PHS3000 Experimental physics
Faculty of Science
PHS3000 Experimental physics is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2025 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 1, Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 5 tasks
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before PHS3000
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After PHS3000
No unit lists PHS3000 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Overview
In this unit, you will perform advanced laboratory experiments designed to broaden your experimental skills and physics knowledge.
Tuition is provided for the following skills: writing research-grade laboratory notebooks, preparing concise scientific reports, fitting models to data, uncertainty analysis, signal processing. You will complete a series of experiments of their choice and present their findings in laboratory reports.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Workshop activitesExercise10%
- Experiment 1 (log book and report)Written24%
- Experiment 2 (log book and report)Written24%
- Experiment 3 (log book and report)Written24%
- Experiment 4 (log book and report)Written18%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Write a research-grade laboratory record of an experiment session.
- 2
Write reports in a similar format to a standard research journal article on the findings of a laboratory experiment.
- 3
Analyse experimental data using numerical modelling and other computational techniques.
- 4
Demonstrate awareness of scientific computing methods and visualisation.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops24 hours
- Laboratories48 hours
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachResearch activities
The workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours spread across the semester (approximately 12 hours per week) - approximately an even mixture of attendance at scheduled activities and self-scheduled study time. Learning activities comprise a mixture of instructor directed and self-directed learning.
You will work through examples designed to illustrate the application of theoretical concepts.
You will attend the laboratory and perform experimental investigations on selected topics in experimental Physics. Experiments are chosen by you based on your interests. Reference scripts are provided as the basis for investigation, and for each, you will complete a detailed research investigation including a complete analysis. Formal reports are written for a subset of experiments.
Learning resources
Technology resources
Mathematica
Python
Matlab
Where it fits
PHS3000 is part of 4 areas of study in the 2025 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Alexis Bishop
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Alexis Bishop
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for PHS3000?
PHS3000 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is PHS3000 offered?
In 2025, PHS3000 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton.
Does PHS3000 have an exam?
No. PHS3000 has 5 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include PHS3000?
PHS3000 is part of Astrophysics and Physics.