SFY0016 : Foundation Physics B
- Offered for Year: 2022/23
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr Tiago Marinheiro
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
To introduce the basic aspects of electricity and magnetism, vibrations, waves and optical physics without a requirement for A level physics. The module includes practical work.
Outline Of Syllabus
Electricity and Magnetism
Electrostatics: Conductors and insulators. Electrification by friction. Attraction of charged bodies for uncharged ones; polarisation. Coulomb’s law. Permittivity. Dielectric constant. Electric field. Flux.
Electric dipole. Lines of force. Field of a charged sphere. Electric field outside a charged plane. Gauss’ law. Electric potential. Potential energy.
Capacitance: Electric field between plates. Energy stored in a capacitance. Capacitance of an isolated sphere. Capacitors in parallel and in series.
Electric current: Potential difference. Ohm’s law. Resistivity of a metal. Resistors in series and in parallel. Potential divider. Wheatstone’s bridge. Electrical power and energy. Electromotive force. Internal resistance and its measurement. Maximum power from a battery.
Magnetism: Magnetic field. Magnetic dipole. Repulsion and attraction between poles.
Magnetic effect of currents: Repulsion and attraction between current carrying wires. Permeability and relative permeability. Fleming’s left hand rule. Force on a moving charge in a magnetic field. Cyclotron. Biot-Savart law.
Field due to a straight wire and a circular coil. Torque on a rectangular coil in a field. Magnetic moment of a coil.
Electromagnetic induction: Faraday Lenz law. The dynamo.
Alternating current: Peak, RMS current and voltage. Self induction. Mutual inductance. Energy stored in an inductance. The transformer.
Introduction: the electromagnetic spectrum, colour, black-body radiation, polarization, waves rays and photons.
Optical Physics
Introduction: the electromagnetic spectrum, colour, black-body radiation, polarization, waves rays and photons.
Reflection and refraction at plane surfaces: law of reflection, Snell’s law, refractive index, critical angle, total internal reflection, optical fibres, prisms, dispersion, spectroscopic instruments.
Reflection/refraction at curved surfaces: imaging with spherical mirrors and thin lenses, magnification, determination of focal length. Ray tracing. Use of the formula 1/u + 1/v = 1/f with sign convention. Combination of thin lenses.
Optical Instruments: camera, the eye, the telescope, the microscope, effect of lens aberrations and diffraction on performance
Vibrations and Waves
Periodic motion: amplitude, period, frequency, phase, Hooke’s law, simple harmonic motion, motion of a pendulum, forced and damped vibrations, general periodic motion: velocity, amplitude and acceleration.
Wave motion: transverse and longitudinal waves, wavelength, frequency, velocity, amplitude, reflection of a wave, superposition of waves, standing waves, nodes, beat frequencies, diffraction, interference, coherence.
Sound: the production of sound, relative speed of sound in solids liquids and gases, Intensity of sound, decibel units,
Frequency response of the ear, pitch, harmonics, resonance in air columns and strings, Doppler effect, ultrasound and its applications.
Experimental Physics
Experimental physics is introduced, providing practice in the basic skills in scientific measurement and a background to the theoretical concepts taught in the module.
Treatment of experimental errors.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 33 | 1:00 | 33:00 | N/A |
Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 2:30 | 2:30 | Written Exam |
Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 18:00 | 18:00 | Exam Revision |
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | N/A |
Guided Independent Study | Skills practice | 3 | 4:00 | 12:00 | Lab practical reports. |
Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 112:30 | 112:30 | N/A |
Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The subject material is highly knowledge based and requires lectures to disseminate the material. The problems-solving classes enhance knowledge and consolidate the students’ understanding of the material.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Written Examination | 150 | 2 | A | 67 | N/A |
Other Assessment
Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
Practical/lab report | 2 | M | 25 | N/A |
Prob solv exercises | 2 | M | 8 | N/A |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The module is intended to provide a factual knowledge base. A formal written examination is most appropriate in this case. The in-course assessment encourages a consistent approach to learning.
Resit examination is the same. Resit of laboratory work by special exercise.
Special arrangements may be required for Study Abroad Students.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SFY0016's Timetable