The main goal of the lab is
to give you an appreciation of the power of
experimental science in the development of our
knowledge about the physical world. Specifically, on the way to
this goal,
the lab IS DESIGNED to help you
develop skills to
solve practical problems and design intelligent experiments,
manipulate equipment and measuring instruments with grace,
keep complete records and analyze data efficiently and accurately,
distinguish between the essential and the non-essential,
display data in tabular and graphical form,
estimate uncertainties in experimental results,
ask the right questions and design and perform further experiments to
answer them.
The lab IS NOT DESIGNED to
illustrate lecture material as this is a course in experimental
techniques (However, some of the experiments involve topics presented
in PHY110Y and PHY138Y.),
train you to follow instructions (Within a fairly well defined context
you will be expected to create your own direction.),
test your memory. (You are encouraged to use the references listed in
the
guide sheets whenever appropriate.)
