Course Syllabus
Course Details
- Class hours: Tue, Thursday, Periods 3—5 (9:35 am—12:35 pm), NPB 1240
Contact Information
- Instructor: Prof. Heather Ray
- Office: NPB 2237
- Office hours: T, H 8:30 am - 9:30 am
- Phone: Canvas email only
- Instructor: Prof. Neil Sullivan
- Office: NPB 2235
- Office hours: T, H 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
- Phone: Canvas email only
- Instructor: Prof. David Tanner
- Office: NPB 2372
- Office hours: Monday 11:45 am-12:45 pm; Friday 11:45 am-12:45 pm.
- Phone: Canvas email only
- Instructor: Prof. Xiao-Xiao Zhang
- Office: NPB 2259
- Office hours: Monday 10:00 am -12 pm
- Phone: Canvas email only
Communication with the Instructors
All email communication with your instructors must be done through the Canvas email tool. Make sure to cc all instructors on your emails.
Description
UF Catalog: Current Laboratory Techniques
Additional Description: This course provides an introduction to the techniques found in various disciplines of modern experimental physics. Students will learn how an experimental concept is designed to measure a physical parameter (e.g. the lifetime of a muon) and how that concept is realized in terms of hardware and electronics. Students will be exposed to a variety of data and statistical analysis methods that are used to extract the desired physical parameters from the raw measurements.
Course Objectives
For each experiment you perform in this laboratory course you will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the underlying physics, the experimental apparatus, the measurement techniques, and the data analysis. You should reach a level of mastery sufficient to suggest and explore such experimental refinements as improving the quality or quantity of the data, expanding the analysis, or widening the scope of the measurements beyond what is suggested in the handouts.
During your time in and out of the lab, you will:
- Learn new physics regarding the systems explored in the experiments.
- Use modern instrumentation and data acquisition computers to collect data on those systems.
- Learn about measurement uncertainty and systematic error and use statistical analysis procedures to determine experimental parameters and their uncertainties.
- Learn how to keep a lab notebook and how to communicate experimental results in a variety of formats.
- Learn the various concepts involved in designing a physics experiment.
General Instructions
Work will be performed in groups with experimental rotations determined at the beginning of the semester. Each student will perform a total of 4 experiments. You may choose from the nine available experiments, classified into five groups: (1) Particle/Nuclear Physics, (2) Condensed Matter Physics, (3) Spectroscopy, (4) Optical Scattering and (5) Other Topics. Students will be able to submit a list of their preferred experiments to perform, however the final experimental rotations will be assigned based on several factors.
Expectations for Collaborative Work
Students will work together in this course. We promote respectful student collaborations and encourage valuing the contributions of all teammates. It takes the participation and efforts of all to ensure this community is inclusive of everyone, regardless of our differences. Please remain respectful when there is disagreement between you and someone else.
Preparation
It is important to get up to speed quickly on each experiment. The first day of an experimental rotation should be spent working with the apparatus and getting a start on the experimental procedures and not reading the lab manual for the first time. To prepare for an experiment and complete the exercises on time, be sure to read the experiment's lab manual at least one full week (two sessions) ahead. Read it before the first day that you will be working with the new experiment.
This preparatory activity will overlap with the final week of the "previous" experiment, however, it is expected that by that point most of the data acquisition and analysis has been completed and your effort is primarily focused on the writing the report.
The overall course load has been designed to be roughly constant throughout a semester, i.e. as the workload from one experiment begins to decrease towards the end of a rotation the work load for the subsequent experiment will rise.
Website
The experimental rotation schedule will be posted on the course’s Canvas website.
Assignments and lab reports will be submitted and returned through Canvas.
Textbook
There is no required text to purchase for this course.
Materials for experiments are found in the Experiments folder in the files area. Additional online resources for experiments are provided on a separate page.
The statistical textbook, Statistical Analysis of Data in the Linear Regime, is also found in the files area, in the Statistics Folder. Additional resources for statistics are found on a separate page.
Prerequisites
- PHY 4604 and PHY 4802L.
Background: It is expected that students are familiar with various aspects of modern physics and are comfortable with diagnosing and debugging simple experimental problems.
Lab Fees
A $7 materials and supplies fee is for consumables such as chemicals, glassware, and printing supplies. A $90 equipment use fee is for replacing whole experiments or a component such as a meter or data-acquisition computer.
Expectations for the Teaching/Learning Environment
Each semester we join together to form a unique and diverse learning community. This community is enriched by our own unique backgrounds, identities, experiences, challenges, and opportunities for personal growth. The instructional team recognizes the value in diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of this course. This includes, but is not limited to differences in race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion and disability.
Physics, like all human endeavors, is something that is learned. Our aim is to foster an atmosphere of learning that is based on inclusion, transparency and respect for all participants. We acknowledge the different needs and perspectives we bring to our common learning space and strive to provide everyone with equal access. All students meeting the course prerequisites belong here and are well positioned for success. Please join us in continuing the work to create learning spaces that are safe for all to participate equitably. Provide room for concerns to be voiced, which takes courage and should receive the acknowledgment and empathy they rightly deserve. We are united by a common goal: to learn physics by demonstrating the course outcomes AND to assist this attainment by others in the course, through actions consistent with UF's core values and the student code of conduct.
Lab Conduct
General Lab Conduct
Please read the following section carefully:
- Safety: We have tried to minimize hazards but there are always possibilities for injury. Follow all safety procedures for handling lasers, X-ray machine, cryogens, radioactive materials, and high voltage sources.
- Care: Take care of the equipment. Know how to use it. Do not make connections unless you understand what you're doing. Read the equipment manuals.
- Courtesy: Keep your area clean. Return tools, equipment, etc. to their proper place. Do not remove equipment from other experiments! If you need a replacement part, see an instructor.
You should demonstrate preparation and progress during discussions, which will be conducted informally more or less every session. You should always be prepared to answer the following questions. What are you doing or about to do? Why are you doing it? What do you think will happen? Your "personal performance" grade will be based on these discussions.
Do not wait until you are writing your report before you begin graphing and analyzing data. Mistakes are common in laboratory work and can often be discovered as the data come in by graphing and/or analysis. Graphs and analysis should be displayed in your lab notebook. If your data consists of a modest number of points, just draw appropriate axes in the notebook and mark the data points by hand. If there are are many points, import them into excel or a plotting program and insert it into your lab notebook.
Instructors will be looking specifically for this analysis during discussions and notebook inspections. In addition, a "checkpoint" has been included in each experiment's lab manual containing benchmarks that should be achieved by the end of the fourth session of an experiment. Evaluating data as it comes in and meeting the benchmarks on time will be a significant part of your in-class performance score.
By the end of the fifth session, data acquisition and data analysis should be complete, as should be your understanding of all aspects of the experiment. The sixth session is to clean up any remaining details, work on the report and prepare for the next experiment.
AssessmentS
All assignments are submitted individually at the beginning of the scheduled class (e.g. 9:35 am, through Canvas).
Rubrics for prep check, lab reports, and presentations are found at the end of the syllabus.
LaTeX assignment
Lab reports are written in UF's version of Overleaf. Well before the due date of the first report we ask you to submit a dummy report. Instructions are detailed in the LaTeX HW assignment.
Rotation and Statistics Homework
Homework questions for each rotation, labelled as Exercises, are embedded in each experiment's lab manual. The list of Exercises due for each experiment is found in the Announcements. Statistics homework problems are found in the statistics text.
Lab Reports
Lab reports are written in UF's version of Overleaf. You must share your overleaf project with the instructor in charge of your experiment as soon as you begin your report. Failure to do so will result in a 0 for the report.
NOTE: you should not edit any part of the formatting of this template. Your final paper is expected to be the same font family, font size, 2-column, etc. as the template. Modifying the template to change font/columns/etc. will result in an automatic 0 for the report.
Read Writing Scientific Reports Using LaTeX for additional information on writing lab reports. Whereas the notebook is written chronologically and is a complete record of what occurred in the lab, the report components can be placed in a more reader-friendly order and can be more selective in content. Also keep in mind, many of the notebook guidelines apply to the report as well.
The reports are limited to four pages including references, but excluding the comprehension questions and appendices. This limit will force you to make some judgment calls about what should be included and what has to left out. Any material beyond four pages will not be graded.
The report should be written in the the style of a scientific publication and should show that you understand the physical system under study, the apparatus, and the experimental results. The sections listed below should be included. The points associated with each section are a rough guideline and not binding.
- Abstract: (10%) The abstract should briefly summarize the motivation, the method and most importantly, the quantitative results with errors. Based on those, a conclusion may be drawn.
- Introduction and Theory: (15%) This section should succinctly report the motivation, purpose and relevant background to the experiment. It should define all the major variables involved and provide equations and assumptions.
- Apparatus and Experiment: (15%) This section should provide schematics of the apparatus and discuss how the raw data are generated. It should also include an assessment of their random and systematic errors.
- Analysis and Results: (30%) This section should explain the data analysis and how it leads to the results, including random uncertainties and possible systematic effects.
- Conclusions: (5%) Summarize and discuss the findings of the experiment including quantitative comparisons between your results and theoretical expectations or other experimental values. Suggestions for experimental improvements and possible future
studies are also appropriate here. - References cited: (5%) Cite the source any time and every time you use an idea or a fact that you obtained from that source. The lab manual can be one of these but there must be at least one other from the scientific literature. Use the style used in the LaTeX assignment.
- Comprehension questions: (20%) Discuss and answer all comprehension questions assigned from the lab manual. You may, if you deem it appropriate, include some of the discussion in the main body of the report (i.e. in the Analysis section for example) as long as that does not cause the length to exceed the allotted 4 pages. Any comprehension question NOT specifically addressed in the main body of the report should be addressed in this section. (This section does not count against the four-page limit.)
- Appendices: Here you may include any additional information and/or figures that do not fit into the main body of the report. It should not be necessary to read this section in order to understand the results and conclusions presented in the body of the paper. (The appendices do not count against the four-page limit.)
- Use of graphs and diagrams you did not prepare: The creator of an image usually holds the copyright to the image. This right exists even if there is no © attached. If you wish to use such an image in your report, you must make a citation of the source in the report. The citation is required even if the image is in the public domain.
- You are permitted to use diagrams and images on the lab website and in the lab writeups/manuals. However, it is highly preferred that you create/photograph/sketch your own.
Presentations
For the second rotation, you will deliver in class a conference-style oral presentation of your work. In order to keep all of the talks within the time allotted for our lab meeting, strict time constraints will be enforced. Each group has 12 minutes to present plus 3 minutes to answer questions from the faculty or other students.
In any scientific presentation it is important to tailor what you cover to the specific audience. For this presentation you need to provide enough background information that students that haven't performed your experiment can learn something. At the same time, you should provide enough detail that the instructors and other students that have performed your experiment can gauge your results and any technical issues you may have run into. Some useful (if technologically out-dated) information on scientific speaking can be found here: Advice on speaking.
You should utilize visual slides that help to present your results and organize the flow of your presentation. An example of how to create slides is found in the Files area. Each set of slides should be in the form a single PDF file. This PDF file should be uploaded to Canvas by 11:59 pm on the evening prior to the day of the presentations. This is necessary so that we can efficiently transition from one presentation to the next without delays. Other file formats, such as Powerpoint or Keynote, are not acceptable.
We strongly recommend that you practice your talk several times before delivering your presentation in class, to ensure that you can deliver all of the necessary information clearly and concisely. The breakdown of topics covered in your presentation should roughly follow the breakdown listed for the written reports, minus the abstract. "Appendix" slides at the end of your PDF file can be included that are not presented during the main body of your presentation; these may be shown in order to help answer questions from the audience.
The rules in the section on reports on the use of graphs and diagrams you did not prepare apply to the presentations as well.
laboratory Notebook & PREP CHECK
Purpose: The Prep Check is an oral assessment conducted by multiple instructors to evaluate students' readiness for the lab. It assesses whether students have read the instructions, understand the relevant physics, are familiar with the apparatus, and are properly maintaining their lab notebook.
Format: Oral questioning (approximately 20 minutes total).
Refer to the Laboratory Notebook Guidelines for details on maintaining a laboratory notebook. Notebooks will be kept electronically using the OneNote class notebook on Canvas. These will be accessible to you in the lab (and anywhere with an internet connection). The notebooks must be shared with the instructors for the purposes of evaluating your progress in an experimental rotation.
Bring a flash drive or USB drive to each lab session for storing your data and other files for an experiment. Use a separate directory for each experiment and sub-directories within it when appropriate. Do not assume your data will be on the lab data acquisition computer from one day to another. Back up your flash drive files to your personal computer after each session in case your flash drive is lost or damaged.
Attendance Policy
As this is a laboratory course, regular attendance is essential to setting up the experiments, acquiring the data, and analyzing it. Attendance will be used in determining your overall course grade as described below.
Students are generally allowed access to the laboratory equipment and computers during the regular course hours. It is very important that you attend at these times and that you use your time with the equipment efficiently. Attendance will be recorded via a daily sign in sheet. You must sign in by 10:00 am to be considered on time.
Attendance Factor
The experimental rotations are designed to take the full allotted six sessions to be performed properly. Consequently, a pattern of late arrivals, early departures, and being absent from the apparatus for extended time during the course sessions will be noted and will affect the attendance score portion of the overall grade.
Failing an Experiment
All rotations consist of six 3-hour sessions. Unexcused absence from three or more sessions automatically leads to failing a rotation: no points will be assigned in any category for this experiment. Failing two or more rotations automatically leads to failing the class.
Missed Sessions
Any student who anticipates missing an experimental session due to an exam conflict or any other foreseeable reason that is approved under UF attendance policies should inform the instructors (via Canvas) in advance. In the case of an unforeseeable absence, i.e. due to a medical excuses or family emergencies, please contact the instructors as soon as possible after the missed session. In those cases an appropriate and equivalent means of making up the missed work will be provided.
Please consult the official University Policy for Attendance.
Absences Due to Sickness
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID, the seasonal flu, or other health condition that would affect your ability to work in a laboratory setting we recommend you err on the side of caution and avoid coming in to class. We will arrange for an appropriate and equivalent means of making up the missed work.
Grade Components
The following table summarizes the breakdown of points which will be used to determine the course grade. The individual lab reports and presentations carry the same weight.
| Category | Points per Experiment | Total Points |
|---|---|---|
| Lab report / presentation | 8 | 32 |
| Prep check | 4 | 16 |
| Personal performance | 4 | 16 |
| Pre-Lab HW | 4 | 16 |
| Stats HW | 4 | 8 |
| LaTeX Assignment | -- | 4 |
| Attendance | -- | 8 |
| Total | 100 | |
Grading Scale
The course grades are not curved (i.e. your letter grade only depends on your total score). Your letter grade for the course will be determined as follows:
| Letter Grade | Total Points |
|---|---|
| A | ≥85 |
| A- | 80 |
| B+ | 75 |
| B | 70 |
| B- | 65 |
| C+ | 60 |
| C | 55 |
| C- | 50 |
| D+ | 45 |
| D & below | < 45 |
For further information on UF's Grading Policy, see:
Late Assignments
Please refer to the Course Schedule for a schedule of assignments and due dates. All assignments must be submitted via Canvas by 9:35 am on the day they are due. Assignments turned in late will be given only partial credit. The partial credit factor will decrease by 10% every 24 hrs that the assignment is late. Assignments that are more than a week late will not be accepted and will be assigned a score of zero.
The late submission policy also applies to statistical homework, LaTeX assignment, and rotation homework.
Online Course Evaluation
Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online. Full details on how to provide an evaluation are found on: https://syllabus.ufl.edu/syllabus-policy/uf-syllabus-policy-links/.
Course Schedule
| Date | Day | Rotation | Assignment Due | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 13 | T | INTRO | Choose experiments | Possibly start Stat Lec 1 |
| Jan 15 | H | 1 | Begin Expt 1 | Stat Lec 1 |
| Jan 20 | T | 1 | ||
| Jan 22 | H | 1 |
Stat HW 1 due Rotation 1 exercises due |
Stat Lec 2 Prep check 1 |
|
Jan 27 |
T | 1 |
|
|
| Jan 29 | H | 1 | Stat HW 2 due | |
| Feb 3 | T | 1 |
LaTeX assignment due Stat HW 3 due |
|
| Feb 5 | H | 1 | ||
| Feb 10 | T | 2 | Begin Experiment 2 | |
| Feb 12 | H | 2 | Report 1 due | |
| Feb 17 | T | 2 | Prep check 2 | |
| Feb 19 | H | 2 | Rotation 2 exercises due | |
| Feb 24 | T | 2 | ||
| Feb 26 | H | 2 | ||
| Mar 3 | T | 3 | Begin Experiment 3 | |
| Mar 5 | H | 3 | ||
| Mar 10 | T | - | Oral Presentations | Oral Presentations |
| Mar 12 | H | 3 | Rotation 3 Exercises due | Prep check 3 |
| Mar 17 | T | SPRING BREAK | ||
| Mar 19 | H |
SPRING BREAK |
||
| Mar 24 | T | 3 | ||
| Mar 26 | H | 3 | ||
| Mar 31 | T | 3 | ||
| Apr 2 | H | 4 | Begin Experiment 4 | |
| Apr 7 | T | 4 | Report 3 due | |
| Apr 9 | H | 4 | ||
| Apr 14 | T | 4 | Rotation 4 exercises due | Prep check 4 |
| Apr 16 | H | 4 | ||
| Apr 21 | T | 4 | Report 4 due | |
| Apr 23 | H | READING DAY |
UF Policies
Academic Honesty
WARNING: Ethical violations such as plagiarism, cheating, academic misconduct (e.g. passing off others’ work as your own, reusing old assignments, etc.) will not be tolerated. Students will be reported to SCCR for suspected violations and a penalty of a failing course grade will be requested if they are found guilty. Students must be especially wary of plagiarism. The UF Student Honor Code defines plagiarism as follows: "A student shall not represent as the student’s own work all or any portion of the work of another. Plagiarism includes (but is not limited to): a. Quoting oral or written materials, whether published or unpublished, without proper attribution. b. Submitting a document or assignment which in whole or in part is identical or substantially identical to a document or assignment not authored by the student." Students are encouraged to reach out with any additional questions regarding what constitutes plagiarism. Note that plagiarism also includes the use of any artificial intelligence programs such as ChatGPT and Grammarly (offers AI writing "assistance").
Further information about the Honesty Policy is found here.
Campus Resources
See UF Academic Policies and Resources page for all Academic policies, Academic resources, and Campus Health and Wellness resources. This includes but is not limited to: attendance and makeup policies; disability center information; UF grading policies; evaluations, etc.
Prep Check Rubric
| Category | Description | Excellent (4) | Good (3) | Satisfactory (2) | Needs Improvement (1) | Unsatisfactory (0) |
| Reading of Lab Instructions | Evidence that the student has thoroughly read and comprehended the lab procedure. | Demonstrates complete familiarity with all steps; can explain the full procedure without prompting. | Familiar with most steps; minor gaps that are quickly resolved with minimal prompting. | Familiar with major steps but misses details; requires moderate prompting. | Limited familiarity; struggles to recall key steps even with prompting. | No evidence of having read the instructions. |
| Understanding of Physics Concepts | Depth of understanding of the physical principles addressed in the experiment. | Clear, accurate, and insightful explanation of concepts; can connect to broader principles or predict outcomes confidently. | Solid grasp of main concepts; explains correctly with minor inaccuracies or hesitations. | Basic understanding; can state key ideas but with some misconceptions or superficial explanation. | Limited or incorrect understanding; struggles to explain core physics. | No demonstrated understanding of the physics involved. |
| Knowledge of Experimental Apparatus | Familiarity with the setup, components, and their functions. | Identifies all components accurately, explains their purpose and operation in detail. | Identifies most components correctly; explains functions with minor errors. | Identifies main components but misses details or functions; needs some guidance. | Limited knowledge of components or functions; significant gaps. | Unable to identify or describe key parts of the apparatus. |
| Lab Notebook Maintenance | Quality and organization of the lab notebook (pre-lab preparation, notes, etc.). | Notebook is complete, well-organized, with clear pre-lab notes, objectives, and procedure outline. | Notebook is mostly complete and organized; minor omissions in pre-lab work. | Notebook has basic entries but lacks organization or completeness. | Notebook is incomplete or poorly organized; minimal pre-lab effort evident. | Notebook is missing, empty, or shows no preparation. |
Overall Scoring Guidelines:
Total Score: Sum of the four categories (out of 16). Your score will be scaled to be out of 4 total course points.
- Interpretation:
- 14–16: Fully prepared – student may proceed with minimal supervision.
- 11–13: Well prepared – minor review needed.
- 8–10: Adequately prepared – some guidance required during lab.
- 5–7: Marginally prepared – significant review or re-prep recommended.
- 0–4: Unprepared – may need to reschedule or complete additional preparation.
Presentation Rubric
Overall Scoring Guidelines:
Total Score: Sum of the eight categories (out of 40). Your score will be scaled to be out of 8 total course points.
Required Content Checklist:
To receive full marks for Content Structure, the following must be clearly identifiable:
-
Introduction: Sets the context and motivation for the study.
-
Theory: Explains the underlying physics/chemistry/principles.
-
Apparatus & Procedure: Shows what was used and how the experiment was conducted.
-
Analysis & Errors: Data presentation including a discussion of uncertainties.
-
Conclusions: Summarizes findings and suggests future work.
-
References: Properly formatted citations for theory and images.
Tips for Success
Pro-Tip: During the Analysis phase, never just show a plot. Walk the audience through it: "On the x-axis we have..., on the y-axis we see... This trend indicates that..."
Lab Report Rubric
NOTE: It is a reasonable expectation that at this point in your career you have been trained to write a proper paper, including organization, flow of paragraphs, correct grammar / spelling / no run-on sentences, etc. Incorrect grammar, spelling mistakes, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, etc. will all have points deducted within the section where they are found.
Category
Description
Excellent (90–100%)
Good (80–89%)
Satisfactory (70–79%)
Needs Improvement (60–69%)
Unsatisfactory (<60%)
Points Possible
Abstract
Write concise abstract summarizing purpose, methods, key results, and conclusion.
Abstract is concise, complete, and clearly written; purpose, methods, key results, and conclusion explained with proper context.
Mostly complete and clear; minor omissions or vagueness in background or objectives.
Adequate but lacks depth or clarity; some key elements missing or poorly explained.
Incomplete or unclear; significant omissions in purpose, background, or objectives.
Missing major sections or very poorly written.
10
Introduction &Theory
Introduction with background physics, objectives, and hypotheses. Theory covers underlying physics principles, relevant equations, and their derivation or justification.
Accurate, insightful explanation with all necessary equations correctly explained; connections to broader concepts made.
Solid explanation with correct equations; minor errors or lack of depth.
Basic explanation present; some inaccuracies or superficial treatment.
Limited or incorrect explanation; key equations missing or misused.
Little to no theoretical background provided.
15
Apparatus & Experiment
Description of experimental setup, materials, and step-by-step procedure; includes appropriate diagrams.
Detailed, reproducible procedure with clear description of apparatus; excellent diagram(s) included where needed.
Clear and mostly reproducible; good description with minor gaps.
Adequate description but lacks detail or clarity in some steps.
Procedure vague or hard to follow; missing key steps or diagram.
Incomplete or missing experimental procedure section.
15
Analysis & Results
Presentation of data (tables, graphs), calculations, and results; proper units, significant figures, and labeling. Identification of sources of error,
Data neatly organized in well-labeled tables/graphs; all calculations shown clearly with error propagation where applicable; excellent visual presentation.
Data well-organized; graphs/tables mostly clear; calculations and discussion of errors present with minor issues.
Data presented but with some poor labeling or organization; some calculations and errors analysis missing.
Disorganized or incomplete data; graphs/tables unclear or erroneous. Superficial or incomplete error analysis
Data missing, poorly presented, or inaccurate. No meaningful erroranalysis
30
Conclusions
Interpretation of results, comparison to theory/expectations, explanation of discrepancies, and broader implications.
Insightful analysis; results clearly tied to physics principles; discrepancies thoughtfully explained; strong conclusion with suggestions for improvement.
Good interpretation with reasonable explanations; conclusion addresses objectives.
Adequate discussion but superficial; some discrepancies not addressed.
Weak analysis; limited connection to theory or objectives.
Little to no interpretation or conclusion.
5
References cited
Cite sources used in report. The lab manual can be used but there must be at least one other.
Clear, professional, and well-organized; proper formatting of citations.
Clear and organized; minor formatting issues.
Generally complete but with noticeable missing items.
Multiple errors; poorly formatted.
Significant problems in or missing entirely.
5
Comprehension questions
Clear answers, with background physics,
Answers are concise, complete, and clearly written; relevant physics thoroughly explained with proper context.
Mostly complete and clear; minor omissions or vagueness.
Adequate but lack depth or clarity; some key parts missing or poorly explained.
Incomplete or unclear; significant omissions.
Missing major questions or very poorly written.
20