PHYS1017 Physics Skills 1
Module Overview
The Physics Skills units develop a range of skills needed by a professional physicist, including facility in conducting experiments and in analysing and reporting their results. Physics Skills 1 runs in first semester and its companion Physics Skills 2 (PHYS1019) follows in the second semester. Classes are held in the first year teaching lab and the teaching rooms in the Physics Building (Building 46). The first semester module PHYS1017 is a prerequisite for PHYS1019.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- After studying this course, students should have developed their experimental skills by performing and analysing a number of investigations in the laboratory.
- They should also be capable of keeping a record of laboratory work in a logbook, and have learnt the requirements for presenting the results of experimental work in a report.
Syllabus
The course begins with a brief introduction (shared with an introduction to the Maths Module) in the first week; weeks 2 and 3 are dedicated to a short course in Data Analysis. For the nine weeks of experiments that then complete the semester, the class is divided into 3 groups (X, Y, and Z), each of which is further divided into 3 sub-groups. Each sub-group cycles through the following 3 sets of experiments: - Linked experiments, in which a particular subject is explored via an extended set of experiments - Stand-alone experiments, in which specific topics related to the first year syllabus are explored experimentally. Each stand-alone experiment is expected to be completed within a single 4-hour session - Mini-projects, which give students an opportunity to develop their creativity by tackling a novel problem with little prior instruction To prepare for the 'linked' experiments, Lab Prelim classes are sometimes held on Thursday afternoons.
Learning and Teaching
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 1.5 |
| Follow-up work | 1.5 |
| Completion of assessment task | 134 |
| Wider reading or practice | 10 |
| Lecture | 3 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
I Hughes & T Hase (2010). Measurements and their Uncertainties: a practical guide to modern error analysis.
Assessment
Assessment Strategy
No more than 4 laboratory sessions may normally be omitted for a mark to be returned for the course. Late Submissions: Unless explicitly approved by the Faculty Special Considerations Board late submissions are not permitted for this module. Referral Method: There is no referral opportunity for this syllabus in same academic year.
Summative
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Laboratory work and associated tasks | 100% |
Referral
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Lab Marks carried forward | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External