Laboratory Order


1. At the beginning of the laboratory course an introductory session is given to inform the students about the organization, safety regulations and precautions in the Introductory Physics Laboratory.

2. The organization of the various experiments and the time table are announced both on the information board in the laboratory and on the website of the Introductory Physics Lab (http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~prakphys/). The dates are binding. It is mandatory that the laboratory sessions start on time; therefore, students coming late will be excluded from the current experiment and are requested to repeat the experiment at the end of the course. The laboratory course has been carefully organized; absence of the students from the laboratory course must be justified. Especially, if a laboratory session is missed twice, proper attestation has to be produced; otherwise the student might be excluded from the laboratory course. The students are responsible to register in time for repeat dates, if necessary.

3. The experiments are normally realized in groups consisting of two students. Each student is requested to use an A4 size bound notebook for the protocols; files with lose sheets are not accepted. Follow the hints for the preparation of a laboratory record. The final record has as a rule to be finished at the end of the laboratory session. The record will be graded by the demonstrator.

4. To successfully realize the experimental tasks a comprehensive advance preparation of the experiment is necessary. The preparation should be documented in the laboratory record including the theoretical background of the experiment, equations to calculate the desired results, descriptions of important experimental techniques, equations to estimate the maximum error etc. If the preparation is insufficient, the experiment cannot be performed or continued and will be graded "5 (failed)". After obtaining the grade "5" twice the student will be requested to pass a test to continue the work in the laboratories.

5. Make sure that all tools, devices and equipment are in good condition, are suitable for duty and are without defects. Check the safety precautions (electric isolations of cables, plugs and sockets etc.). Keep your workstation clean and tidy. Inform the demonstrator or the technician if there are any problems with the equipment; do not repair yourself. Always work carefully.

6. Each student will get a form to record the successful realization of every laboratory session. At the end of the laboratory course the students, after successfully completing the mandatory number of experiments, will get a course certificate. Each student will get a grade for the whole course which is calculated as an arithmetic mean of the grades for the single sessions. The sessions graded "5 (failed)" will have to be repeated at the end of the course. Each session can be repeated only once. After failing twice the same experiment, the student is requested to repeat the complete laboratory course. Each laboratory course may be repeated only once.

7. If the student uses records or results of other students during the laboratory session, the session will be aborted and graded "5 (failed)". It is possible to repeat this session at the end of the semester.

8. As a consequence of offences against the Laboratory Order the student concerned may be suspended from the laboratory course.