640-162 Physics: Principles & Applications B

Students may only gain credit for one of 640-006, 640-122, 640-142, 640-152 and 640-162.

Students who have completed VCE Unit 3/4 Physics or equivalent will not normally be permitted to enrol in this subject. Such students should enrol in 640-142 or 640-122.

Some knowledge of physics and at least one secondary school final-year mathematics subject. It will be assumed that students are familiar with the content of 640-161 Physics: Principles & Applications A.

This subject is designed for students with a minimal background in physics. It aims to provide them with an understanding of a broad range of elementary physics principles together with applications of these principles to physical and biological situations. Simple mathematics is used throughout.

Students completing this subject will be able to:

• explain the basic principles of electricity and magnetism, wave and particle nature of light, atomic and nuclear 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; 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 focuses on forces between charged particles as seen in electrostatics and electric circuits; magnetic properties of matter, magnetic forces and electromagnetic induction; behaviour of light: optical instruments, interference, diffraction, dispersion and polarisation; wave and particle behaviours of electrons and photons; structure of the atom and nucleus; and nuclear radiation.

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 C Giancoli, Physics Principles with Applications. 6th edn, Prentice-Hall, 2005.