PHYS 260LIntermediate Physics Laboratory

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From 18 ratings and 6 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

• Cool experiments, but the lab reports are extremely time consuming.
  Lab reports will take a min of 10+ hours in my experience

  Jul 2015 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

• This course was malevolent. It was extremely difficult and a huge step up from whatever you're expected to write in regular physics labs. EVERYTHING will be criticized heavily. You write or you cry. Probably both. It's the kind of writing where you're expected to know what to say, explain any observations, do NOT be wrong or you're gonna get docked, and PRAY that things go well. I'm sure you can tell what happened to me. I prayed and somebody answered. Just not the guy I wanted.

  Aug 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

• This lab is extraordinarily difficult. The experiments themselves are not hard in principle to carry out, but the lab reports that must be written afterwards are very, very involved. Where other 2nd year lab reports emphasize computation and arithmetic, these demand a robust conceptual understanding of the underlying physics. Unfortunately, as this lab is not associated with a particular theory course, the theory associated with each lab is often only vaguely familiar. The experiments are designed to yield unexpected or imprecise results, which you are expected to explain rigorously. Incorrect speculation will cost you marks, and it is very easy to end up "barking up the wrong tree", as…

  Aug 2023 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

• The lab manuals are super confusing and most of the stuff we haven't even learned yet in other physics courses. Prof marks super harshly and will give you a 50% for a 4k word lab.

  Jun 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

• Lab reports take so much time and the lab manual is terrible. If you do everything asked of you in the manual you'll get an OK mark.

  May 2018 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this