PHYS1221: Physics 1B

50% final exam, 20% laboratory mark (10% group project, 10% other labs), 10% fortnightly quizzes, 20% 2 in class exams using Moodle (basically questions selected from the 10% fortnightly quizzes)

PHYS1121, year 12 physics also helpful

This course is quite difficult however it is quite an interesting course more so than PHYS1121 I would say. The lecturers for this course are really good and explain their content with adequate practice problems shown as well. The course is split into two main sections. Electromagnetism and Quantum Physics. I found both parts of the course really interesting and useful

The 20% lab mark has two aspects. One which is a 10% group project where you have around 3 weeks to run experiments on a certain area you use from the ones provided. You write a report on the experiments and do a 10 minute presentation as well. This is a great way to make friends in the course, however, as with all group work projects if you don't have members putting in equal effort then you may lose marks in this area. The marking in the presentations was quite tough but for the report marking was a little easier. The other 10% for the lab marks comes from doing pre lab quizzes and performing a few more practicals on which they mark your results and responses to questions in the lab manual. The experiments are probably harder than PHYS1121, however, these marks are still relatively easy to get if you work well with your lab partner.

The 10% fortnightly quizzes (about 6 of them) are quite difficult and it can take multiple attempts till you get a full mark on them. These questions I would say are the most important study resource you have at your disposal because even if you get the question wrong it comes with a full worked solution with explanation at each step. However, because there are around 30 questions in the quiz bank from which each attempt is selected, if like me you put in the dedication to doing them all you will get the 10% in this area. An added benefit of putting in the time into these quizzes, is that because both the in class tests are questions selected from the quiz bank used for the fortnightly quizzes. So if you have already studied or completed these questions prior you can get a good mark for another 20% of the course as well.
The 50% final exam was a quite difficult exam however the questions are relatively similar in type to the ones covered in lectures and because there are so many past papers they make available to students you have a lot of practice resources to have a go at prior to the exam. Professor Newbury also released additional questions for his section as well that were helpful.

3 x 1 hr lectures, 1 x 2 hr lab, 1 x 1 hr problem solving class

4

Yes, but both of the lectures write on the blackboard so its harder to follow without being there

Adam Micolich and Richard Newbury

Lecture notes, past papers on Moodle and MIT opencourseware (I found was helpful)

5

There was a textbook but the lecture notes material is more than enough as there is also a problem solving booklet given

2018 Semester 2

95