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Unit of Study PHYS1004 - Physics I: Motion, Mechanics and Waves (2026)

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Unit Snapshot

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Unit description

Introduces the basics of motion in one and two dimensions. Students will learn about mechanics, which is the interaction of force and motion, and about waves in water and air. This will develop the foundational knowledge needed to understand how physics describes the action of forces and apply it to a variety of different fields such as engineering, human body movement and projectiles.

Unit content

Module 1: Kinematics

Module 2: Two-dimensional kinematics

Module 3: Forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion

Module 4 Work, energy and power

Module 5 Optics and waves

Module 6 Statics and torque

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Gold Coast
Term1
Term1
Lismore
Term1
Term1
Online
Term1,3
Term1,3

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

explain the basic principles of motion, forces, energy, and waves, as applied to kinematics, optics, and mechanics

describe knowledge of two-dimensional kinematics, Newton's laws, and energy conservation to solve industry-related problems

explain how the concepts of forces, energy, and waves drive emerging trends across various fields of engineering

perform experiments on motion, forces, energy, and waves to measure, analyse, and apply basic design concepts in mechanics

analyse the principles of statics and torque in equilibrium and apply them to real-world engineering applications

investigate and solve problems involving the interaction of light, sound, and waves in various engineering contexts.

Prescribed learning resources

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