Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Unit Catalogue 2010/11 |
EE10171: Engineering physics |
 Credits:
| 6 |
| Level:
| Certificate |
| Period: | This unit is available in... |
| Semester 1 |
| Assessment:
| EX 80%, PR 20% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| |
| Description:
| Aims: To give students an understanding of topics in physics which form the foundations of electronic and electrical engineering, and space science and technology. Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this unit students should have an understanding of: (i) the structure of space and time and the physical units to undertake measurements, (ii) classical mechanics and its use in engineering applications, (iii) classical optics, the properties of light and its effects on materials. Skills: An understanding of the physical background of electrical engineering. Problem solving. Taught, facilitated and assessed. Content: (1) Introduction to basic concepts in physics such as space and time, fundamental units, energy, power and heat. (2) First principles of classical mechanics such as Newton's laws of motion and Newton's laws of gravitation. Application to harmonic motion and loss processes along with illustrative examples such as resonance and the motion of satellites. (3) Foundations of classical optics and ray theory. The electromagnetic nature of light, its spectral components and radiation properties. (4) Elementary particles, their fundamental properties and interaction with matter in engineering applications. |