PHYSICS 2001

Fundamentals of Experimental Physics

Baruch College of CUNY

Spring 2025

Course Description

This is a one-semester laboratory course in classical physics covering kinematics, dynamics, conservation laws, gravitation, oscillations, waves, fluids, and thermodynamics. The course emphasizes physics as an experimental science—theories are tested in the laboratory following the scientific method: observation, hypothesis formulation, experimental testing, measurement, data analysis, and lab report writing. Objectivity and unbiased assessment in scientific measurement are stressed throughout. This course is designed for both science and non-science majors. (Not open to students who have taken PHY 1003 or PHY 2003).

The course meets twice weekly for fourteen weeks in rooms 510/513, with two 100-minute sessions per week. For ten weeks: the first session covers theory, and the second session is the experiment. The exams will consist of both experimental and theoretical questions, mostly multiple choice.

After each experiment, a lab report must be submitted within one week. Upon completion, one student per group must obtain the instructor’s signature to validate data authenticity. Individual students or groups may be asked to reproduce data values or answer questions—failure to do so may result in point deductions. Students are supposed to limit their discussions to within their groups or to the instructor. Discussing with other groups may be considered cheating and may result in point deductions.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify and apply fundamental concepts of mechanics, waves, fluids, and thermodynamics. Students will learn classical physics theories and be assessed through participation, three written exams, one practical exam, a cumulative final, and homework in lab reports.
• Apply the scientific method to explore natural phenomena, including hypothesis development, observation, experimentation, measurement, data analysis, and presentation. Students will conduct ten experiments corresponding to course topics.
• Use scientific tools for collaborative laboratory investigations. Students collaborate on experiments but submit individual lab reports. The Baruch College Physics Laboratory Manual is available on Brightspace / Course website.
• Gather, analyze, and interpret data and present findings in effective written lab reports based on classroom discussions.
• Apply research ethics and unbiased assessment in gathering and reporting scientific data. When data contradicts hypotheses, students revisit both the hypothesis and experimental procedure.

Schedule of Experiments and Exams

(“LO” refers to “Learning Outcome”)

Assistance with course material and problems is available during office hours (by appointment), during laboratory sessions, or with the Department of Natural Sciences Physics tutor (hours posted on door of room 506).

Required Texts and Readings

• Baruch Physics Laboratory Manual (available on Brightspace / Course website).
• There is no required textbook. Any decent College Physics-level textbook will suffice. Suggested textbook names will be posted in announcements on Brightspace / Course website.

Grading & Course Components

Your final grade is determined by your performance on lab reports and exams.

Component Breakdown

1. Lab Reports (60% of Grade)

Lab report format will be detailed during class and posted on Brightspace / Course website. The report grade reflects how well the student understood the concept, executed the experiment, and presented it to the reader.

Reports are graded 0–10. Part of this score comes from lab performance (as determined by the instructor); the rest comes from data quality, neatness, format adherence, relevance, and correctness. No credit will be given for a report submitted without completion of the experiment.

Your two lowest lab report scores will be automatically dropped to account for delays/illness/emergencies etc.

2. Exams (40% of Grade)

• Midterm Exams (20%): Three midterms; only your two highest scores count (10% each). Your lowest midterm is automatically dropped.
• Final Exam (20%): Mandatory and cumulative, covering all material from the semester.
• No Makeup Exams: The dropped-score policy is the sole accommodation for any missed midterm, regardless of the reason (including illness with a doctor’s note).

3. Extra Credit

A syllabus quiz will be available during the first week. Students who achieve a perfect score will receive 2 extra credit points added to their final course grade.

Course Policies & Procedures (Super Important!)

1. Lab Report Submission Policy

• Deadlines: After each experiment, a lab report must be submitted within one week unless otherwise specified. Deadlines are firm and enforced automatically by Brightspace (the submission folders close automatically at the deadline).
• Format: Reports must be handwritten individually. Computer-typed reports will NOT be accepted. The exact report writing instructions and template are available on the website/Brightspace.
• Resubmissions: The system will only keep your most recent submission. You may replace your work within the deadlines as many times you want. Please ensure your final upload is the version you want to be graded.
• Late Work: Late reports will not be accepted after the deadline. The dropped-score policy is the safety net for any emergencies or technical issues.

2. Lab Session Policies

• Upon completion of the lab, students must seek instructor’s signature on their gathered data. This signature validates the authenticity of the data. No credit will be given for a report submitted without a signed data sheet.
• Students are expected to arrive on time to avoid missing important instructions. Late arrival may cost you 1 point per five minutes. More than 20 minutes late = absent with no credit given.
• Although you are encouraged to discuss within your group, please make sure to do so quietly. Excessive loudness, laughing around etc. disturbs other students, and such repeated behavior may result in your or your group members’ removal from the lab session and lost points.
• Please inform the instructor if you want to step out of the lab mid session for any reason.

3. Communication Protocol

For questions about the course or the content, check the following: the syllabus, recent announcements, the course discussion form on Brightspace / Course website. Only if you do not find a solution in any of the above, or if you have a private matter to discuss, feel free to contact.

4. AI Usage Policy

AI tools are recognized as valuable resources for exploring course concepts, provided they are used as supplementary learning aids. However, all homework, lab reports, and examinations must be completed independently without AI assistance to ensure students master the necessary problem-solving skills. Using AI will only prevent you from understanding the material which will harm your exam scores. Unauthorized AI usage in assignments/reports will result in point deductions, a zero penalty, and may be reported to the college for academic dishonesty in accordance with the college’s policy.

Class Attendance

All students are expected to attend every session of their courses. The grade “WU” is assigned for excessive unexcused absences, as follows. A “WU” (unofficial withdrawal) is assigned by a member of the faculty at any time before the student takes the final exam. “WU” is equivalent to “F.” It is assigned for excessive unexcused absences—absences in excess of twice the number of weekly hours the class meets (i.e., if a class meets three hours a week, students who are absent more than six hours may be assigned the grade of “WU”). All work missed for any reason must be made up in a timely manner if permitted by the instructor.

Academic Honesty

The Department of Natural Sciences fully supports Baruch College’s policy on Academic Honesty, which states, in part:

“Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Cheating, forgery, plagiarism and collusion in dishonest acts undermine the college’s educational mission and the students’ personal and intellectual growth. Baruch students are expected to bear individual responsibility for their work, to learn the rules and definitions that underlie the practice of academic integrity, and to uphold its ideals. Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable excuse for disobeying them. Any student who attempts to compromise or devalue the academic process will be sanctioned.”

Academic sanctions in this class will range from an F on the assignment to an F in this course. A report of suspected academic dishonesty will be sent to the Office of the Dean of Students. Additional information and definitions of terms can be found at http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_honesty.html

Services for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities may receive assistance and reasonable accommodations to enable them to participate fully and equally in courses at Baruch College. To establish the accommodations appropriate for each student, please alert your instructor to your needs and contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. For more information contact Lillian Shmulevich, Assistant Director of this office in B2271 or at (646) 312-4590.

For additional information: http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/facultyhandbook/DisabilitiesInformation.htm