PHYS 202A LAB COURSE SYLLABUS
PHYS 202A LAB COURSE SYLLABUS FOR SPRING 2026
COURSE SYLLABUS PHYSICS 202A – All sections SPRING 2026
INSTRUCTOR | Name TBA and E-mail: TBA |
OFFICE HOURS | Hours and Location: TBA |
TEXTBOOK | Astronomy Laboratory Manual (Physics 202A), sold by NJIT bookstore. The manual is also used as a lab report. |
DESCRIPTION | PHYS 202A is a laboratory course associated with Introductory Astronomy and Cosmology course (PHYS 202). |
HELP |
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GENERAL INFORMATION |
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DELIVERY MODE |
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
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LEARNING OUTCOMES |
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ATTENDANCE |
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GENERAL GRADING POLICY |
Attendance (20%); Participation (20%); Laboratory Report (60%)
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GRADING SCALE | 90 - 100 % = A, 85 – 89 % = B+, 80 – 84 % = B, 75 – 79 % = C+, 65 – 74 % = C, 50 – 64 % = D, 0 – 49 % = F |
LAB COURSE SCHEDULE
Week | Period | Experiment |
1* | 1/20(T) - 1/26(M) | Introduction |
2 | 1/27(T) - 2/2(M) | The Celestial Sphere: Horizon Coordinate System |
3 | 2/3(T) - 2/9(M) | The Celestial Sphere: The Ecliptic |
4 | 2/10(T) - 2/16(M) | The Celestial Sphere: Equatorial Coordinate System & Sidereal Time |
5 | 2/17(T) - 2/23(M) | Motion of Mercury: Drawing the Orbit |
6 | 2/24(T) - 3/2(M) | Orbit of Mercury: Kepler’s Laws |
7 | 3/3(T) - 3/9(M) | The Moon |
8** | 3/10(T) - 3/23(M) | Planetary Configuration |
9 | 3/24(T) - 3/30(M) | The Synodic Period of the Sun |
10*** | 3/31(T) - 4/6(M) | Spectroscopy |
11 | 4/7(T) - 4/13(M) | Reflection and Refraction |
12 | 4/14(T) - 4/20(M) | Thin Lenses and Astronomical Telescope |
13 | 4/21(T) - 4/27(M) | The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram |
14**** | 4/28(T) - 5/5(T) | The Hubble Classification of Galaxies and Cosmology |
* | 1/26 (Monday) Last Day to add/drop a class |
** | 3/15 (Sun) through 3/21 (Sat.) NJIT Spring Recess. No Classes. |
*** | 4/3 (Fri.) Good Friday. No Classes. |
*** | 4/6 (Mon.) Last Day to Withdraw |
**** | 5/5 (Tue.) Friday classes meet. Lab experiment in Week 10 (which was skipped on Good Friday) will be performed. |
Physics Laboratory Safety
- Food and drink are not permitted during class in the lab at any time.
- Wear safety glasses all the time during lab experiments.
- Do not come into the lab room early unless the instructor is present.
- Do not wear loose hair or clothing around moving equipment.
- Do not set equipment too close to the edge of the table.
- Do not activate any electric circuit or apparatus until the instructor inspects it.
- Never touch a possibly live circuit and do not touch electrical equipment with wet hands.
- Only use laboratory equipment for the instructional purpose for which it was intended.
- Never look directly at the beam of a laser and light from a lamp used for experiment.
- All trash and waste materials should be disposed of in the proper container. Do not pour chemicals into the laboratory sink.
- Do not shorten the electrical leads on any equipment.
- Any equipment except computers not in use should be turned off.
- Do not take apart any apparatus or piece of equipment.
- All damaged equipment and chemical spills should be immediately reported to a laboratory instructor or laboratory staff.
- Accidents and emergencies must be immediately reported to the laboratory instructor. (NJIT Emergency call number: 911)
- Be aware that fire extinguishers are in Rooms 406T and 407T.