equality of
opportunity, and human dignity involving students and employees. Freedom from discrimination
is a foundation for all decision making at UIC. Students are encouraged to study the University's
“Nondiscrimination Statement”. Students are also urged to read the document “Public Formal
Grievance Procedures”. Information on these policies and procedures is available on the
University web pages of the Office of Access and Equity: www.uic.edu/depts/oae
Academic Calendar
http://www.uic.edu/ucat/cat1315/CA.shtml
UIC Resources
If you find yourself having difficulty with the course material or any other difficulties in your
student life, don’t hesitate to ask for help! Come to one of us, or if it is about an issue beyond
this class, please contact your college advisors, or get help from any number of other support
services on campus. You can get a referral to the right place, or help on the spot, from concerned
advisor in the Undergraduate Success Center (USC) at usc@uic.edu.
The Science and Learning Center, located in the Science and Engineering South Building (SES)
201B, is a meeting place for students in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth and
Environmental Sciences, and Physics. At the SLC, students can meet with graduate teaching
assistants for tutoring in 100-level courses, arrange informal group study sessions with other
students, or meet up with friends to attend one of the workshops, seminars, or other activities
sponsored
by
the
SLC
during
the
semester.
Visit
the
website
at
http://www.uic.edu/depts/bios/facilities/science_learning_center.shtml
Public Computer Labs are available throughout campus where you may write and/or print out
your work. For a list of labs and the hours they’re open, go to (www.accc.uic.edu/pclabs).
NOTE: Do not wait until the last minute to print out papers. Sometimes labs have long lines of
students waiting for access.
The Academic Center for Excellence can help if you feel you need more individualized
instruction in reading and/or writing, study skills, time management, etc. Phone: (312) 413-0031.
Counseling Services are available for all UIC students. You may seek free and confidential
services from the Counseling Center (www.counseling.uic.edu). The Counseling Center is
located in the Student Services Building; you may contact them at (312) 996-3490. In addition to
offering counseling services, the Counseling Center also operates the InTouch Crisis Hotline
from 6:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. They offer support and referrals to callers, as well as telephone crisis
interventions; please call (312) 996-5535.
Campus Security
As a UIC student, you've chosen to live in one of the nation's largest cities. But, as at any
university, crime is a reality. At UIC, we are strongly committed to our public safety programs,
and we encourage students to be proactive in learning what programs and services are available
in case of an emergency. You are DISCOURAGED from staying in university buildings alone,
including lab rooms, after hours and are ENCOURAGED to use the POLICE/STUDENT patrol
escort if you are uncomfortable traveling anywhere on campus. You may request an escort to
accompany you to your campus destination on foot by calling 312-996-2830, and between 11:00
pm and 7:00 am you can dial the Red Car service (312-996-6800) if you are alone and need to
leave the building. Through Red Car, the university has established a safe evening transportation
service for university employees, students, visitors, and other authorized individuals. The car
travels between university facilities within the following general boundaries: Clinton Street on
the east; Western Avenue on the west; Jackson Boulevard on the north; and, 16th on the south.
This service is available only to individuals possessing a valid UIC i-card. The i-card is required
to ensure the safety of the driver and other passengers. Consult the following for more
information: http://www.uic.edu/uic/studentlife/campus/safety.shtml
Also you can subscribe your cell phone to receive text message alerts. An immediate SMS text
alert will be sent in case of a serious crime in progress, a weather emergency, or other urgent
situation. (http://sms.accc.uic.edu). Finally, by dialing 5-5555 from a campus phone, you can
summon Police or Fire for any on-campus emergency. You may also set up the complete number,
1-312-355-5555, on speed-dial on your cell phone. For more information contact:
http://www.uic.edu/uic/studentlife/campus/emergency-information.shtml
Suggested Readings
“Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments”, W.R. Leo, 2nd Edition
“Experiments in Modern Physics”, A. Melissinos & J. Napolitano, 2nd Edition
“Digital Electronics”, R. Tokheim, 7th Edition
ROOT
http://root.cern.ch/drupal
http://root.cern.ch/root/html/tutorials/
C++
C++: A Beginner’s Guide
C++: The Complete Reference
By Herbert Schildt