SCSU     Phy 470
 Advanced Experimental Physics I
Instructor: Abe Bidarian ph.D.
Office: Jennings Hall 106 (203-392-6458)
e-mail:  bidarian@southernct.edu

Course Description:
The purpose of this course is to involve the students in several areas of  Modern physics, Quantum mechanics, Solid state electronics and Optics. 
At the same time the students will learn the state of the art methods of data acquisition and analysis using LabVIEW graphical programming. The student will maintain a detailed laboratory notebook, learn to present the result orally and write a formal laboratory  report.
Class meets: 3 hours of laboratory and one hour of lecture weekly.

Text:  1.   "Why things are the Way they Are " by B.S. Chandrasekhar    ISBN 0-521-45660-6
                2.   "Men who made a new physics"   by Barbara Lovett Cline      ISBN 0-226-11027-3

 

Referenced Books Available in the Lab.

Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
Modern physics by Thornton & Rex
Modern physics by Kenneth Krane
The Art of Experimental physics by Daryl Preston  & Eric Dietz
Experiments in modern physics by Adrian Melissinos
"An Introduction to error analysis " by John Taylor
Data analysis for scientists and engineers by S. Meyer

List of possible experiments:
Computer Interfacing projects
I, V characteristic of an Diode. 
Building your Interface Tester
Interactive Modern  Experiments 

Modern Physics Experiments
The Frank Hertz experiment
Photoelectric effect 
Balmer series of Hydrogen 
Milikan oil drop experiment 
Charge/Mass of  the electron
Solid state determination of electron charge 
Critical temperature of a superconductor 
Hall effect 

Grading:
Final                                                          20% 
Lab Reports                                              65%
LabView  and in class participation            15%                    

Week 1 Error analysis hand out + Introduction to computer interfacing
Week 2 Error Analysis I+  Lab VIEW Basics I
Week 3 Error Analysis + Using  Data Acquisition Board, and Serial port.
Week 4 Error Analysis,  +  IEEE-488  GPIB
Week 5  Frank Hertz Experiment I
Week 6 Problem set I  + discussion on current experiment (Frank Hertz Experiment I )
Week 7 Exam I,    Lab report I + Photoelectric Effect (Exp. II )
Week 8 Problem set II  +  Discussion on current experiment + Lab report II +  e/m of electron experiment III
Week 9 Problem set III  +  Discussion on current experiment + Lab report III +     Balmer Series Of Hydrogen (exp.)
Week 10 Problem set IV  +  Discussion on current experiment + Lab report IV + catch up time
Week 11 Solid State Determination of the electron charge (exp. )
Week 12 Problem set V  +  Discussion on current experiment + Lab report V + Milikan oil drop experiment (VI)
Week 13 Problem set VI  +  Discussion on current experiment + Lab report VI 
Week 14 Final Exam
Useful links:
The Frank-Hertz Experiment 
e/m for the electron
e/m experiment
The Electron Charge-to-Mass Ratio e/m
What is the Photo-Electric Effect?
Quantum Physics 
Welcome to the MIT Junior Lab
Modern Physics Lab. University of Minnesota
Modern Physics Lab. Stony Brook   N.Y
Elementary Physics Review
Interactive Physics
LabVIEW Tutorial
Writing Lab Report:
Resources for Writing Laboratory Reports
The format of a typical lab report
Writing a formal Report 
Statistics on Line
Help With Spread Sheet EXCEL
Microsoft Excel Tutorial
Learning EXCEL