This subject is an introduction to the basic principles of physics and aims to provide student with skills necessary to apply concepts in the areas of mechanics, heat, waves and light to Engineering.
Mechanics
S.I. units; scientific notation and significant figures; equations of motion for uniform acceleration; gravity; Newton's laws of motion; force; weight; friction; work; energy; power and efficiency; conservation of energy; circular motion; parameters and equations for motion at constant angular velocity.
Properties of Matter
Density. Pressure; conversion between units of pressure measurement. Deformation of materials, Hooke's Law; tensile stress and strain, elastic and plastic deformation, Young's modulus and Bulk modulus.
Heat
Temperature and thermometry; temperature scales; thermal conductvity, thermal convection and thermal radiation; thermal expansion and thermal stresses on components and solder joint due to cyclic temperature changes of electronics assemblies.
Vibrations and Waves
Vibrations; resonance; wave equation, wavelength, phase; reflection, refraction, diffraction and interference of waves.
Light
Light as a wave, the electromagnetic spectrum; reflection and refraction at plane boundaries; Snell's Law, total internal reflection, fibre optics.
Atomic Physics
Wave-particle duality; the photoelectric effect; energy levels in the hydrogen atom; emission spectra.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 40 |
| Formal Examination | 60 |