| Module Identifier |
PX35010 |
| Module Title |
EXPERIMENTAL METHODS AND SKILLS IN PHYSICS |
| Academic Year |
2003/2004 |
| Co-ordinator |
Dr Geraint O Thomas |
| Semester |
Semester 1 |
| Pre-Requisite |
Core Physics Modules at Level 1 |
| Course delivery |
Practical | 11 four hour sessions |
| Assessment |
| Assessment Type | Assessment Length/Details | Proportion |
|---|
| Semester Assessment | Course Work: Laboratory Notebook and one page summary | 30% |
| Semester Assessment | Presentation: Oral Presentation | 20% |
| Semester Assessment | Course Work: 'Mock Report' | 20% |
| Semester Assessment | Course Work: Full Report | 30% |
|
Learning outcomes
After taking this module students will:
-
Be aware of the need to analyse a scientific problem and break it down into smaller consecutive elements.
-
Be familiar with the essential vocabulary of the Visual Basic programming language.
-
Have implemented their own programmes to illustrate some physics solutions.
-
Have had an introduction to starting a business.
Brief description
The ever increasing power of computers and mathematical techniques can help scientists describe and understand how our world works. Computers are therefore amongst the most common tools used by experimentalists and theoreticians alike.
A number of scientific programming languages exist. Although each has a slightly different vocabulary, the basic techniques of analysing a scientific problem and representing it as a mathematic model are common to all scientific languages.
In the present course you will receive instruction on scientific programming using Visual Basic. Visual Basic has been chosen as it allows the basic elements of programming language to be learnt in a windows environment. Visual Basic is also a language used widely in other disciplines and will be a valuable additional skill you can include in your CV. You should also find that the logical analysis skills you develop when learning the to program computers are also extremely useful in other areas of your studies and later on in many jobs.
Content
Each week you will be given work that will guide you as you explore how to write programs and control input and output and do scientific calculations. Each sheet will be accompanied by example programmes that will allow you to explore and develop materia introduced. You will further develop your programming skills through assignments and an individual programming project.
In addition to programming skills, students on the module will be able to register for a joint course on business awareness with students from Swansea and Cardiff at the University of Wales residential centre at Gregynog in mid-Wales. This will be supplemented by further group work on analysis of scientific problems at UWA.
Transferable skills
Scientific programming
Scientific approach to the analysis of problems
Group work
Reading Lists
Books
A range of suitable textbooks is available in the laboratory.
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6