This Course Guide has been taken from the most recent presentation of the course. It would be useful for reference purposes but please note that there may be updates for the following presentation.
SCI S123
Foundation Physics
Welcome to SCI S123 Foundation Physics, a five-credit, one-semester foundation-level course. This is a compulsory course offered by the School of Science and Technology for students studying Bachelor of Science in Applied Science (Biology and Chemistry), Bachelor of Science with Honours in Applied Science (Biology and Chemistry), Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies, Bachelor of Science with Honors in Environmental Studies and any other students who have an interest in physics. There is no entry requirement or prerequisite for studying this course. University-level skills in basic English and mathematics will be necessary for you to complete this course.
SCI S123 covers major topics in physics including classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, properties of light, heat and energy, and modern physics. These five areas form the basis for the development of other scientific disciplines. You are encouraged to apply this subject knowledge to describe and explain the issues involved in physics, which will enable you to pursue your studies in various science disciplines.
Course aims
The overall aims of SCI S123 Foundation Physics are to:
Course learning outcomes
Upon completion of SCI S123 Foundation Physics, you should be able to:
The following table gives you a general overview of the course structure. It suggests the amount of time you should allow for completing units and provides a broad schedule for you to plan your work. These times are intended as a guide only and should be adjusted to fit your personal needs more closely. You will need about 10–12 hours per week to work through the course. This estimation includes time for reading the units, completing activities, self-tests and assignments, attending tutorials, and preparing for your final examination.
| Unit | Topic | Study time (weeks) | Assignment |
| 1 | Mechanics | 4 (weeks 1–4) | |
| 2 | Electricity and magnetism | 4 (weeks 5–8) | |
| 3 | Properties of light | 3 (weeks 9–11) | Assignment 1 (covers Units 1–3) |
| 4 | Heat and energy | 3 (weeks 12–14) | |
| 5 | Modern physics | 2 (weeks 15–16) | Assignment 2 (covers Units 4–5) |
| Total | 16 |
In this course's custom textbook-based approach, the course learning modules are selected from a physics textbook.
Your study pathway through the custom textbook is set out in an HKMU-produced study guide. In addition to the guided activities and self-tests already provided in the custom textbook, the study guide includes supplementary materials. You will also have access to multimedia materials on HKMU's Online Learning Environment (OLE), and regular face-to-face meetings for lectures and tutorials.
This course's combination of the latest editions of textbooks, plus the study guide, and face-to-face learning opportunities, will provide you with rich coverage of current developments in physics.
Introductory video
To start off, you should watch the introductory video for the course in the ePub version of this Course Guide or on the OLE. Then turn to the Study Guide for further guidance through the course.
The custom textbook
The title of the custom textbook is SCI S123 Foundation Physics. The chapters are selected from the following textbook:
• Hewitt, P (2015) Conceptual Physics, 12th edn, Addison Wesley
The study guide will indicate at which point you should read each chapter of the custom textbook.
The study guide
The study guide serves two functions. First, it provides you with information on the aims, learning outcomes, assessment strategies, and means of support for this course. Second, it will set out your study pathway through the customized textbook and other course learning resources, and will provide supplementary materials.
The study guide is divided into five units. The titles of the units and the textbook chapters and readings that they will cover are set out in the following table.
| Unit | Textbook chapters | Course learning outcome |
| 1 Mechanics | Conceptual Physics Ch. 3–7, 9 | Describe the kinematic and dynamic aspects of mechanics. |
| 2 Electricity and magnetism | Conceptual Physics Ch. 22–24 | Apply principles of physics to solve problems related to electrostatics, electric current and magnetism. |
| 3 Properties of light | Conceptual Physics Ch. 26–30 | Illustrate the properties of electromagnetic waves, and explain the properties of light. |
| 4 Heat and energy | Conceptual Physics Ch. 14, 18 | Describe the ideal gas law with the kinetic theory of gas, and apply the first law of thermodynamics to simple physical processes. |
| 5 Modern physics | Conceptual Physics Ch. 31–33 | Describe the development of quantum mechanics and its contribution to modern physics. |
Unit 1 Mechanics
In this unit, the fundamentals of mechanics in kinematics and dynamics are introduced. The concepts of conservation of momentum and energy are examined. The study of motion is extended into two dimensions, i.e. projectile motion and circular motion, which lead to an investigation of gravitation. You will need to apply the concepts of rigid body rotation and angular momentum to solve simple problems on rotational motion.
Unit 2 Electricity and magnetism
This unit will first introduce concepts related to electric fields through the relationship with Coulomb's law. It will then elaborate on the inter-relationships among voltage, current, resistance, charge, energy and power as well as the principle of Ohm's law. In the second part of the unit, the concept of magnetic field will be applied to the study of electromagnetism. The magnetic effects on the formation of magnetic force and generation of induced current will also be examined.
Unit 3 Properties of light
This unit examines the basic nature and properties of light. After introducing the characteristics of light as a part of the electromagnetic spectrum, the formation of real and virtual images using mirrors and lenses will be elaborated using construction rules for light rays.
Unit 4 Heat and energy
In this unit, the ideal gas law relating the pressure, temperature, and volume of an ideal gas will be discussed. The kinetic theory of gases is intended to correlate temperature to the kinetic energy of gas molecules and interpret pressure in terms of the motion of gas molecules. Calculations involving specific heat capacity and specific latent heat will serve to complement the theoretical aspects of heat and energy transfer. The second half of the unit will cover the concepts of the first law of thermodynamics, including heat capacity and internal energy.
Unit 5 Modern physics
This unit will mainly cover the history of building atomic models. It will also discuss the failure of classical mechanics and the birth of quantum theory. Finally, it will investigate the principle of wave-particle duality and the uncertainty principle in modern physics.
Supplementary readings
Supplements to update the concepts in addition to the custom textbook will be included where necessary. The following journals will be integrated into SCI S123 course materials as supplementary readings:
Multimedia
There are online resources on the course learning platform Online Learning Environment (OLE). More information about the OLE will be provided in a later part of this Course Guide.
Presentation schedule
The schedule for this course is available on the OLE; it gives the dates for completing assignments, attending tutorials, surgeries, and laboratory sessions.
Equipment requirements
You will need access to a computer with an Internet connection.
Assessment
This course is designed to assist you to move easily from the stated objectives, through the study units, readings and materials to the assignments and examination. You will be expected to apply concepts and techniques acquired during the course when completing assignments. You will also undertake regular activities and self-tests while working their way through the study units, textbook and readings.
The assessment items are outlined in the following table.
| Course learning outcomes | Assessment item | Weighting |
Describe the kinematic and dynamic aspects of mechanics. | Assignment 1: Units 1 to 3 | 25% |
| Describe the ideal gas law with the kinetic theory of gas, and apply the first law of thermodynamics to simple physical processes. Describe the development of quantum mechanics and its contribution to modern physics. | Assignment 2: Units 4 to 5 | 25% |
| Final written examination (3 hours) | 50% | |
| Total | 100% |
SCI S123 assesses your performance through two assignments and a final examination. Continuous assessment and the final examination are the formal means of performance evaluation. Assignments account for 50% of the overall course score. The final examination at the end of the course makes up the remaining 50% of the overall course score. You are required to obtain 40% or above in both the overall continuous assessment score and the final examination to pass the course.
As shown above, the assessment elements in the course comprise assignments and a three-hour final exam. Please note the respective weightings for each assessment item in the table.
Assessment
There are two assignments for the course. You are required to submit both assignments as they serve to assess your understanding of different units. Your tutor will return your assignments with comments and feedback after marking. The contents for the assignments are as follows.
Examination
The final examination for SCI S123 Foundation Physics will be a written examination that has a value of 50% of the total course grade. The purpose of the examination is to assess your understanding of all the material covered in the entire course. The duration of the examination will be three hours. The format of the examination questions will be similar to what you will have seen in your assignments. It will include both short and long questions, including calculations. In addition to answering in words, you will sometimes be required to produce drawings or diagrams, and show the detailed steps of your calculations.
Tutors and tutorials
Your tutor will give you extensive feedback on your assignments, as well as face-to-face tutorials and telephone tutoring, and online support.
There are five two-hour tutorials and one two-hour surgery for SCI S123. At the tutorials your can discuss any problems or queries you may have. You don't have to attend these face-to-face tutorial sessions, but we do encourage you to do so. You should find them very helpful, and they will also give you a chance to meet your fellow students. The schedule for tutorials and surgeries can be found on the OLE. In addition, there will be three laboratory sessions for science experiments. Although they are not compulsory, you are also encouraged to attend all of them.
Online Learning Environment (OLE)
This course is supported by the Online Learning Environment (OLE). You will find the latest course information on this platform. Through the OLE, you can communicate electronically with your tutor and course coordinator as well as other students. To access the OLE, you will need to have access to the Internet. The use of the OLE is required for the study of this course.
You are now studying a foundation level course for your degree, and it may be the first course that you are studying in distance learning mode. You should try to work out the most comfortable method to undertake your studies. However, you are advised to set a timetable for regular study. You will need around 10–12 hours a week to complete SCI S123.
If you have any questions during your studies, don’t hesitate to contact your tutor and fellow students. Sometimes discussion with others can help you to clarify ideas and concepts, and also strengthen your understanding.
Good luck in the course, and also enjoy yourself!
