Laboratory Rules and Grading Policy:

1. Eating and drinking are not allowed in the laboratory.

2. Students work in groups of two. During Lab. #1 you will be asked to choose a laboratory partner. Data collection will be done with your partner. You and your partner will present your work together to your teaching assistant. You may submit a joint report with the understanding that the submission of the joint report implies that each student is satisfied that equal efforts have been contributed to the report preparation.

For Lab. #2 and on, groups will work together on data collection and make presentations to their TA. But each group member is responsible for their own spread sheeting, plotting and understanding of the experiment. Each student will also maintain and submit his or her own individual lab notebook (for separate grades). Do not attempt to submit replicas of your partner’s charts and graphs. Any difficulties or problems you experience with your laboratory partner should be reported to the TA or course instructor. Individual written reports are required.

3. Attendance will be taken in each session. Students are expected to attend each laboratory session at the scheduled time. In case one partner is absent because of illness or other emergency, the other partner can elect to complete the experiment alone or to complete the experiment with another partner or group. In either case, the absent partner will be required to make up the lab or receive a zero. Written, valid excuses will be required documenting the cause of any absence if you expect to avoid a grade penalty.

4. Failure to produce a VALID written excuse will result in a 10% grade penalty. However, a make up lab will still be required and expected to be submitted on time.

5. An oral presentation of your laboratory results and calculations based on your lab notebook will be due at your assigned time at the next laboratory session (usually one week after you perform the lab). The written report will be due as you begin the next experiment (usually two weeks after you perform the lab).  Late reports will be assigned a penalty of 10% per day (Monday - Friday) except in cases of illness or other excused absence. Reports more than one week late will receive a grade of zero.

6. The lab notebook is to be a three ring binder or similar 3-hole folio. Entries in the lab notebook, as well as your written lab report, graphs and spread sheets, should be on single sheets of 8-1/2 x 11 paper. The report should also fit neatly into your notebook. Its organization will be described more completely in a lecture session.

7. At the beginning of the laboratory session the lab notebook must contain the lab title sheet, a printout of the laboratory procedure and several pages of blank paper for note taking. (5% of grade)

8. At the completion of the laboratory session your laboratory notebook will be briefly reviewed by the lab TA. Neatness, thoroughness and quality of content are expected. An example of "B" quality lab notes can be found here. An "A" quality set of notes would be neater, contain more sketches and more thorough descriptions of the lab procedure.

9. One week following the laboratory session you and your partner will present your results and calculations to the lab TA for his review and evaluation. You may also be asked to discuss your “during lab” notes, calculations, and/or demonstrate your Excel spread sheets as used in developing your results. (30% of grade) The next week (as the new experiment begins) you will submit individual written reports which are to follow the prescribed format. (60% of grade). For Lab. #1 only, group reports may be submitted.

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