PHS2022: Physics: Electromagnetism, Light and Entropy

- Examinations (One x 3 hours and One x 2 hours): 50%
- Assignments: 16%
- Practical work (compulsory): 34%

First of all let me just say that I did this unit a year ago so my memory aren't the best so do ask around before deciding whether this unit is for you or not!

When I wrote comparatively, I meant that it is slightly more enjoyable compare to PHS2011. The 3 hours lab each week is quite troublesome and most likely you won't finish it on time, which is to be expected. In terms of lecture quality, it's a physics unit so don't expect anything awesome, personally watching a lecture is worse than staring at a hypnotoad gif for an hour. With my personal opinion out of way, lets look at things more objectively. There are some pros such as the content is ... decent, I'm not saying that its not boring (if its fun then its either not physics or its too basic) but you do learn some interesting stuff, optics was quite fun and electromagnetism was good as well since its mostly an application of calculus. Optics involves stuff like polariser, phase difference with some matrix while electromagnetism is just applying Maxwell's equation to simple cases like calculating the electric field of a single electron with spherical co-ordinates. You also get to go on an excursion to visit the synchrotron, its sounds cooler than it is and you'll have to summarise an article from the Natures journal afterwards. Now onto the cons, thermal physics...... when I did thermodynamics I thought that was the hardest shit I've ever done, I passed it with a very satisfying results and going into this sub topic I thought I would be ready, how wrong was I (story time).

I rocked up to the exam (2 hours) and I swear to god, I prepared the shit out of thermal physics, during the reading time I cried because I couldn't do most of the questions. I don't know if its just my year but they gave us questions that wasn't even on the lecture/tutorial/assignments, HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSE TO DERIVE SOME BULLSHIT ENTROPY STATE FOR THE CURRENT ROOM?? I AIN'T A PHD AND FUCK YOU DR LINCOLN TURNER. Similar story can be said about optics, but not as bad as thermal physics.

All in all, if you're considering this unit then either your majoring in physics or astrophysics, let's just say that this unit deterred me from doing a physics major. For those who are seriously considering doing a physics major, the work load from now on will only get worse and the content will be even harder (from what I've heard off a friend, who never complained about the difficulty of a unit, he said that physics is "fucking g**")

Again I don't remember, all lecturers were different for each sub topic

Multiple exams, the number varies between each sub topics

1.5 Out of 5 (comparatively)

Forgot, most likely recorded with screen capture although they are all useless

Wikipedia and library, no need to buy any text book

- 3 x 1hours lectures
- 3 hours lab

Semester 2, 2012

68 C