PHYS111-12S1 (C) Semester One 2012

Introductory Physics for Physical Sciences and Engineering

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 20 February 2012
End Date: Sunday, 24 June 2012
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 4 March 2012
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 20 May 2012

Description

Classical dynamics, oscillations, temperature and heat, D.C. circuits, geometrical optics and interference, nuclear physics.

PHYS111 is designed for students who need to strengthen their background in physics before taking one or more of the advancing 100-level physics papers required for further study in physical sciences or engineering. Many of the topics covered in the course form part of the present high school physics syllabus, but will be reinforced and extended here in a more quantitative manner.


SYLLABUS
Term 1 : Dynamics
Motion in one and two dimensions; Newton's laws; work and energy; systems of particles and centre of mass; momentum; collisions; rotations; oscillations and waves.
Term 2 : Waves, Optics, Heat, Electricity and Nuclear Physics
Electromagnetic waves; polarization; reflection and refraction; lenses; light as a wave; electrical circuits; heat; the nucleus; the big bang.

Restrictions

PHYS106. Students who have been credited with any of PHYS101, PHYS102, PHYS113 or PHYS114 cannot subsequently be credited with PHYS111.

Timetable Note

Tutorials will be held in small groups on level 2 of the Physics and Astronomy building.

Satisfactory laboratory performance is a requirement for a pass in this course. Satisfactory performance is required in the production of laboratory reports and in tutorial preparation.  We also strongly recommend attendance at lectures and tutorials so that you are familiar with all the course content. All students must demonstrate that they can communicate clearly in written and verbal English. This can be demonstrated with a satisfactory performance in the University's Writing Assessment Programme test.

Course Coordinator

For further information see Physics and Astronomy Head of Department

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Assignments 5%
Final Exam 50%
Homework 10%
Laboratory Work 20%
Test 15%

Notes

100-level physics and astronomy course information http://www.phys.canterbury.ac.nz/courses/100level.shtml

Additional Course Outline Information

Academic integrity

Goal of the Course
The goal of this course is to learn the basic laws of physics and to see that physics can be interesting and relevant to your daily experiences.  The course should provide sufficient background for students to undertake PHYS101 and PHYS102.

Learning Outcomes
Students will:
• Have developed and be able to demonstrate basic scientific competency to solve appropriate physics problems in the concepts of the course
• Have developed and be able to demonstrate basic physics laboratory skills
• Have developed and be able to demonstrate data recording and analysis associated with physics laboratories
• Have developed and be able to demonstrate writing and associated communication skills.

Summary of the Course Content
The topics covered in this course are:
• Displacement, velocity and acceleration
• Motion in 1D and 2D, including projectile motion
• Newton’s laws and their applications
• Basic concepts of energy and momentum, and conservation.
• Oscillations, waves and resonance
• Optics, including lenses, mirrors and common optical instruments
• The nucleus, radiation and radioactive decay and their applications

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $718.00

International fee $3,350.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Physics and Astronomy .

All PHYS111 Occurrences

  • PHYS111-12S1 (C) Semester One 2012