Skill development: Problem Solving

In the week 7 SGTA (Wednesday 22 April, 3pm), you will demonstrate your problem solving skills. These written questions will be based on those you have seen in prior SGTA work. The assessment is observed, and AI-closed.

Laboratory work

During the session, you are required to carry out three experiments; these take 4 weeks (two one-week experiments, and one two-week experiment).

You must keep a logbook record for each experiment. Logbooks will be assessed for readability, layout, completeness and clarity. The record of the experiment in your logbook must include relevant calculations and graphs for each experiment. Raw results with no analysis are not acceptable. You will also submit a full report for one of the one-week experiments. The distinction between logbook records and reports will be explained on iLearn.

You submit all four items at the due date. Please ask for early feedback if you wish. The formal report is worth 10%, and the logbook records for the other experiments 15%, for a total of 25% for the laboratory assessment.

Late submission will be permitted in line with the FSE policy below.  

End-of-session examination

There will be a 3 hour end-of-session final exam to be held in the University Examination Period.

You should have a scientific calculator for use during the final examination. Note that calculators with text retrieval are not permitted for the final examination.

If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled. 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.

Late Submission Policy

• 5% penalty per day: If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days.

  • Example 1 (out of 100): If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

  • Example 2 (out of 30): If you score 27/30 but submit 1 day late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

• After 7 days: Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

• Extensions:

  • Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

  • Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration.

Need help? Review the Special Consideration page HERE

The unit teaches theoretical and experimental classical mechanics. 

The theoretical content is taught through online materials, and each week there is one lecture, and one active-learning SGTAs. Online materials will be a mixture of assigned reading, and short videos on key concepts or standard mathematical tools. Each week you should engage with online materials as provided, to become familiar with the concepts we are learning that week. In the lecture and the SGTA, it will be assumed that you have familiarity with that material.

Lectures and SGTAs start in week 1. Experiments start in week 5. 

You will complete four weeks of experimental work to complement the theoretical content, and to continue to develop your experimental skills. 

The content of this unit has changed, to remove quantum mechanics (moved to PHYS2030) and to add analytical mechanics in the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations. Python laboratories have been removed (now taught in FOSE1030). Lectures have been reduced from two hours to one, with the addition of online content, and the assessment structure has been simplified.