The Physics minor introduces the fundamentals of Physics. It aims to provide a balance of knowledge and skills for those whose major is in an area other than physics. Skills include: problem solving, data gathering, data analysis, and experiment design.
The minor will prepare students for careers in which the physical sciences are used, including: research, teaching, and industry.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe and explain some of the fundamental principles of physics.
- Apply the fundamental principles of physics to solve elementary problems, including those likely to be encountered in future careers. Such problems may involve ambiguity and uncertainty and require the application of multiple principles.
- Describe and explain specific examples of how physics is applied to benefit people.
- Describe some critical experiments in the history of physics and explain how they led to revisions of our theoretical descriptions of nature.
- Use mathematical, computational and experimental skills to solve elementary conceptual and quantitative problems in physics.
- Demonstrate skills including: equipment familiarity, data gathering, record keeping, data analysis, dealing with uncertainty, experiment design, and comparison with theory.
- Analyse unfamiliar physical systems and provide order-of-magnitude estimates of quantities. This includes knowledge of basic physical constants and key equations.
- Be both creative and rigorous in the design and construction of scientific investigations of physical systems.
- Effectively communicate physics based analyses to expert and non-expert audiences.
- Constructively criticise evidence, arguments and conclusions wherever they are encountered.
Other Information
What courses should you take in first year?
- PHYS1101 Physics I
- PHYS1201 Physics II
- MATH1013 Mathematics & Applications 1 or MATH1115 Advanced Mathematics & Applications 1
- MATH1014 Mathematics & Applications 2 or MATH1116 Advanced Mathematics & Applications 2
PHYS1101 has a corequisite of either MATH1013 or MATH1115. PHYS1201 has a corequisite of either MATH1014 or MATH1116.
Additional advice:
Most 2000- and 3000- level PHYS and ASTR courses have 2000- level MATH co/pre-requisites. Please check individual courses carefully.
Academic or enrolment advice:
Students can seek further advice from the academic contact for this minor (details above), or the College of Science Student Services Team (students.cos@anu.edu.au).
Back to the topRequirements
*Asterisked courses have 1000-level pre-requisites which must be selected in the first year of study and will contribute towards satisfying the 1000-level course requirements of the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours).
- MATH1013 Mathematics & Applications 1 (pre-requisite for MATH1014 , PHYS1101, PHYS2013 and PHYS2020) or MATH1115 Advanced Mathematics & Applications 1 (prerequisite for MATH1116, PHYS1101, PHYS2013 and PHYS2020)
- MATH1014 Mathematics & Applications 2 or MATH1116 Advanced Mathematics & Applications 2 (prerequisite for MATH2305, PHYS2013 and PHYS2020)
This minor requires the completion of 24 units, which must include:
12 units from the completion of the following course(s):
*PHYS1101 Physics I (6 units)
*PHYS1201 Physics 2 (6 units)
12 units from the completion of 2000-3000- level courses from the following discipline areas:
PHYS - Physics
ASTR - Astronomy and Astrophysics
12 units from completion of the following course(s):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS1101 | Physics I | 6 |
| PHYS1201 | Physics 2 | 6 |
12 units from completion of the following course(s):
2000/3000 level Physics (PHYS) / Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASTR) courses
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