Syllabus – CPS PHY 2201

Course Information
Course Title: Lab for PHY 2200
Course Number: PHY 2201
Term and Year: Fall 2025
Credit Hour: 1
Course Format: Ground
Location: Boston Main Campus
Meeting Days/Times: Wednesdays, 8:30-10:00pm  (First meeting on Sep 10)

Lab Calendar and Experiment Schedules:
Lab Calendar
PHY 2201 – Fall 2025

Lab Instructor Information
Full Name: It will be provided by your TA.
Email Address: It will be provided by your TA.
Office Hours: Email to schedule an appointment. Instructor response time will be 24-48 hours.

Lab Supervisor / Directors Information
IPL office is located at CH 323.
– Prof. Baris Altunkaynak (IPL Supervisor), i.altunkaynak@northeastern.edu
– Prof. Oleg Batishchev (IPL Co-Director), o.batishchev@northeastern.edu
– Prof. Paul Champion (IPL Co-Director), p.champion@northeastern.edu

Course Description
Offers students an opportunity to perform and analyze laboratory experiments from physics topics covered in PHY 2200. This course is part of a sequence for students majoring in health science, engineering technology, and other programs requiring laboratory experience in Physics 2.
Prereq: PHY 1200 and PHY 1201, Coreq: PHY 2200

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lab course, you will:

  1. Learn the fundamentals of experimentation in physics,
  2. Have a better conceptual understanding of physical laws,
  3. Learn how to use basic scientific instruments,
  4. Develop analytical and computational skills to analyze experimental data,
  5. Be able to identify sources of errors, quantify uncertainties in an experiment, and incorporate them in your analyses,
  6. Learn software used for data recording / analysis,
  7. Develop technical writing skills.

Required Textbook
Please follow the link labeled IPL Manual in the IPL Information module on Canvas to purchase access to your lab manual directly from Macmillan. This will give you access to the lab manual and also to the pre-lab quizzes that you will need to complete. You can purchase access directly with a credit card. Access cards are also available from the campus bookstore. If you are retaking the same lab course, please fill out the form linked under IPL Information module on Canvas (deadline is Sep 7). Please note that Physics 1 and 2 courses require separate purchases, but we will provide you with a free access code if you are retaking a Physics 1 or a Physics 2 course.

Title: Introductory Physics Laboratory
Edition: Fall 2025
Authors: Altunkaynak, Batishchev and Hyde
ISBN: 978-1-5339-4844-1

Lab Policies and Procedures:
Please review the Policies and Procedures webpage.

Attendance and Make-up Labs
You are expected to attend all lab sessions. You will get zero credit if you miss a lab or if you come in late. If you have a valid excuse for your absence (such as a medical emergency), you can make-up only one missed lab during the end of term make-up period or during the semester. All make-up labs must be approved by the IPL Supervisor/Directors in consultation with the TA.

Lab Procedures

Before lab:

  • Read over the relevant sections of the lab manual and complete the pre-lab quiz on Achieve website before coming to lab.

During lab:

  • Each lab is total of 3 hours spread over two 1.5 hours sessions in two weeks. You must attend both sessions.
  • Listen to your TA’s introduction carefully. Do not attempt to start the experiment until after your TA’s introduction.
  • Work with your lab partner and complete all investigations and data analysis during the lab time.
  • E-mail your complete data file to your TA and your partner, and organize your lab bench before leaving the lab room.

After lab:

  • Write a lab report and submit it on Canvas. Lab reports are due a week after your lab by 11:59pm.
  • After submitting your lab report, make sure to double check that you uploaded the correct file into the correct assignment on Canvas.

Pre-lab quizzes:
You will complete a pre-lab quiz before each lab in your online manual. Your pre-lab quiz grades will then get transferred to Canvas. For the first lab, the pre-lab quizzes will be due by the end of the week. Starting with the second lab, they will be due by the start time of your labs. You will have 3 attempts to complete each quiz, and your highest score will be your final score.

Lab Reports
You will work with a lab partner to record and analyze data and create plots during lab time, but you must write and submit your own individual lab report, in your own words, for each experiment. You will generally have about one week to complete each report, though the exact due dates are posted on Canvas. Your lab report should be written according to the posted guidelines. A late penalty of -5 points/day will apply for each day a lab report is submitted late. It is your responsibility to ensure that your lab reports are uploaded properly to Canvas. If the file you submit cannot be opened, a late penalty will apply until you submit a proper file. In very rare occasions, if there are any problems with Canvas, you must email your report right away to your TA as a PDF attachment. The Canvas submission date/time or the time you send your PDF file to your TA will count as the official timing of your submission. The time stamp of your lab report file will not be accepted as the submission date/time of your report. No lab reports will be accepted after 11:59pm Dec 6, 2025.

AI Tools
The landscape of physics education is rapidly evolving with the emergence of powerful artificial intelligence tools. This course acknowledges that AI can offer significant benefits in areas such as tailored self-directed learning, inquiry-based problem creation, and the development of teaching materials. However, it is equally important to recognize that inappropriate or uncritical use of AI can impede your foundational learning and development of essential skills like critical, creative, and synthetic thinking. Our policy aims to strike a balance, selectively integrating AI where it aligns with specific learning objectives, while ensuring that core competencies develop independently.

Self directed learning: Use of AI tools is encouraged for self directed learning of experimental methods and data analysis techniques. AI tools could be beneficial when used to solidify your knowledge and clear up misconceptions. You are encouraged to use them in ways that will help you understand the goals and procedures of an experiment, the experimental techniques employed, and data analysis methods such as error analysis and error propagation.

Pre-lab quizzes and lab reports: Use of AI tools is prohibited on these assignments. It is important to complete these assignments on your own without using AI tools for your learning and developing essential experimental, scientific writing and scientific communication skills. This prohibition is rooted in the pedagogical understanding that true learning often involves a “productive struggle” and the development of one’s unique intellectual voice. AI, though seemingly helpful, can bypass the critical thinking, iterative refinement, and deep conceptual engagement necessary for mastering complex physics. It can “short-circuit the process of reading for understanding” and lead to an over-reliance that diminishes your capacity for independent judgment and creativity. Furthermore, AI tools are known to occasionally produce inaccurate, biased, or non-existent information, which can undermine the integrity of your learning process.

Academic Integrity
While you will work with a lab partner to record and analyze data and create plots during lab time, you must write and submit your own individual lab report in your own words for each experiment. Any lab report submission that contains content copied from another student’s report, from the lab manual or includes AI-generated content, whether partially or entirely, will be considered an act of academic dishonesty. This will result in a zero grade for the assignment and may lead to further disciplinary action, as outlined in the University’s Academic Integrity policy. This penalty applies to all individuals with duplicate text in their reports, so do not copy and do not share your report with others for any reason. A second incident of plagiarism will result in a zero for the entire lab component of the course.

Our expectation is that your work reflects your own intellectual effort, insights, and understanding, with mistakes viewed as crucial steps in the learning process rather than failures to be concealed. We encourage you to seek assistance from your TA during lab and attend the Physics Workshop to navigate challenges and deepen your learning.

Letter grade ranges
The lab course will receive its own 1-credit grade. Typical inclusive ranges for letter grades are:

A/A-: 90-100,
B+/B/B-: 80-90,
C+/C/C-: 70-80,
D+/D/D-: 55-70,
F: below 55

End-of-Course Evaluation Surveys:
Your feedback regarding your educational experience in this class is very important to the College of Professional Studies. Your comments will make a difference in the future planning and presentation of our curriculum.

At the end of this course, please take the time to complete the evaluation survey at https://neu.evaluationkit.com. Your survey responses are completely anonymous and confidential. For courses 6 weeks in length or shorter, surveys will be open one week prior to the end of the courses; for courses greater than 6 weeks in length, surveys will be open for two weeks. An email will be sent to your HuskyMail account notifying you when surveys are available.

Academic Integrity:
A commitment to the principles of academic integrity is essential to the mission of Northeastern University. The promotion of independent and original scholarship ensures that students derive the most from their educational experience and their pursuit of knowledge. Academic dishonesty violates the most fundamental values of an intellectual community and undermines the achievements of the entire University.

As members of the academic community, students must become familiar with their rights and responsibilities. In each course, they are responsible for knowing the requirements and restrictions regarding research and writing, examinations of whatever kind, collaborative work, the use of study aids, the appropriateness of assistance, and other issues. Students are responsible for learning the conventions of documentation and acknowledgment of sources in their fields. Northeastern University expects students to complete all examinations, tests, papers, creative projects, and assignments of any kind according to the highest ethical standards, as set forth either explicitly or implicitly in this Code or by the direction of instructors.

Go to https://osccr.sites.northeastern.edu/academic-integrity-policy/ to access the full academic integrity policy.

Student Accommodations:
The College of Professional Studies is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities to students with documented disabilities (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical).  To ensure access to this class, and program, please contact The Disability Resource Center (http://www.northeastern.edu/drc/) to engage in a confidential conversation about the process for requesting reasonable accommodations in the classroom and clinical or lab settings.  Accommodations are not provided retroactively so students are encouraged to register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) as soon as they begin their program. The College of Professional Studies encourages students to access all resources available through the DRC for consistent support.

TITLE IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects individuals from sex or gender-based discrimination, including discrimination based on gender-identity, in educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.
Northeastern’s Title IX Policy prohibits Prohibited Offenses, which are defined as sexual harassment, sexual assault, relationship or domestic violence, and stalking. The Title IX Policy applies to the entire community, including male, female, transgender students, faculty and staff.

If you or someone you know has been a survivor of a Prohibited Offense, confidential support and guidance can be found through University Health and Counseling Services staff (http://www.northeastern.edu/uhcs/) and the Center for Spiritual Dialogue and Service clergy members (http://www.northeastern.edu/spirituallife/). By law, those employees are not required to report allegations of sex or gender-based discrimination to the University.

Alleged violations can be reported non-confidentially to the Title IX Coordinator within The Office for Gender Equity and Compliance at: titleix@northeastern.edu and/or through NUPD (Emergency 617.373.3333; Non-Emergency 617.373.2121). Reporting Prohibited Offenses to NUPD does NOT commit the victim/affected party to future legal action.

Faculty members are considered “responsible employees” at Northeastern University, meaning they are required to report all allegations of sex or gender-based discrimination to the Title IX Coordinator.
In case of an emergency, please call 911.

Please visit http://www.northeastern.edu/titleix for a complete list of reporting options and resources both on- and off-campus.

Library Services:
The Northeastern University Library is at the hub of campus intellectual life. Resources include over 900,000 print volumes, 206,500 e-books, and 70,225 electronic journals.

For more information, visit http://library.northeastern.edu/.

Tutoring Services:
Tutoring can benefit skilled professionals and beginning students alike. NU offers many opportunities for you to enhance your academic work and professional skills through free one-on-one academic support on and off campus. Tutoring is available in multiple subject areas.

For more information, visit https://cps.northeastern.edu/current-students/tutoring-services/.

Northeastern University Online Technical Help:
Get immediate 24/7 technical support for NU Online by calling 855-836-3520 or visiting the online Support Center.  Support via e-mail is also available within one business day at NUOnline@neu.edu.

Undergraduate Catalog:
The College of Professional Studies Undergraduate Catalog is a reference/resource with information about curricula, resources, and academic and student policies. For more information, visit http://www.cps.neu.edu/student-resources/.

Northeastern University Online Copyright Statement
Northeastern University Online is a registered trademark of Northeastern University. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

This course material is copyrighted and Northeastern University Online reserves all rights. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, or otherwise, without the express prior written permission of Northeastern University Online.

Copyright 2025, © by Northeastern University Online
All Rights Reserved

The instructor reserves the right to amend this syllabus, both online and the document itself, during the term and will notify students of the change(s).  The revised syllabus is the official record of class policies and schedule of due dates