Introduction to Physics Laboratory and Basics Physics Experiment

Timetable

Classes will start on 12 October 2026.

Schedule:
Mondays, 8:15–10.30 (or other dates to be agreed upon with the course participants)

Location:
Laboratorium Eksperymentu Fizycznego (Physical Experiment Laboratory), Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University (UAM)

Course details:

• Total course duration: 45 hours

• 15 meetings, 3 hours each (3x45min) including an inctroduction and a summary session

• Meetings take place weekly during the winter semester

Module aim (aims)

 

• Developing skills in planning and conducting basic physical experiments

• Developing skills in using simple statistical methods for the analysis and interpretation of measurement data, as well as for proper reporting and drawing final conclusions based on performed experiments

• Enabling students to experimentally verify basic physical phenomena and physical laws

• Developing the habit of presenting data, preparing laboratory and research reports, and applying statistical tools for data analysis

• Developing skills for individual and team-based research work

• Developing skills in using AI tools for data analysis and visualization

 

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

• General knowledge of physics at high school level
• General knowledge of mathematics at high school level
• Basic knowledge of differential calculus

Syllabus

 

• During laboratory classes, students are required to perform and analyze 8 basic physics experiments, covering the following branches of physics: General Mechanics; Electricity and Magnetism; Vibrations and Wave Phenomena; Thermodynamics; Optics; and Modern Physics (Atomic, Nuclear or Quantum Physics).

• The student is required to:

  1. Prepare by studying the theory of the phenomenon under investigation;

  2. Analyze the measurement data and prepare a summary laboratory report;

  3. Comply with health and safety regulations while working with measuring instruments and devices located in the laboratory.

•  As part of the General Mechanics section, students may perform selected experiments related to the following topics: kinematics and dynamics; principles of momentum conservation; principles of mechanical energy conservation; kinematics and dynamics of rigid bodies; hydrostatics.

• As part of the Electricity and Magnetism section, students may perform selected experiments covering the following topics: electrostatic fields; dielectrics and/or ferroelectrics; direct and alternating current; magnetic fields; and electromagnetic induction.

• As part of the Vibrations and Wave Phenomena section, students may perform selected tasks related to the following topics: mechanical vibrations; mechanical resonance or motion of pendulums.

• As part of the Optics section, students perform selected tasks related to topics such as diffraction, interference, polarization of electromagnetic waves, as well as geometrical optics, including plane-parallel plates or optical prisms or lenses.

• As part of the Thermodynamics section, students may perform selected tasks related to topics such as calorimetry, the ideal gas law, the laws of thermodynamics or thermal conductivity.

• As part of the Modern Physics section, students may perform selected tasks related to topics such as the photoelectric effect; the Zeeman effect; atomic spectra.

Reading list

• Halliday, D., Resnick, R., & Walker, J. Fundamentals of Physics. Wiley, 2013.

• JCGM 100:2008. Evaluation of Measurement Data — Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement.

• Materials prepared by the lecturer.