640-141 Physics A

• Students may only gain credit for one of 640-005, 640-121, 640-141, 640-151 and 640-161.

• Students who have not completed the equivalent of VCE Specialist Mathematics Units 3 and 4 are encouraged to enrol in a Semester 1 mathematics subject concurrently with this subject.

VCE Unit 3/4 Physics and Mathematical Methods or equivalent. VCE Unit 3/4 Specialist Mathematics or equivalent is recommended but not required.

This subject is designed for students with a sound background in physics. It aims to provide students with an understanding of a broad range of physics principles together with the application of these principles to physical and biological situations.

Students completing this subject will be able to:

• explain the basic principles of translational and rotational mechanics, waves and thermal physics;

• apply these principles, together with mathematical reasoning, to situations in the physical and biological sciences; and

• acquire and interpret experimental data.

In addition students will be able to:

• participate as an effective member of tutorial, laboratory and study groups;

• communicate their understanding of physics orally and in written form in tutorials, lab classes and study groups; and

• manage their time commitments to this subject in order to be prepared for regular lab and tutorial classes as well as tests and examination.

The subject provides an introduction to: mechanics: kinematics and dynamics of particles and rigid bodies, gravitation, physical introduction to special relativity; mechanical properties of matter: fluid statics and dynamics, elasticity; mechanical waves: propagation, dynamics, superposition; thermal physics: thermal properties of matter, thermodynamics, kinetic theory of gases, heat transfer.

A 3-hour end-of semester written examination (65%); tests totalling up to two hours and/or written assignments during the semester, up to an equivalent of 2000 words (10%); laboratory work (25%). Students must complete both laboratory and assignment work satisfactorily to obtain a pass.

• D Halliday, R Resnick and J Walker, Fundamentals of Physics. 6th extended edn, Wiley, 2001.