There will be 6 assignments with equal weight, three from each part of the course. Assignments will be issued on Wednesday of Wks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and will be due 12 days (Mon 5pm) later.

We encourage students to use feedback from Assignment 1 and/or within lectures to discuss any issues relating to continuation beyond the Census Date. 

Extension Requests

Given the importance placed on assignments as a key aid to learning, we expect assignments to be submitted on time. In turn, we undertake to return your assignments (provided they were submitted on time), marked and with feedback within two weeks of their due date. This will allow us to provide you feedback in time to aid your ongoing learning through the course. Extensions will only be considered if requested with valid reasons prior to the due date. Work submitted after the due date without an approved extension will accrue a penalty of 10% per additional day for the first week. Work submitted more than one week late will be marked at the lecturer’s discretion. 

Students must complete 4 experiments and submit two full reports and associated drafts together with their log book and calculations for the other two experiments. Submission of the 2 reports, and a logbook with a record of 4 experiments completed, and the associated calculations and analysis for the two experiments not the subject of a formal report, is mandatory.

Reports

• You should refer to the document “Recommendations for Laboratory Report Writing” when preparing reports. 
• A draft report or report can only be submitted once a satisfactory sign off on your laboratory book record of the experiment has been obtained.
• Draft reports are optional but they represent an important opportunity to improve your report writing by gaining feedback during the writing stage. They will not be formally assessed. They will be returned to you annotated with suggestions for improvement which you should act on in your final report submitted for assessment.
• Any report submitted after a draft phase must submit the original draft with the report.
• Draft reports will be returned no later than one week after submission. Reports for assessment will be returned no later than two weeks after submission.
• Photocopies of all relevant pages for the experiment from your log-book should be submitted with your draft and/or report.
• Submissions should be to Dr Gina Dunford in the third year laboratory by the due date.

Submission Dates

1. Draft first report – 1pm Wed, Week 5
2. First report – 1pm Wed, Week 7
3. Draft second report – 1pm Wed, Week 10
4. Second report – 1pm Wed, Week 12

​Assessment of full reports will be graded according to its conformity to the report Recommendations (see above). The marking scheme will have separate components for Abstract/Conclusions, Introduction, Experiment Description (Methods), Results, Analysis and Discussion, and Overall Presentation.

Satisfactory completion of the laboratory assessment is a hurdle task. You must achieve at least 40% in each of the two assessed tasks to pass the unit. If you fail to reach this mark, you must arrange to retake that assessment item, after discussion with the marker. 

Logbooks with the record of experimental data are to be kept and submitted by the above due date. The marking criteria are readability, layout, completeness and clarity.

Your submitted laboratory logbook is to include the write-up of all four experiments with graphs, analysis and calculations. The logbook should not have the formal background and polished presentation of a formal report. It should contain all recorded data and your analysis of measurements, as well as your conclusions. It should provide sufficient information for a reader to assess the validity of your experimental procedure and conclusions.

In Week 10, students will provide a short presentation based on one of their laboratory experiments. This will be held in the usual laboratory times-slot. Presentations should aim to:

1. Describe the physics principles that underpin the experiment;
2. What findings were achieved;
3. How these principles have been applied or adapted in recent research.

Students may work alone or in pairs and will have seven minutes per student for the presentation. Assessment will be based on the clarity and effectiveness of presentation, your explanation of the essential physics in your chosen area, and your discussion of why this area is significant.

You may use aids such as PowerPoint or overhead transparencies but this is not required. Some of the most effective presentations use nothing more than the whiteboard. We are more interested in seeing how you can be creative and effective in your communication, than the degree to which you have mastered fancy software tricks. Further details on requirements and assessment will be provided during the semester. 

The presentation will be assessed (out of 30) according to the three areas of Scientific Accuracy, Content and Depth, and Style (with equal weighting). 

The examination lasts 2 hours 30 minutes and consists of thirteen questions worth 4 marks each and six questions worth 8 marks each. All questions are to be answered. The exam questions will test knowledge across the material provided in the lectures and assignments only. 

The final examination is a hurdle requirement. 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 will 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%.

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.