PHYS 2634 Physics III Syllabus 010 Spring 2026

Laboratory Safety and Attendance Policies

Attendance at the first laboratory meeting is required. A student may not participate in lab if the student has missed the first lab meeting, which includes the mandatory lab safety training. A student may not participate in the class laboratory experience without first successfully completing the mandatory lab safety training for that specific laboratory space.  If a student misses the first lab meeting, the student must notify the instructor to make arrangements to make up the safety training before the second lab meeting. If a student has not completed the safety training before the second lab meeting, the student must either drop the course, or the student will be institutionally withdrawn. Students are expected to comply with the KCC Science Laboratory Safety Rules at all times. These rules will be discussed during the first lab meeting, and each student will sign an acknowledgement of receipt and understanding. Students who do not comply with the safety rules will be asked to leave the lab and will receive no credit for that day’s work.

Laboratory experiences are an essential part of this physics course. Therefore, any student who misses three or more laboratory periods will automatically fail the class. Due to the possibility of late enrollment in this course, missing the first laboratory period does not count as an absence for this purpose. Students who are not permitted to complete an experiment due to a safety rules violation, such as being late or not having the appropriate attire, are considered to have missed that lab period.

 Coursework

Grades, announcements, & handouts are delivered in class or posted on Canvas—check it frequently. Access Canvas from KCC’s homepage at www.kcc.edu or directly at www.kcc.instructure.com. The instructor will provide hard copies of handouts upon prior request by the student.

Come to class prepared (handouts, pencil, paper, calculator, assignments, etc.).

If a student leaves the room during an exam or quiz without checking with me, that student will not be allowed to continue working on the exam or quiz.

Pencil and paper assignments are due at the beginning of the class period.
Show all work clearly & neatly to receive full credit. Use a pencil rather than a pen.

Final answers should be clearly indicated & have appropriate significant digits & units.

Assignments should look neat & professional (pages stapled in correct order, spiral edging removed, legible writing, etc.). Assignments that have been folded multiple times, crumpled, or torn may not be accepted or may have points deducted.

Most students need to spend two to three hours studying outside of class for every hour spent in class. For this course, students should expect to spend 6 to 9 hours per week for the lecture portion of the course, and 4 to 6 hours per week for the lab portion of the course.

Missed or Late Work

Unit Exams

Make-up exams will be allowed only if the instructor has been contacted (via an email or phone message) prior to the exam.

A student is allowed one make-up exam during the course. Documentation of extenuating circumstances may be required before a make-up exam is allowed.

Make-up exams must be taken in the Testing Center (D218) or by alternative arrangements between the student and the instructor, within five days of the missed exam (e.g. an exam missed on Wednesday must be made up by the end of the following Monday).

Make-up exams may not be the same exam given in class & may be essay tests.

Lecture Assignments

The last day to turn in any labs or assignments is on the day class of the semester, Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

The policies given above for make-up exams also apply to quizzes.

Other lecture assignments may or may not be made up or accepted late; it depends on the nature of the activity & if results/answers were discussed in class. If they may be made up late, it is rarely for full credit. No late or make-up work/quizzes will be accepted once the assignment has been returned to students, had answers posted on Canvas, discussed in class, or the exam over the relevant section has been given (whichever happens first).

Lab Assignments

Lab experiments & reports may NOT be made up, but the lowest lab report score is dropped.

Pre-lab assignments & lab quizzes are treated the same way as lecture assignments.

Students must submit their pre-lab assignment as they enter the lab on the day the laboratory experiment is scheduled.

No late or make-up work of any kind will be accepted after Wednesday, May 6, 2026. 

Students who do not take the final exam will automatically fail the class.

 Other Policies

Students who engage in academic dishonesty may fail that exam, activity, or lab with a grade of zero, in addition to facing disciplinary action by the College.

Use of electronic devices other than a calculator during exams and quizzes is cheating.

Students whose behavior is disrespectful or is disrupting others will be asked to leave class and not come back until the next class period. No make-up of that day’s activities—even exams—will be permitted. Such behaviors include but are not limited to coming late to class, talking in class, using electronic devices for non-class activities, having cell phones ring, and repeatedly leaving your seat.

Laboratory Safety

Attendance at the first laboratory meeting is required. A student may not participate in lab if they have missed the first lab meeting, which includes the mandatory lab safety training. If a student misses the first lab meeting, they must notify the instructor to make arrangements to make up the safety training before the second lab meeting.

Students are expected to comply with the KCC Laboratory Safety Rules at all times. These rules will be discussed during the first lab meeting, and each student will sign an acknowledgement of receipt and understanding. Students who do not comply with the safety rules will be asked to leave the lab and will receive no credit for that day’s work.