Course guide of Basic Experimental Techniques (2671113)

Having completed the Physics Course for the zero-level courses of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Granada:
https://cursos-0-fc-ugr.github.io/Fisica/

In the case of using AI tools for the development of the course, the student must adopt an ethical and responsible use of them. The recommendations contained in the document "Recomendaciones para el uso de la inteligencia artificial en la UGR", published at the following location, must be followed:
https://ceprud.ugr.es/formacion-tic/inteligencia-artificial/recomendaciones-ia#contenido0

Nature of physical phenomena and their measurement.

General Physics Laboratory.

Data processing.

• To train graduates capable of observing, cataloging, and modeling natural phenomena through their knowledge of various branches of Physics, enabling them to enter the job market in positions of medium-to-high responsibility or to pursue further studies with a high degree of autonomy in scientific or technological disciplines.

• To develop in students a clear perception of seemingly different situations that exhibit evident physical analogies, allowing them to apply proven solutions to new problems. To this end, it is important that students, in addition to mastering physical theories, acquire a solid understanding and command of the most commonly used mathematical and numerical methods.

• To enhance students’ ability to identify the essential elements of a process or complex situation, enabling them to construct a simplified model that describes the object of study—within an appropriate approximation—and allows for predictions about its future evolution. They should also be capable of verifying the validity of the model by introducing necessary modifications when discrepancies arise between predictions and observations.

• To familiarize students with laboratory work, instrumentation, and commonly used experimental methods, preparing them to independently carry out experiments, as well as to describe, analyze, and critically evaluate the data obtained.

• To convey the relevance of Physics in the contemporary scientific landscape and the important role it plays in the technological development of society.

• To instill in students a view of Physics as an integral part of education and culture, enabling them to recognize its presence in nature through science, technology, and art.

Chapter 1. Introduction. Course objectives. The need for experimentation.

Chapter 2. The Scientific Method. The scientific method. Types of experiments. Organizational structure for methodical experimentation. Experimental procedures. Scientific publications.

Chapter 3. Elements of Descriptive Statistics. Introduction. Tabulation of quantitative samples. Frequency distributions. Graphical representations. Fundamental statistics: mode, arithmetic mean, median, quartiles, and percentiles. Variance and standard deviation.

Chapter 4. Probability Distributions. Introduction. Probability. Random variables. Moments of a distribution. Probability functions. Distribution functions. Binomial distribution. Poisson distribution. Continuous random variables. Gaussian distribution. Pearson’s chi-square distribution. Student’s t-distribution. Fisher–Snedecor F-distribution. Multidimensional distributions.

Chapter 5. Parameter Estimation. Introduction. Point estimation. Confidence interval estimation. Confidence intervals for parameters. Properties of point estimators. Maximum likelihood method. Least squares method.

Chapter 6. Experimental Uncertainties. Introduction. Concept of uncertainty. Error vs. uncertainty. Quantification of uncertainties: direct and indirect measurements. Expanded uncertainty.

Chapter 7. Introduction to Dimensional Analysis. Introduction. Magnitude and measurement. Fundamental and derived magnitudes. Dimensional constants. Basic postulates of dimensional analysis. Inevitable constants. Dimensionless products. The Pi theorem. Applications of dimensional analysis in experimentation. Principle of similarity.

The course begins with the completion of a "Practice 0," which involves an introduction to the instrumentation available in the laboratory and a detailed experiment, including basic principles for writing a scientific report. To support this, the first practice sessions will cover LaTeX processing, spreadsheet programs, and graphical representation software that will be used throughout the course.

Throughout the semester, students will typically work in pairs to complete one of the following laboratory practices each week:

1. Newton's laws

2. One-dimensional collisions

3. Free fall of bodies

4. Moment of inertia of a flywheel

5. Spring constant of a spring

6. Elasticity: bending of a bar

7. Elasticity: elongation of a metal wire

8. Kater's pendulum

9. Torsion pendulum

10. Physical pendulum

11. Centripetal force

12. Determination of densities of liquids and solids

13. Measurement of viscosity using Stokes' method

14. Gas thermometer at constant pressure

15. Water equivalent of a calorimeter

16. Heat of fusion of ice and specific heat of solids

17. Boyle's law

18. Speed of sound in air

19. Strain gauges and transducers

20. Ohm's law

21. Kirchhoff's laws; Wheatstone bridge

22. Charging and discharging of a capacitor

23. Measurement of material resistivity

24. Use of an oscilloscope

25. Alternating current circuits

26. Magnetic fields near conductors

27. Ray tracing

28. Lenses and lens systems

29. Fraunhofer diffraction

30. Random decay of radioactive substances

31. Measurement of the speed of light

These laboratory practices will allow students to gain practical experience and reinforce the theoretical concepts discussed in the course.

General:

• Squires, G.L. ”Practical Physics”, Cambridge University Press (Cuarta Edición on line 2012).
• Squires, G. L. “Física Práctica”, Mc Graw-Hill, 1972 (es la traducción en español de la primera edición).
• Penny, R.K. ”The Experimental Methods”, Logman, London, 1974.
• Feibleman, J. K. “Scientific Method”, Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, 1972.
• Bunge, M. ”La Investigación Científica”, Ariel, Barcelona, 1983.
• Baird, D.C. ”Experimentation: An Introduction to Measurement Theory and Experiment Design”, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliff, New Jersey, 1962.
• Greenberg, L.H. ”Discoveries in Physics for Scientifics and Engineers”, W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1975.
• Kirkup, L. “Experimental Method. An Introduction to the Analysis and Presentation of Data”, Wiley, Australia, 1994.

Statistics and Uncertainties

• Massimiliano Bonamente "Statistics and Analysis of Scientific Data", Graduate Texts in Physics , Springer, 2022
• Bevington, P.R., Robinson, D.K. “Data reduction and error analysis for the physical sciences”, McGraw-Hill, 2003.
• Box G, E.P., Hunter, W., Hunter, J. "Statistics for Experimenters", New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
• Gorgas García J., Cardiel López, N., Zamorano Calvo, J. “Estadística Básica para Estudiantes de Ciencias”, Departamento de Astrofísica y Ciencias de la Atmósfera. Facultad de Ciencias Físicas Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2009.
• Calot, G.” Curso de estadística descriptiva”, Paraninfo, 1988.
• Hernández Bastida, A. “ Curso elemental de estadística descriptiva”, Ediciones Pirámide, 2008,
• Sheldon R. “A first course in probability”, Pearson International Edition, 2006.
• González Fernández, C. “Datos experimentales: Medida y error. Guía práctica”, Bellisco, Ediciones Técnicas y Científicas, 2015.
• Taylor J.R. “Introducción al análisis de errores”, Editorial Reverté, 2014.

Dimensional Analysis

• Barenblaat, G. I. “Scaling”, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 2003.
• Palacios, J., “Análisis Dimensional”, Espasa-Calpe, Madrid, 1964.
• Isaacson, E. St. Q. “Dimensional Methods in Engineering and Physics”, Arnold, London, 1975.

For theoretical aspects related to the fundamentals of the practices, you may consult general physics textbooks. (For more information, refer to the course guides for General Physics I and General Physics II in the Physics degree program.)

• https://phet.colorado.edu/ is a portal that offers Java-based applications with interactive simulations in science and mathematics. It provides a wide range of educational simulations that allow students to explore various scientific concepts and mathematical principles in an engaging and interactive way. The simulations on this website are designed to enhance learning and understanding through hands-on experimentation and visualization. It is a valuable resource for both students and educators looking to supplement their learning or teaching with interactive and immersive experiences.
• 
  http://www.ugr.es/~zoom/ is a website that provides a variety of useful resources, including tables with values of physical quantities. These tables can be helpful for reviewing units and orders of magnitude. Students can refer to this site to quickly access numerical values and relevant information related to different physical magnitudes. It serves as a convenient tool for studying and understanding the numerical aspects of physics.

Pages with links to companies that sell laboratory experiments, where the instrumentation for some of the experiments we will conduct in the lab is detailed:

• https://www.pasco.com
• https://www.phywe.com
• https://www.didaciencia.com

• MD01. Theoretical classes

In this assessment period, all students will be assessed using the continuous assessment method. The evaluation will be based on the following components:

• Theory and problem exam: 50%

• Lab reports: 35% (Reports must be submitted weekly and will be kept by the instructor)

• Oral lab exam: 15%

The following conditions will apply:

• IT IS MANDATORY TO PASS BOTH THEORY AND LAB COMPONENTS TO CALCULATE THE FINAL AVERAGE GRADE.

• ATTENDANCE TO LAB SESSIONS IS MANDATORY. A MAXIMUM OF 2 ABSENCES WILL BE ALLOWED DURING THE COURSE.
  If both absences are justified, they may be made up in a specific make-up session (either with the same or a different lab group).

Assessment Due to Exceptional Circumstances:

Students who are unable to attend the final assessment or the evaluations scheduled in the official course guide may request an assessment due to exceptional circumstances, provided that their situation falls under those outlined in Article 9 of the University of Granada’s Regulations for Student Assessment and Grading. The procedure specified in those regulations must be followed.

In this session, the evaluation will be structured as follows:

• Theory and problem exam: 50%

• Lab grade: 50%. This will be either the grade obtained during the current academic year (provided it is 5 or higher out of 10), or the grade from a practical exam. In this exam, the student will carry out one of the lab activities listed in the course guide, using a written protocol. At the end, the student will submit a report to the instructor, followed by an oral discussion of the report.
  This practical exam will not necessarily take place on the same day as the theory exam. It must be requested either from the theory instructor or at the department office, starting from the announcement date of the extraordinary exam until the date of the theory exam.

As in the regular session, passing both the theory and practical components is required to pass the course—that is, the student must obtain more than 5 points out of 10 in the theory exam and a lab grade of 5 or higher out of 10.

According to the Regulations for Student Assessment and Grading at the University of Granada, students who are unable to follow the continuous assessment method for any of the reasons specified in Article 8 may request to undergo a single final assessment. To apply for the single final assessment, the student must submit a request through the electronic office (sede electrónica) within the first two weeks of the course, or within the two weeks following their enrollment if it occurred later, or at a later time if due to unforeseen circumstances. The student must provide justification and supporting documentation for the reasons preventing them from participating in continuous assessment.

The grade for students who choose the Final Single Evaluation will be obtained through two tests:

• Theoretical exam, covering the theoretical content and problem-solving.

• Practical exam, in which the student will carry out one of the practical assignments listed in the course guide, using an instruction guide, and will submit a report on it to the instructor upon completion.

The final grade is calculated (provided that a minimum score of 5 is obtained in each test) as a weighted average of both exams: 60% for the theoretical exam and 50% for the practical exam, whose assessment will include an oral evaluation component.

On the PRADO virtual platform of the University of Granada, students will find all relevant information about the course: syllabus, problem sets, practice group assignments, grades, and other relevant information and/or documentation in case it is not handed out by the instructor during the course. In the introductory session, the assigned instructor for each group will present all these aspects along with the specific methodology that will be followed throughout the course.

At the beginning of the course, the student will receive information on the Safety Regulations and the proper conduct of the laboratory sessions. The document will be available on the course's PRADO platform. This document is mandatory reading and must be followed throughout the practical sessions. Failure to comply with it releases the instructor and the department conducting the sessions from any responsibility.

Students with Specific Educational Support Needs (NEAE)

In line with the recommendations of CRUE (Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities) and the Office for Inclusion and Diversity of the UGR, the systems for acquiring and assessing competencies described in this course guide will be applied according to the principle of universal design, facilitating learning and the demonstration of knowledge according to the students' needs and functional diversity. The teaching methodology and assessment will be adapted for students with NEAE, in accordance with Article 11 of the Evaluation and Grading Regulations for Students of the UGR, published in the Official Bulletin of the UGR No. 112, dated November 9, 2016.

Inclusion and Diversity at the UGR

For students with disabilities or other specific educational support needs (NEAE), the tutoring system must be adapted to their needs, following the recommendations of the UGR Inclusion Unit. Departments and Schools must establish the necessary measures to ensure that tutoring sessions are held in accessible locations. Additionally, upon request by faculty, methodological support may be sought from the relevant university unit when special teaching adaptations are needed.

Useful information for students with disabilities and/or Specific Educational Support Needs (NEAE)

Service and support management: https://ve.ugr.es/servicios/atencion-social/estudiantes-con-discapacidad

Información de interés para estudiantado con discapacidad y/o Necesidades Específicas de Apoyo Educativo (NEAE): Gestión de servicios y apoyos (https://ve.ugr.es/servicios/atencion-social/estudiantes-con-discapacidad).

Python.

Overleaf.