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Overview

Course Prescription

A second foundation course for students who understand the basic mechanics of motion in a straight line. Further mechanics, including equilibrium, projectile motion, rotational motion and gravitation. Electromagnetism, including electrostatics, elementary circuits and the effects of magnetic fields.

Course Overview

Welcome to TFCPHYS 92F, Foundation Physics II. This course prepares students who have not previously studied physics for future first-year university physics courses and assumes students have a good understanding of mechanics from TFCPHYS 91F Foundation I.We will explore four topics - further mechanics, electricity, electromagnetism, waves and particles - in the context of everyday phenomena. We will also highlight topics of interest for those intending to pursue careers in Science and Engineering. 

Key Topics

  • Vectors to situations involving free body force diagrams and relative velocity and momentum in collisions in two-dimensions
  • Forces and torques when solving a variety of equilibrium problems
  • Kinematic formulae and vectors when describing and solving contexts involving projectile motion
  • Physical concepts, quantities and relationships that apply when an object moves at constant speed in a circle
  • Rotational motion and dynamics related to linear motion quantities
  • The universal law of gravitation in contexts involving gravity on various astronomical bodies and satellite motion
  • Electric fields that are formed by accumulations of charge and apply Coulomb’s law for the force between charges
  • Electric potential energy and potential difference (voltage) equations to solve problems involving uniform electric fields
  • Concepts of charge, current, voltage and potential energy to a capacitor and to electrical conduction in general
  • Ohm’s law for solving electric circuit problems that contain resistors in series and parallel
  • Magnetic fields produced by moving charges in the domain model for magnetic materials
  • The “motor effect” when a current in a magnetic field experiences a force and the definition of the ampere
  • The nature of the force produced when charges move in a magnetic field within a range of contexts including crossed magnetic and electric fields
  • Faraday’s law, Lenz’s law, and the concept of magnetic flux for solving electromagnetic induction problems
  • Light as a wave – polarisation – and light as a stream of particles – the photo-electric effect
  • Models of the atom, nuclear reactions (including balancing equations), types of radioactive decay, and three types of ionizing radiation (their characteristics and their detection)

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15-point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, a typical weekly workload includes:

  • 3 hours of lectures
  • A 2-hour lab
  • 2 hours of reviewing the course content
  • 3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Prerequisite
Restriction

Advice on Course Limits

This is a limited entry course: there is a limit on the number of enrolments due to staff or space capacity. In cases where the courses is taught under two separate codes (e.g. concurrently taught courses, general education courses) the course limit specified is the total across both versions of the course. For more information, please see the Programme and Course Limitations section of the University Academic and General Statutes and Regulations.

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Students need to enrol and participate in one lecture stream (Tue/Thu/Fri 12-1 pm) and one laboratory stream (Tue 3-5 pm or Thu 3-5 pm) in this course. Please ensure that there is no timetable clash with any of the lecture and laboratory times for the stream that you enrol in.

Lectures will be available as recordings for revision after class. Other learning activities will not be available as recordings. 

Attendance on campus is required for the labs, tests, and exams. 

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

TFCPHYS 92F Coursebook:

  • Available free as a digital copy and given out for free in the first lecture by the teaching staff. This will be used in every lecture and contains course notes and example problems to be worked on in lectures.


Drop-in tutoring:

  • Daily drop-in tutoring will be available on some weekdays from Week 2 to Week 12 (excluding public holidays, mid-semester break, and the last day of the semester). More details will be updated on Canvas. This learning support supplements regular classes and lecturers' office hours.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Other Information

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Additional Information on Academic integrity

The Academic Integrity Course is available online (link below), and enrolled TFC students should complete the online course by the end of their first semester of study.
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/academic-integrity-copyright/academic-integrity-course.html

Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Special Requirements

To achieve an overall pass in this course, students must:

  • obtain a pass in the laboratory component,
  • sit the final exam.

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

Based on 2024 feedback, some labs have been optimised to ensure that time-pressure is less of an issue. Lab report writing also has more guidance.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Additional Information on Tuākana

Tuākana Science is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuākana Programme website.

For more information and to find contact details for the Physics department Tuākana coordinator, please see https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/maori-and-pacific-at-the-faculty/tuakana-programme.html

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.