A Foundation Course in Physics and Chemistry

Course Coordinator: Dr C W Chan, BSc (Hons), MPhil (CUHK); PGCTHE (HK PloyU); PhD (HKU)

Course Developer: Dr Chan Chin Wing

SCI S121 is a suitable starting point if you plan to follow the degree programmes in Environmental Studies and Engineering Mechanics, Materials and Design. It is an optional course for the degree programmes in Applied Computing and Electronics.

There is no entry requirement for SCI S121. However, basic English skills at the university level and mathematics skills would help you to finish this course successfully.

SCI S121 is a replacement course for SCI S111, and it forms an excluded combination with SCI S102 and SCI S111.

Aims
This course aims to:

• Provide you with knowledge of chemistry and physics concerning principles, hypotheses and laws in these two areas;

• Emphasize the relationships between science and everyday life;

• Provide you with the skills to explain the physics and chemistry phenomena that you have learned about, as well as to analyse and interpret experimental results.

Contents
The course covers the following topics:

• Mechanics

• Electricity and magnetism

• Vibration, light and sound

• Atomic structure and chemical bonding

• State of matter

• Change of matter

• Chemical equilibrium and the laws of thermodynamics

Learning
support
Regular tutorials and surgeries will be held, and regular laboratory sessions will be arranged where tutors and supervisors will guide you through experiments. Three of the sessions are compulsory and your attendance will be counted towards your course grade.

Assessment
There are five tutor-marked assignments and a final examination. 50% on continuous assessment includes the best scores on four out of five assignments. The other 50% of the overall course score will be made up by the examination.

Set book(s)
Chang, Goldsby (2015) Chemistry, 12th edn, McGraw Hill.

Hewitt, P (2014) Conceptual Physics, 12th edn, Addison Wesley. (Bundle Version with MasteringPhysics).

Both textbooks are supported by online materials which can be accessed through ISPs or the OUHK E-library.

Students with disabilities or special educational needs
This course contains visual and audio materials that you have to work through in order to complete your studies successfully. You are encouraged to seek further advice from the Course Coordinator if you feel that will be physically challenging.