If you are taking this course as Physics 20073, then you will satisfy the "Physical Science with Lab" or "Natural Science" core requirement as well as the "Global Awareness" requirement in the new core. In order to meet this requirement, there are certain minimum standards we are required to ask of all students. In order to avoid later confusion, here are some of the basic ground rules of the lab course (this will be supplemented by the lab syllabus, to be handed out during the first lab meeting):

Labs will begin on Wednesday, July 9.

All labs will be held in SWR 360.

Required lab equipment

The Physics 20073 is the required text for this course, available at the TCU bookstore. You must bring this manual to all labs. In addition, new computer labs will be substituted into the schedule throughout the semester as the lab manual is continually revised and upgraded. Students are required to bring the following to all sections:

• notebook paper
• pen or pencil
• a calculator
• Physics 20073 lab manual

The calculator you bring to lab should be capable of performing calculations in scientific notation, and you should learn how to use this feature prior to attending your first lab. If you do not bring your required equipment to the lab, your TA has the authority to excuse you from the lab with no credit.

Lab attendance is mandatory to receive credit for Physics 20073.

Even though the lab portion of the course is only worth 20 percent of your overall grade, you must attend all 9 lab sections and hand in a report for each lab at the end of each section. If you fail to complete 9 different lab assignments, you will lose one letter grade from your overall course grade per lab you are missing. Thus, if you have a "C" average in the lecture and miss one lab, your grade will drop to a "D". If you have a "C" average and miss two labs, your grade will drop to an "F".

It is recommended that you keep all of your graded lab reports so that if there is a discrepancy later in the semester about a "lost" lab, you will be able to provide documentation to prove that you did indeed attend the lab section and turn in a report. In the absence of such evidence, we must assume that you didn't turn in a report, so please keep your labs for your own benefit!

If you miss a lab due to an unexpected absence caused by a documented medical or legal reason, then individual arrangements for make-ups will be made for you provided you can't make up the lab during the make-up day, which is held at the usual lab time on Thursday, August 11. If you have an excused absence for a lab that makes it impossible for you to attend on that day you must present documentation to Dr. Ingram in his office (SWR 368) before the end of the week. If you wait any longer to provide this documentation, it will not be accepted.

There will be one make-up day near the end of the semester.

On Wednesday, July 30, an "10th lab" will be held. At this time, any student who missed a lab (whether the absence was excused or unexcused) during the previous 9 meetings can make up one lab. If you've already taken 9 labs by this time, you may use this lab to replace your worst lab grade or you may simply ignore this lab altogether. This day is considered to be the make-up day for any and all absences. If you have two or more excused absences for all the lab sections, individual arrangements should be made as far in advance as possible (preferably early in the semester if you know about them in advance) so you can make up more than one lab.