6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
School of Physics and Astronomy
Chief examiner(s)
Coordinator(s)
Dr Scott Findlay
(unit coordinator)
Dr Russell Anderson
(laboratory coordinator)
Dr Timothy Petersen
(computational workshop coordinator)
Unit guides
Prerequisites
For students enrolling in 2018:
PHS1022 and one unit from PHS1011, PHS1080 or PHS1031
and one unit from MTH2010, MTH2015 or ENG2005
For students enrolling in 2019:
One unit from PHS1022, PHS1002
and one unit from MTH2010, MTH2015 or ENG2005
Co-requisites
Recommended: MTH2032 or MTH2040
Note: supporting mathematics studies are required for progression towards the Astrophysics and Physics majors
Prohibitions
PHS2022
Synopsis
Electromagnetism and optics fundamentally underpin such modern communication technologies as radio, cellular phones, GPS, Wi-Fi, laser and optical fibres.
- Electromagnetism: classical electromagnetic theory; Maxwell's equations; Gauss's law; Faraday's law; Ampere-Maxwell law; electric and magnetic fields in vacuum; electric and magnetic fields in matter; electrodynamics.
- Optics: geometric ray tracing; optical cavities; electromagnetic waves; Gaussian beam propagation; multiple-beam interference; polarisation; birefringence.
Outcomes
On completion of this unit students will be able to:
- Explain and apply the key concepts of electricity, magnetism and optics to a variety of phenomena.
- Demonstrate awareness of scientific computing methods and visualisation techniques for modelling physical systems, and use computers as a tool to solve problems in optics and electromagnetism.
- Use modern instruments and methods to acquire, manipulate and interpret physical data, and draw evidence based conclusions.
- Write scientific reports at a level suitable for publication.
Assessment
Examination (3 hours): 40%
Assignments, quizzes and computational workshops: 30%
Laboratory work: 30% (Hurdle)
Hurdle requirement: Students must achieve a pass mark in the laboratory work to achieve an overall pass grade.
Workload requirements
The workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours spread across the semester (roughly 12 hours per week) - approximately an even mixture of attendance at scheduled activities and self-scheduled study time. Learning activities comprise a mixture of instructor directed, peer directed and self-directed learning, which includes face-to-face and online engagement.
See also Unit timetable information