PHYS-257 : Experimental Methods I - Fall 2024

(Draft) Course Syllabus

Brief Course Description

An introduction to experimental physics, methods of data analysis and manuscript writing in the physical
sciences. The experiments performed focus on foundational concepts in classical mechanics and optics.
The final experiment will introduce you to phenomena that were critical to the foundation of quantum
mechanics. This course also provides an introduction to the use of computers as they are employed
in data acquisition, data analysis, numerical computation using the Python programming language and
scientific writing. Previous computer programming experience is an asset but not required. (3 credits,
Co-requisite: PHYS-230 or PHYS-251)

LECTURES: Tuesdays, 1:05PM - 2:25PM, RPHYS-112

In-person lectures (unrecorded). The lecture component of the course will primarily cover statistics, data
analysis, computing and scientific communication. The lectures are an essential part of this laboratory
course and provide pedagogical support for the work you will need to perform in the labs and associated
assignments.

LAB SECTIONS: Mon/Tues/Wed/Fri, 2:35PM-5:25PM, ENGTR-3070 (7 labs)

Experiments will take place in-person. Lab work will be done in pairs. You are responsible to find a lab
partner. A schedule/calendar of all experiments is posted on myCourses.

TUTORIALS: Informal Weekly Python Tutorials, Date/Time TBD, In-person

The tutorials are optional and informal sessions run by a TA that is an expert in Python programming.
Attend these sessions if you want/need additional instruction related to Python programming, including
help using Python to analyze data from the current experiments.

INSTRUCTOR:
Prof. Brigitte Vachon, RPHYS-342, [email protected]
Office hours: Wednesdays, 13:00-14:00.

LAB TECHNICIAN:
Brandon Ruffolo, ENGTR-3080 (Room acessible from inside ENGTR-3070), [email protected]

LAB DEMONSTRATORS/TEACHING ASSISTANTS:

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Communication plan:
Teaching Assistants will be available to discuss course content through the entire laboratory periods on a
weekly basis. The instructor will be available during weekly office hours to discuss with you in person. In
addition, a discussion section on MyCourses will be made available for students to ask questions and discuss
topics relevant to the course. This discussion section will be regularly monitored by the instructor and all
Teaching Assistants. Email should only be used to communicate in exceptional circumstances,

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such as emergencies and illnesses. If you need to get in touch with the instructor or a TA
via e-mail, please use the Mail tool on myCourses.

Textbook(s) and Software

• Required Text: I. Hughes and T. Hase, “Measurements and their Uncertainties: A practical guide
to modern error analysis”, Oxford University Press, 2010. Available as an eBook through the McGill
library

• Recommended Text: P. R. Bevington and D. K. Robinson, “Data Reduction and Error Analysis for
the Physical Sciences”, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2003.

• Required software: Python programming language (Anaconda Python 3.8 or newer). For data
analysis and visualization. Available free online: https://www.anaconda.com/download/.

• Required software: Access to LATEX typesetting libraries, either installed on your own computer
or accessed through an online LATEX editor such as Overleaf.

Means of Assessment:

Title Weight Description Due Date Considerations and Late Penalties

Pre-lab/ 75% Written report See See below for late
Lab Reports(7) myCourses reports penalty*
Lab 1 5% Virtual python lab
Lab 2 10% Rolling cylinder
Lab 3 10% Moment of inertia
Lab 4 10% Interferometer
Lab 5 10% Oscillator
Lab 6 15% Kater’s pendulum
Lab 7 15% Spectrometer
Final Quiz 20% Cummulative, 22 October In-person
derivations and short
answer questions
Peer- 5% Participation, See Late or incomplete
assessment(5) short answer myCourses peer-assessments receive a
questions, quality of grade of zero.
feedback
*Reports are due BEFORE the start of your next lab period (BEFORE 2:35PM). Reports submitted any-
time after the start of the next lab section period are considered late; i.e. a report submitted at 3:00PM
will be deemed late. The penalty for submitting a late report is one full grade (i.e. “B” instead of “A”).
Reports more than 24 hours late will not be accepted. BUT... we do accept incomplete reports!

Lab report/assignments
Pre-lab assignments will be submitted individually.
Laboratory reports will be written-up/submitted in pairs. Only one report will be handed in per lab group.

Lab reports must be prepared using the LATEX template provided.

The page limit for regular lab reports is 5 pages EXCLUDING references and EXCLUDING title page
with author list, title and abstract. Additional material can be presented in the appendix.
The page limit for the last two reports is 8 pages (excluding references and title page). Pages beyond the

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limits will not be read nor assessed, and missing information will impact your report grade accordingly.

Lab reports must be uploaded in PDF format as one file on the myCourses “Assignment” page for your
lab section, and respecting the following file names:
LabX Weekday GroupX LastName1 LastName2.pdf

For example,
Lab2 Monday Group6 Carter Vachon.pdf

You are required to keep and maintain a LAB BOOK. We encourage you to thoroughly record all you do
during a lab session. It will help you when you prepare your lab report. What you do not document you
did not do! The lab book is mandatory, and you are required to include a copy of your lab book as a
separate file when you submit your lab report.

Author contributions statements

Authors will be required to include a statement of responsibility in the report that specifies the contribution
of every author. This practice has become a standard part of scientific publishing over the last decade.
See, for example: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v399/n6735/full/399393b0.html

The author contribution statements will determine the part of the work that contributes to your mark.
No contribution to measurement/analysis and report writing will result in no mark! You have to state
who contributed to the data collection, python code writing, data analysis, data visualization (tables/plots
preparation), report text writing/editing in latex, etc.

This policy has been put into place for 2 reasons:

• In support of learning outcomes for all students in the class

• To discourage ‘free loading’ lab partners

• To discourage strict division of labour between lab partners

COURSE OUTLINE
Introductory lab work and data analysis with a focus on experiments in mechanics and optics. Introduction
to computers as they are employed in data acquisition, data analysis and numerical computation using the
Python programming language. Previous computer programming experience is an asset but not required.

COURSE LEARNING GOALS

• Convey that experimental physics is exciting and fun but requires a diverse set of skills that require
development.

• Deepen your understanding of the role(s) experiments play in physics. How do we use experiments?

• Develop basic experimental skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving.

• Provide a practical introduction to statistics and quantitative data analysis.

• Provide a practical introduction to “data science” in the Python programming language. Numerical
data analysis, data visualization (plotting), data fitting.

• Develop report writing and data presentation skills, i.e. how to write a report/paper on the results
of an experiment that is consistent with current standards in the physical sciences, including the use
of widely used typesetting tools.

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 • Develop abilities to effectively work in a team.

LECTURES AND ASSIGNMENTS TOPICS

The following topics will be covered in lectures (no necessarily in that order)

1. The roles that experiment plays in physics and the nature of physical measurement

2. Random and systematic errors in measurements

• Measurement precision and Measurement accuracy

• Estimation of experimental uncertainties from repeated measurements

3. Understanding discrete/continuous probability distributions and their measures

• Mean, Variance, Standard Deviation

• The Normal/Gaussian distribution
• Standard error in the mean
• Central limit theorem

4. Uncertainties as probabilities

• Significant Figures and How to Report Results

5. Error propagation

• Propagating uncertainties through single and multi-variable functions

6. Data visualization: Plotting and Fitting a straight line to data

• Least-squares fitting/Maximum likelihood

• Linearizing data
• Plotting Residuals

7. Fitting Complex functions to data

• Nth order polynomials

• Multi-parameter models
• Parameter estimation and the confidence limits on fit parameters
• Nonlinear curve fitting in Python

8. Hypothesis testing – How good are our models?

• Understanding the χ2 -test

9. Scientific Communication

• How to write a scientific article

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EXPERIMENTS
Schedule posted on myCourses.

• Lab 1: Virtual Experiment in Python

• Lab 2: Rolling cylinder

• Lab 3: Moment of inertia

• Lab 4: Michelson interferometer

• Lab 5: Measuring the Q of an oscillator

• Lab 6: Kater’s pendulum

• Lab 7: Spectrometer

Copyright
I remind everyone of their responsibility in ensuring that any course associated material are not reproduced
or placed in the public domain. This means that each of you can use it for your educational (and research)
purposes, but you cannot allow others to use it by putting it up on the Internet or by giving it or selling
it to others who may also copy it and make it available.
© Instructor-generated course materials (e.g., handouts, notes, summaries, exam questions) are pro-
tected by law and may not be copied or distributed in any form or in any medium without explicit
permission of the instructor. Note that infringements of copyright can be subject to follow up by the
University under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.

McGill Policy Statements

Assessments in this course are governed by the Policy on Assessment of Student Learning (PASL), which
provides a set of common principles to guide the assessment of students’ learning. Also see Faculty of
Science-specific rules on the implementation of PASL.

Legally mandated academic accommodations are handled by Student Accessibility and Achievement.
For more information see https://www.mcgill.ca/access-achieve/.

In accord with McGill University’s Charter of Students’ Rights, students in this course have the right
to submit in English or in French written work that is to be graded. This does not apply to courses in
which acquiring proficiency in a language is one of the objectives.” (Approved by Senate on 21 January
2009)

Conformément à la Charte des droits de l’étudiant de l’Université McGill, chaque étudiant a le droit
de soumettre en français ou en anglais tout travail écrit devant être noté, sauf dans le cas des cours dont
l’un des objets est la maı̂trise d’une langue. (Énoncé approuvé par le Sénat le 21 janvier 2009)

McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore, all students must understand the meaning and
consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and
Disciplinary Procedures (Approved by Senate on 29 January 2003) (See McGill’s guide to academic honesty
for more information).

In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the University’s control, the content and/or assess-
ment tasks in this course are subject to change and students will be advised of the change.