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A laboratory based course in experimental techniques, data acquisition and analysis, scientific writing and career skills for second-year physics/astronomy students.
A selection of laboratories covering a wide range of techniques in measurement and analysis relevant to physics and astronomy experiments. These include:• Design of experiments and experimental uncertainties. • Recording data and writing scientific reports. • Computerized data acquisition and data analysis. • Use of equipment such as oscilloscopes, Geiger-Muller counters, and various optical and electrical equipment. • Library database skills. • A variety of experiments relevant to physics in the field of optics, spectroscopy, mechanics, electrical circuits, radiation, and condensed matter.
The goals of this course are to develop the experimental, technical and analytical ability of second year physical science students. Students will have developed the skills to make measurements and acquire and analyse data using a variety of means, including computerized data acquisition and analysis. They will have developed an understanding of the methodology required to set up and perform physics experiments. The students have demonstrated an ability to condense their work into a scientific report.
(1) PHYS102; (2) MATH102 or EMTH118 (3) MATH170 or EMTH171 or COSC121 or MATH280 or MATH282 or another approved course involving programming. These prerequisites may be replaced by a high level of achievement in level 3 NCEA Physics and Mathematics with Calculus or other background approved by the Head of Department. RP: MATH103 or EMTH119.
PHYS281, PHYS282
MATH103 or EMTH119.
Jon-Paul Wells
Ian Farrell and Alex Neiman
Please consult the document General Information for Physics and Astronomy Students on the Physics and Astronomy Web Page: http://www.phys.canterbury.ac.nz/courses/PhysicsCourseGeneralInformation.pdfIn particular, you should note the section on Dishonest Practice. In this laboratory course you often will work in pairs or in groups and so your data and possibly graphical information will be identical, but when completing written reports the remainder of the work must be in your own words.
Domestic fee $832.00
International fee $3,638.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see School of Physical & Chemical Sciences .