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On completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. use transistors, operational amplifiers and phase sensitive detection;
2. describe at least two of the following effects:
   • Fourier methods in optics
   • thermal diffusivity
   • reflection from terminated or unterminated transmission lines
   • alpha radiation
   • gamma radiation
   • electron spin resonance;
3. connect a digital oscilloscope to a computer and record a signal with an appropriate sampling rate;
4. generate and interpret the power spectrum of the recorded data,
5. use the tools, methodologies, language and conventions of physics to test and communicate ideas and explanations
6. demonstrate advanced communication skills in the context of Physics.

1. Required Resources

-          Practical bench-notes and equipment.

It is important that all students maintain active communication channels with the Physics Discipline throughout the year. The primary communication channels from the Discipline to students are MyUNI and Email.

Students are introduced to course content through lecture and independent reading. They develop their understanding through discussion, independent and group problem solving and completing assignments.

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

A full-time student should expect to spend, on average, a total of 48 hours per week on their studies. This includes the formal contact time required for the course (e.g. lectures: 3 hours/week, tutorials: 1 hour/week, practicals: 3 hours/fortnight), as well as non-contact time (e.g. reading and revision). For a 3-unit course, the expected workload would be, on average, 12 hours per week.

To complete their studies successfully, students are expected to attend all scheduled lectures, tutorials and compulsory practical classes, as well as commit additional time to individual study, group study and the completion of assessment tasks. For a student to satisfactorily complete the academic requirements of a typical 3-unit course, a minimum TOTAL time commitment of 12 hours per week is expected (i.e. contact PLUS non-contact time). In addition, students should expect to study for one week of the two-week mid-semester break, as well as during swot week and the examination period.

Students who wish to excel and students whose background preparation for a course is poor should expect to commit additional time to that described above.

The course content will include a selection from the following experiments:       

-          Computers interfacing and the Fast Fourier transform

-          Fourier Optics

-          Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

-          Nuclear Physics – gamma rays

-          Nuclear Physics – alpha rays

-          Experimental Statistics and Atomic time

-          Electron g-Factor

-          Diode pumped Solid State Laser

-          Electro-Optic Effect

-          Transmission Lines

-          Supersonic Sound

-          Geometric Phase

All students do the computer interfacing experiment.

All students also do Analogue Electronics practical exercises, including the following topics:

-          single transistor amplifier

-          differential amplifier

-          operational amplifier

Description of Assessment:

Assignments and Reports (35% of the total course grade)

Assignments and reports will be used during the semester to address understanding of and ability to use the material and to provide students a benchmark for the progress in the course.

Practical work (15% of the total course grade)

Students work on experiments individually or in pairs and maintain a log book recording their progress, results and discussions. Demonstrators provide formative assessment as the students are doing each experiment. Assessment of this component of the course is based on the quality of the laboratory log book.

Tests (50% of the total course grade)

Submission of Assigned Work

Coversheets must be completed and attached to all submitted work. Coversheets can be obtained from the School Office (room G33 Physics) or from MyUNI. Work should be submitted via the assignment drop box at the School Office.

Extensions for Assessment Tasks

Extensions of deadlines for assessment tasks may be allowed for reasonable causes. Such situations would include compassionate and medical grounds of the severity that would justify the awarding of a replacement examination. Evidence for the grounds must be provided when an extension is requested. Students are required to apply for an extension to the Course Coordinator before the assessment task is due. Extensions will not be provided on the grounds of poor prioritising of time. The assessment extension application form can be obtained from:

Penalty for Late Submission of Assessment Tasks

Assessment tasks must be submitted by the stated deadlines. There will be a penalty for late submission of assessment tasks: the submitted work will be marked ‘without prejudice’ and 10% of the obtained mark will be deducted for each working day (or part of a day) that an assessment task is late, up to a maximum penalty of 50% of the mark attained. An examiner may elect not to accept any assessment task that a student wants to submit after that task has been marked and feedback provided to the rest of the class. This procedure does not apply to the MyUNI quizzes which must be completed before the deadlines.