Overall you are expected to spend 150 hours studying and reviewing online materials, and submitting assessments for this subject throughout the whole semester. The 'estimated time on task' for each assessment item is an estimate of the additional time needed to complete each assessment outside of all scheduled learning activities. These estimates assume that you actively engage with all scheduled learning activities, and for this we recommend that each week you spend at least 1.5 hours consolidating the lecture content and attempting the weekly tutorial questions.prior to attending the SGTA.

ASSIGNMENTS (25%, estimated time on task = 20 hours)

There will be five assignments, each worth 5%. These will be released in weeks 2, 5, 7, 9 and 11. They will be due on Monday of weeks 4, 7, 9, 11, 13. You should attempt the assignments after you have attempted the tutorial questions and revised the solutions. They may contain a variety of activities and will contain some exam-style questions. Individual feedback on assignments will be provided to students.

Assignments are not a hurdle requirement, but they will contribute to 25% of your marks for the unit. If you are unable to complete an assignment by the specified date, then you should apply for special consideration.

FINAL EXAMINATION (50%, estimated time on task = 20 hours)

The final examination is a hurdle requirement. It will cover all the content from the unit. You must obtain a mark of at least 40% in the final exam to be eligible to pass the unit. If your mark in the final examination is between 30% and 39% inclusive, you may be a given a second and final chance to attain the required level of performance; the mark awarded for the second exam towards your final unit mark will be capped at 40%, and you will be allowed to sit the second exam only if this mark would be sufficient to pass the unit overall. 

If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled after results are released. Please see FSE101 in iLearn for dates. By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application. Approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination. Second chance exams for hurdle assessments will also be scheduled in this period.

LABORATORY WORK (25%, estimated time on task = 10 hours)

Please note that the practical component of PHYS1520 is to be carried out on-campus and there are no options for online laboratory classes.

Satisfactory completion of laboratories is a hurdle requirement. You must attend all ten laboratory sessions.  The first lab session is in week 1 and includes work health and safety information. Students may also be assigned to lab groups, lab books will be handed out, and computer access will be checked. It needs to be attended by all students regardless of whether this is their first Physics unit or not. It will be a little bit shorter than the other sessions, but attendance is absolutely mandatory – you can’t do subsequent lab sessions if you don’t attend the introductory one. The next 9 lab sessions involve experimental work and will be assessed. You must obtain a mark of at least 40% for each of the laboratory sessions in order to pass the unit.

Preparation is required for each of the lab sessions 2-10. You will find the Prelab activities in the Laboratory Resources section of iLearn. Your prelab work will account for some of the marks for each laboratory session.

If you miss a session or fail to achieve at least 40% for any lab session, you must complete a “Request to schedule a Catch-up laboratory session” form, which can be found on iLearn. See ilearn for full details about catch up classes and when they are scheduled. No more than 3 catch ups are allowed for missed labs/lab hurdles, except where Special Consideration has been approved. If you fail to attend the catch-up class you are booked into, then that will count as another missed lab.

General Information Important instructions and study materials are hosted on the iLearn webpage for the unit as are all announcements. You will find it at  http://ilearn.mq.edu.au Please refer to it frequently! 

Asking for help

A number of people can assist students while they undertake PHYS1520. For any inquiry please use this e-mail address: PHYS1520@mq.edu.au instead of using people's personal e-mails. This will ensure that the best answer to your question is obtained.

Unit textbook.  The textbook for most of this unit is "Fundamentals of Physics" by  Halliday. Resnick and Walker,11th edition. It is essential that you obtain a copy (digital or physical) of this textbook (10th edition is sufficient) as we will be following it closely and you will find it an invaluable resource. This is the same textbook that you used for PHYS1510. Print versions or digital options are available through https://www.wileydirect.com.au/buy/fundamentals-of-physics-11th-australia-new-zealand-edition

The Library  has an unlimited license to Fundamentals Of Physics Extended 10th Edition. Access the book online from the library by using multisearch, or look for the link on iLearn.

The second textbook that you will find useful for the portion of this unit that delves into Electric Circuits is Introduction to Electric Circuits by Dorf and Svoboda  The text book will also be a useful resource for further Engineering study in Electronics, Electrical, and Mechatronics Engineering..

Students can purchase the e-text from here:  https://www.wiley.com/en-au/Dorf%27s+Introduction+to+Electric+Circuits%2C+Global+Edition-p-9781119456162

Technology:  Audio recordings and copies of slides from lectures will be available on iLearn. 

The use of calculators in the laboratory classes, when completing quizzes, in the in-session exam and in the final examination for this unit is usually necessary. In accordance with the Science & Engineering Faculty's policy, calculators with a full alphabet on the keyboard are not allowed in the quizzes, or the final examination. Personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops will be used for self-assessment quizzes and other learning enhancement classroom activities.

Lectures, SGTA tutorials, and Lab classes

This unit consists of three different formal types of activity:

1)  LECTURES

In lectures, new material is presented, discussed and illustrated by examples and demonstrations. Attending lectures is an important part of studying physics since it allows you to gain an insight into the subject matter that reading the textbook alone cannot provide. The lecturers can explain the concepts from several points of view, can point out and explain the most important aspects of the material and, very importantly, can illustrate the relationships and connections between the different concepts that are studied in PHYS1520 – no subject in physics stands on its own. In S2 2020 lectures will be delivered online, and may be recordings from previous semesters due to Covid-19 constraints.

2) SGTA - TUTORIALS

These classes are where you will consolidate and apply the concepts and methods taught in lectures, to solving problems.  There will be a mix of activities such as demonstrations, informal quizzes and presentations, solving tutorial questions, and past exam questions. Tutorials form an important learning component of PHYS1520. 

Students are expected to prepare for each SGTA by attending or listening to the lectures, reading relevant portions of the textbook, and attempting the tutorial problems before class.

3) LABS

Laboratory Sessions

The laboratory component is an essential component of your studies and so counts for an appreciable fraction of your final assessment. You will be introduced to some of the basic skills and techniques required of practicing physicists, scientists and engineers. You will be issued with a Laboratory Notebook, provided with instructional material in the form of Laboratory Notes which can be found in the Laboratory Resources section of iLearn, and assisted in the laboratory by a team of demonstrators. For each laboratory session, except in week 1, you are required to complete some preparatory work (Pre-Lab) before attending your nominated Lab session. To figure out which Prelab to do, please consult the Laboratory Schedule on iLearn.

Location: 14 SCO (formerly E7B): Room 114 (Ground floor at the North-East corner of building)

Laboratory Safety: You are required to follow all safety guidelines given in the first Lab session, your lab notes, and the lab staff. Food and drink cannot be consumed in the lab, and students without suitable covered footwear will be refused admission.