PHYS 199 Solar Lab: Photovoltaic Cells
Info and Protocol
This is a small goup seminar of no more than 15 students that will include experiments and field trips that will give you some background into the world of Photovoltaic Solar Cells. The lab exercises in this seminar are designed for active learning and will increase your exposure to the principle operation of photovoltaic cells and the concepts of electricity, electrical circuits. In the seminar tt is important to observe as you learn and ask questions when you do not understand.
The seminar is scheduled to meet on Wednesdays 2:00 - 3:20 because some sessions will be field trips on campus that require a little extra time just to get to the site and also some sessions are a lab type setting and it takes some time to take data and discuss results..
How to register for the seminar: Click Here
Course Schedule Draft Click Here
Other Class Info:
1) Attendance is mandatory. Of course if you are sick with the flu or other illness, we do not expect you to come to class. Please contact me if you are sick and cannot attend a seminar session to get an excused absence. (Note: Sessions where we did a lab exercise that required taking data will require a time for make-up.).
2) Average time dedication each week will be about 2 hours including the 80 minute seminar session, so about 40 minutes outside of class for journal entries..
2) Attempt the exercises and report what you found out. There is no need to panic if you did not get all the lab exercises finished, or if you de ply understand all of it. It is better to understand a few exercises and not finish than hurry up, get done and learn nothing.
3) Group dynamics is extremely important. You will work in groups of two Work together as a team and be involved in the process. Whenever you get a new lab partner, take a couple of minutes before you start to introduce yourselves before you start the lab exercise.
4) All notes and data are to be entered in your seminar journal. Basically, the journal is easy as long as you follow a few simple guidelines4)
A) Date all entries
B) Write Down all Observations made while doing the investigation. Don't panic if you write down something wrong. You can denote that the observation was wrong by lightly striking through the observation and enter the new observation. DO NOT ERASE STUFF WRITTEN IN THE JOURNAL.
C) Questions you come up with and want to ask should be written in the journal. It is important to write down questions you come up with so you can ask questions when I am available or during a group discussion session. The answer can be entered in the journal later referencing the page where the original question is asked. That way you do not need to leave empty space in the notebook for the answer to the question.
D) The seminar journal does not need to be neat or impeccably organized. The information does need to be written in such away that you can look at it at a later date and it will make sense.
E) The short report on what you learned is written at the end of each entry made during the Wednesday session. This is where a little extra care needs to be taken since the report needs to organized and legible. It does not have to be long. A paragraph or two about summarizing what you learned and/or what questions you have after the seminar session. You can stay after the session and write the report. The room is reserved until 3:50p.m.
F) Journals are due the Thursday after the seminar. You can hand them in during the regular PHYS 162 class time on Thursday, or to my office, Room 142 Willamette Hall. They will be returned the following Tuesday or at the next session.