The development of physical law from Newton to the revolutionary ideas of quantum physics formulated by Planck, Schrödinger, Heisenberg, Bohr and Einstein. The physics of the real world: motion, energy and its transfer, and an introduction to the quantum mechanical nature of light and matter. Applications of the principles of physics to a technological society.
PHSI 131 Fundamentals of Physics I is the first semester of a two-semester, introductory, calculus-based sequence. Our goal is for you to learn to approach, solve and understand a wide variety of physics problems on both qualitative and quantitative levels and to relate "classroom physics" to the real world we live in. We emphasise conceptual understanding along with problem-solving skills.
| Paper title | Fundamentals of Physics I |
|---|---|
| Paper code | PHSI131 |
| Subject | Physics |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $1,141.35 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Restriction
- PHSI 191
- Schedule C
- Science
- Notes
- (i) It is recommended that students enrolling for PHSI131 have a background in NCEA Level 3 Physics and Mathematics (or equivalent). (ii) Students with excellent results in NCEA Level 3 Physics (or equivalent) are advised to contact the departmental course adviser about substituting an appropriate 200-level paper for PHSI131.
- Eligibility
This paper is suited to students with a good working knowledge of secondary-education-level physics (NCEA level 3). A good knowledge of trigonometry, calculus, and algebra is assumed, and we recommend that students take MATH 130 and 140 concurrently with PHSI 131 and PHSI 132.
- Contact
- Course Director: mikkel.andersen@otago.ac.nz
Course Co-ordinator: paul.yates@otago.ac.nz - More information link
- View more information about PHSI 131
- Teaching staff
Professor Blair Blakie
Associate Professor Mikkel Andersen
Professor Craig Rodger
Associate Professor Colin Fox
Paul Yates
Paul Muir- Textbooks
Required: Katz, Deborah M. Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Foundations and Connections, Extended Version with Modern Physics.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship,
Communication, Critical thinking, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Students completing this paper will:
- Know the basic physical laws in the key topics of the paper: Newtonian classical mechanics, wave mechanics, and introduction to the quantum mechanical nature of light and matter
- Apply the physical laws to understand modern technologies and predict the outcome of real-world physical phenomena
- Use physical principles, in conjunction with calculus, to solve quantitative problems in the topic areas
- Present a solution to a physics problem and be able to assess whether a solution is physically reasonable
