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diff --git a/manual/chapters/intro.tex b/manual/chapters/intro.tex deleted file mode 100644 index a3ca846..0000000 --- a/manual/chapters/intro.tex +++ /dev/null @@ -1,145 +0,0 @@ -\chapter*{Introduction} -\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{Introduction} - Welcome to Experimental Atomic Physics Laboratory! What is - this class all about? In this class you will learn more - details about how experimental physics is done. The - experiments you do here will help you further learn the - concepts you are being introduced to in Physics 201, Modern - Physics. You will learn by doing. You will learn about the - scientific process and be introduced to what it takes to be a - physicist. Hopefully, you will have fun too! You will be doing -. some experiments which are very fundamental, some of which - have won the Nobel Prize! - -The goals of this class are to: - -\begin{enumerate} -\item Gain understanding of physical principles. -\item Become familiar with the setup of experimental equipment, how to - use equipment, and how to make measurements. -\item Learn how to analyze your data, determine the error in your data, -how to graph data and how to fit the data to a curve to extract parameters. -\item Learn how to draw conclusions from your data. -\item Learn how to keep a scientific journal. -\item Learn how to approach a problem -\item Learn to communicate your findings to other people in a way which is -clear and concise. -\end{enumerate} - -Some or most of these principles you were introduced to in Physics -Laboratory 101. How is this class different? The experiments you will -do are taking you a step closer to the work that actual physicsist do -in the laboratory. You will be repeating some very fundamental, -complex experiments through which physical principles were discovered. -You will be carrying out the steps required to do experimental -physics: setup equipment, make measurements, record data, analyze -data, draw conclusions and communicate your findings in a scientific -report. You may say, well, I am only going to be a theorist, or a -banker, why should I care about experimental physics? Well, atleast -you should learn about the scientific process so that when you hear -about some major scientific discovery you can judge its merit. In this -way you will learn what it takes to extract a physical principle from -an experiment, so you understand how scientists make the connections -that they do, and what the limitations are to scientific -experimentation. - -This laboratory manual briefly summarizes the principles of general -laboratory practice, treatment of error and curve fitting, how to -write a laboratory report, and then each of the laboratories you will -be conducting this semester. Please read the chapter on the experiment -you will do before you do the actual experiment. - - -\section*{General Laboratory Practices} - -\begin{enumerate} -\item When conducting your experiments- be safe! You will be using - equipment which poses some hazards, such as lasers and high-voltage - power supplies. Listen to the safety instructions and heed - them. Also, if a piece of equipment isn’t working even after you - have followed all the instructions, be careful what you fiddle - with! Some fiddling is good, but if you are planning to do anything - major (like take a piece of equipment apart), it is best to ask an - instructor first. Also, it is generally good lab practice not to - eat or drink in the lab. It keeps crumbs and liquid out the - equipment, and prevents you from eating or drinking something you - didn’t intend to. - - -\item Keep a good laboratory book and record your data and the steps you - take! It is recommended you buy a separate notebook to keep as a - laboratory journal. Don’t scribble inledigbly on pieces of scrap - paper you will only lose later. When conducting an experiment, - right down what you did, how you setup the equipment and if - anything unusual happened. Write down data in a neat and organized - way. The goal is to read and understand what you did after you - leave the laboratory. Don’t think this is trivial! Major scientific - discoveries were made because of some anomaly in data, which - scientists were able to exactly repeat because they had recorded - exactly what they did! If you are a research scientist in a - corporation and you make a discovery like this and couldn’t repeat - the conditions under which it was found- you would be in big - trouble! - -\item Related to the last point: don’t leave this laboratory for the day -without making sure you understand your data. You won’t be able to go -back and redo the experiment- so it is best to check your data and -make sure it is reasonable. 4. +Do not fudge data! If your data is -off and you admit it and speculate why it is off, you will be given -credit for this. Everyone has a bad day. Forging data not only breaks -the Honor Code but is also a very, very bad habit which can have -serious consequences in the future. Some sceintists have been tempted -under pressure to do this. Those who did were usually found out and -the ramifications are very serious. Not only does it hurt society, but -the scientists found doing this ruined their careers. See the book, “” -for further discussion of this problem. - -\item Treatment of errors/curve -fitting - -\item How to Write a Lab Report - -\framebox{You are not writing a laboratory report just for a grade! It is -important that you learn how to communicate your findings. In reading -your report, someone should be able to understand: your hypothesis or -theory, 1) how you did the experiment, 2) what equipment you used 3) -did anything unusual happen? conditions? data – in table and graph -form, analysis you did, conclusions, If anything strange happened- -mention it! If someone cannot tell what you did or gather useful -information, your paper is worthless!} - -\begin{description} - -\item[TITLE OF EXPERIMENT] -\item[LIST PARTNERS by name] - -\end{description} - - -The components of your laboratory report shall include: - -\begin{description} -\item[INTRODUCTION]: Briefly state objective(s) of experiment -\item[THEORY]: Introduce important equations or at least restate in -your own words; - Specify any "Working Eqs.", defining the variables involved. -\item[PROCEDURES] : - Describe in terms of equipment and layout diagrams, - Describe important steps in producing data, - Describe variables to be measured. -\item[DATA / ANALYSIS TABLES]: - Present data in spreadsheet form (rows \& columns which are -clearly defined). - Analyzed results can be listed in the same spreadsheet. -\item[DATA ANALYSIS]: Carry out explicit "sample calculations" to show how -results are produced -Results can appear in DATA / ANALYSIS TABLES -\item[CONCLUSIONS]: Conclusions should be developed; attempt to put them in -quantitative terms - -\end{description} -\end{enumerate} - -\fbox{this is some text.} -\newpage - |