PHYSICS B - 2021/2

Module Overview

A foundation level physics module designed to reinforce and broaden basic A-Level Physics material in electricity and electronics, develop practical skills, and prepare students for the more advanced concepts and applications in the first year of their Engineering or Physical Sciences degree.

Module provider

Sustainability, Civil & Env Engineering

Module Leader

O'SULLIVAN Eoin (FEPS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 3

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Circuit Theory

• Electric current, potential difference, power

• Ohm’s Law

• Resistors in series and parallel

• Measuring resistance from V and I

• EMF and internal resistance

• Kirchhoff’s laws

• Potential dividers circuits

• Capacitors

• Inductors as circuit elements

• Circuit simplification utilising Thevenin’s theorem

Quantum Physics

• Photoelectric effect

• Energy levels in atoms

• Emission and absorption spectra

• Electron diffraction

Electronics

• Analogue versus Digital Signals

• Digital Electronics

○ Combinational logic circuits

○ Analysis, design and simplification of combinational logic circuits

○ Sequential logic circuits

• Analogue Electronics

○ Properties of operational amplifiers

○ Op-amps as comparators

○ Op-amps with negative feedback

Electrical Conduction

• Microscopic model of electrical conduction – drift velocity, current density, resistivity; the temperature coefficient of resistance

• Metals, semiconductors and insulators

Discrete Devices

• Diodes and Transistors – diode rectifier, Zener diode, the field effect transistor, the transistor as a switch

Radioactivity and Nuclear Energy

• Properties of nuclear radiation

• Exponential law of decay

• Nuclear decay

• Mass defect and binding energy

• Fission and fusion

• Fission reactors

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of physical concepts and rules, and to show their skills in solving a variety of problems, in different contexts, using appropriately selected techniques.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• In-class test [LOs 1-5; excluding sections on nuclear physics] 30%

• Final written examination [all learning outcomes covered] 70%

Formative assessment

Formative ‘assessment’ is ongoing throughout the semester through work on tutorial questions.

Feedback

Formative feedback is provided orally on a one-to-one basis and to the whole group in tutorial/problems classes and recorded by the students. Fully worked solutions to tutorial problems will be provided via SurreyLearn following the class.

Module aims

• Introduce the scientific principles relevant to electric circuits, and electronic devices
• Introduce the ideas of simple mathematical modelling as applied in electric circuits and electronic devices.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to familiarise students with physical concepts and techniques, supported by use of examples and applications; students are engaged in the solution of problems and application of techniques in tutorials/problems and practical classes.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lecture/Seminar (3 hrs/week, for 11 weeks) to revise prior learning and bring students from varying backgrounds to a common level of knowledge, and to introduce new concepts and techniques and provide illustrative examples and applications.

• Guided self-study to cover certain topics, in order to develop students’ independent learning skills.

• Problem sheets of examples for technique selection and skills development.

• Tutorials/problems classes (1 hr/week for 11 weeks) for the development of skills in selecting and applying appropriate techniques, using problems sheets; assistance is given both at individual level, and for the group on common areas of difficulty

• Independent learning: 6 hrs/week

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENG0016

Other information

N/A

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.