Undergraduate - UnitPHS2022 - Physics: Electromagnetism, light and entropy

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2012 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 0 (NATIONAL PRIORITY), 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Science
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2012 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Lincoln Turner

Synopsis

Electrodynamics: electro- and magnetostatics; electric and magnetic fields in matter; Maxwell's equations.
Optics: geometric optics; polarization; birefringence; optical fibres; interferometry; diffraction.
Statistical Physics: introduction to statistical physics concepts; temperature; Helmholtz free energy and the partition function; application of concepts to the ideal gas.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit, students will be able to: explain and apply the key concepts of electromagnetism and statistical physics to a variety of phenomena; describe a range of optical instruments and their uses; use modern instruments and methods to acquire, manipulate and interpret physical data; write scientific reports at a level suitable for publication.

Assessment

Examinations (One x 3 hours and One x 2 hours): 50%
Assignments: 16%
Practical work (compulsory): 34%
Students must achieve a pass mark in the practical component to achieve an overall pass grade.

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Lincoln Turner

Contact hours

Three 1-hour lecture/problem classes and one 3-hour laboratory class per week

Prerequisites

PHS1011 or PHS1080, PHS1022, MTH1030 or MTH1035, and MTH2010 or MTH2015