Experimental Physics Design Laboratory

人们已经认识到，物理毕业生在工业实验物理或攻读更高学位的职业生涯中，需要在实验设计和规划阶段进行在职培训。这种培训往往是随意的，学员很有可能是自学的。我们相信，如果我们的专业在正式的课程设置中，在教师的监督和反馈下完成他们的第一次规划和设计任务，我们的专业教育将更加完整。为了满足这一需求，我们为高年级学生开设了一个实验物理设计实验室。课程的核心设备已经组装好，更多的设备正在被带进实验室，以使其达到计划的阶段。该课程教学模式的主要目标是培养学生的主动性，并向学生灌输合理设计和规划实验的需要。实验的选择是基于一系列因素：利用广泛适用的物理原理或技术、可用的设备以及与先前实验室课程中的实验不重叠。选择的实验也有一定的开放性，以满足教学模式的目标。

It has been recognized that physics graduates progressing to careers in experimental physics in industry or to studies for a higher degree, need on-the-job training in the design and planning stage of experiments. More often than not this training is haphazard, with a good chance that the trainee is self-taught. We believe that the education of our majors will be more complete if their first planning and design assignments are performed with an oversight and feedback from faculty, in a formal course setting. To meet this need we have inaugurated an experimental physics design lab for seniors. A core of equipment has been assembled for the course, and more apparatus is being brought into the laboratory to bring it to its planned stage. The main goals of the teaching mode for the course are to develop initiative, and to instill in the students the need for sound design and planning of experiments. The choice of experiments is based on a number of factors; utilization of a physical principle or technique of wide applicability, available equipment, and non-overlap with experiments in preceding laboratory courses. The experiments chosen also are somewhat open-ended, to meet the goals of the teaching mode.