Experiment Mark
This is the mark that your demonstrator assigns to each experiment, based on based on his or her evaluation of your notebook and your understanding of the experiment you have just completed. Time allowing - particularly for the free choice experiments - your demonstrator will sit down with you and your partner (if you have one!) to discuss the experiment you have just done, and provide a mark. If time is short, you may be asked to hand in your notebook for marking, in which case your discussion will take place at your next lab session. Up to two of your experiments - to be decided on by your demonstrator during the year - may be marked by other demonstrators; this will allow for some standardization of marks between demonstrators and give you the opportunity to get some different feedback on your work.
As soon after you have completed an experiment, approach your demonstrator to have him or her attest that it is indeed completed. You may not start a new experiment without your demonstrators permission.
The marking session in the lab will allow your demonstrator to point out strengths and weaknesses of your performance and your analysis of the experiment and is intended to be as much a learning experience as it is a marking exercise.
Your best ten marks will be used to give a final Experiment mark.
Criteria for the Experiment Mark. This mark will be mainly based on the work you have recorded in your notebook. During the marking of your notebook, your demonstrator will be looking at your performance in the following categories:
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adequate and careful pre-experiment preparation (for the first set of experiments on Classical Mechanics, for example, this will be evidenced by correct answers to the Preparatory Questions; in others you may be asked to show evidence of having consulted the References, etc). good statement of experimental procedures good overall organization clarity of description |
appropriately wide range of data, displayed as it was taken, in well-labelled tables graphs and diagrams used appropriately graphs titled, with both axes correctly labelled units used throughout |
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data self consistent, with all errors indicated correct and intelligent use of error analysis calculations clearly indicated an overall impression of careful and accurate work, well understood "reasonable" measurements, errors, results and conclusions indications of limitations of the experimental method |
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