CONTENTS Description/Text Book Instructor Goals Outline Notebook Paper Grading Attendance

Light "is nothing other than a certain motion or action conceived in a very subtle matter, which fills the pores of all other bodies..." [Rene Descartes, La Dioptrique (1637)] "I procured me a Triangular glass-Prisme to try therewith the celebrated Pheaenomena of Colours." [Isaac Newton, Opticks (1704)] Light is an "an electromagnetic disturbance in the form of waves..." [James Clerck Maxwell, circa 1870] "The energy in a beam of light emanating from a point source is not distributed continuously over larger and larger volumes of space but consists of a finite number of energy quanta,..." [Albert Einstein, circa 1905] "In the new setting of ideas the distinction [between particles and waves] has vanished, because it was discovered that all particles have also wave properties, and vice versa. Neither of the two concepts must be discarded, they must be amalgamated. Which aspect obtrudes itself depends not on the physical object, but on the experimental device set up to examine it." [Erwin C. Schroedinger, Science Theory and Man (1957)]

Instructor: Dr. John Varriano
Office: CW 116
Phone: 3439 (office)     685-9551 (home)

Office Hours:
Check my posted schedule for official office hours. Feel free to come by at other times to see if I am in.

Goals:
This course is designed to supplement, in a hands-on manner, Physics 415. Thus, it shares the goals of that course. In addition, this course is designed to be an exploration of optical phenomena, some of the equipment and techniques that are used to observe them, and some of the applications of these phenomena. Thus, I intend that you not only study in more detail certain optical processes, but also gain facility in setting up optical experiments and become familiar with some commonly used optical instruments and devices. Finally, I intend that you gain some facility in keeping a well-documented lab notebook and in communicating your results, two essential skills for a research scientist.

Outline:
We will do some experiments from the following list. The specific experiments we perform will depend on time and interest.

Notebook:
You are required to keep a lab notebook. The exact size and form is your choice. I would prefer a bound notebook. All observations, measurements, calculations, and results should be entered in the notebook. Most lab hand-outs contain a "Report" section with a list of calculations to perform, plots to make and analyze, and/or questions to answer. All of these results must also be entered in your lab notebook. I will collect your lab notebooks periodically to grade your performance for each lab. You will be told in advance when I will be collecting notebooks. Note that a formal written report is not required for each lab.

Some guidelines for keeping a good lab notebook:

1. Always enter the date in the margin of your lab notebook any time you make an entry.
2. Number the pages.
3. Use ink! Lead can fade and be erased.
4. Never completely cross out an error or use white-out. Simply put one line through the error and write the correction next to the error.
5. Secure print-outs of plots, data, etc. in your notebook with tape or glue. Be sure to fully explain each plot.
6. Be as neat and as organized as possible.
7. Keep the notebook as documented as possible. Make references to other pages when appropriate. Some one who reads the experiment hand-out should be able to read your lab notebook and easily understand your data and results.

Paper:
You must present your results from one experiment in the form of a scientific paper. The paper is due at the end of the semester but can be turned in earlier. The paper must be written using a word processor and plotting software. Stylistically, it should follow the format of a paper that is submitted for publication. In particular, it must use the following format.

Title of Paper Your Name

I. Abstract This is one paragraph with a few sentences which summarize what you will present in the paper.

II. Introduction Describe what you examined and how you examined it. You should describe the theory behind what you examined to some degree. Don't go overboard, though, on the theory. Your readers should have some familiarity with the topic.

III. Experimental Set-Up Describe the set-up and exactly what quantities you measured. Diagrams are very useful in describing set-ups. I would expect that at least one diagram is necessary.

IV. Results Include your raw results and the subsequent analyses performed on the results. Include any plots with appropriate descriptions.

V. Conclusions Summarize briefly what you conclude from your results. You should also make suggestions for improvements in the experiment for future use.

All diagrams and plots must be labeled as "Fig. #" starting with "Fig. 1". Each must include a caption with a short description of the diagram. The diagrams and plots should be referred to in the body of the paper as "Fig. #". All tables must be labeled as "Table #" starting with "Table I". Each must include a caption with a brief description of the table contents. The tables should be referred to in the body of the paper as "Table #".

The papers should not be too lengthy. I suggest that you show me a draft of your paper for my comments before you make your final submission.

Grading:
For each experiment set, you will receive a grade out of 100 points based upon your notebook entries. A set may consist of one long experiment or a few shorter experiments. You should complete the "Report" section of an experiment in your notebook as soon as possible. If a section is not complete at the time of grading, your grade for that experiment set will be substantially reduced. No resubmission is allowed. Feel free to come in and discuss your results to a particular experiment at anytime.

The average of all of your set scores will contribute 80% to your final grade. The remaining 20% will come from your paper. Your final letter grade is determined using the following scale.

Attendance/Participation:
It is extremely important to attend the scheduled lab meetings since equipment will be shared between people and between different experimental setups. If you must miss a lab meeting, let me know beforehand so that we can make arrangements. Missing lab meetings without warning or without making up work will be considered in determining your final grade.

A Final Word:
I fully intend that this lab be a fun and exciting journey into the fascinating world of light. The lab notebook is designed to make efficient use of your time in this course while helping you gain insight.