On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain and apply Newtonian ideas about motion.

On completion of this unit the student should be able to compare the properties of construction materials and describe the forces acting when materials are arranged and connected in different ways to form structures.

On completion of this unit the student should be able to relate aspects of the wave-particle model to the nature of light and matter.

Two different assessment tasks should be selected to demonstrate achievement of any two of Outcomes 1, 2 and 3. The student investigation (Outcome 4) should deal with the content associated with the remaining outcome and may also deal with content from the other outcomes. The assessment tasks are to be selected from the following:

• a written report
• a report in multimedia format
• a test qualitative and quantitative questions
• data analysis
• a written response to a media item
• a summary report of the students' logbook.

The written report should be in the range of 500-750 words and completed in 80-100 minutes of class time over one week.

The report should be in the range of 250-400 words and contain at least two data types. It should be completed in 120-150 minutes of class time over one week.

The test should include quantitative and qualitative questions and allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the key knowledge of the area of study. The test should be completed over 40-50 minutes, including reading time.

The analysis should use appropriate technology, such as graphics calculators and spreadsheets to investigate, analyse and interpret supplied data and relate it to the key knowledge for the given area of study.

The data analysis should be completed in 80-100 minutes of class time.

The response should analyse key arguments in a media item and evaluate the item in terms of the relevant key knowledge to the given area of study.

The media item can be provided by the teacher or if selected by students, approved by the teacher. The media item should bc submitted with the written response for assessment.

Possible sources of items could include CD-ROMs, web pages, newspapers, and scientific journals.

The written response should be in the range of 500-750 words and completed in 80-100 minutes of class time.

This summary report should be based on practical activities for one area of study.

The summary report of practical activities should be a response to a series of questions and supplied data including data from the student logbook. The student should analyse and evaluate material, applying the key knowledge and skills from the chosen area of study.

Students should be able to complete a response based on practical activities related to the chosen area of study, which have been recorded in the logbook.

The practical activities could include:

• activities designed to familiarise the student with a particular item of equipment or an item of key knowledge
• structured activities where students are guided by directions and asked to answer specific questions
• set experiments where student modification or extension to the design is encouraged
• teacher-directed demonstrations involving student interaction
• teacher demonstrations designed to promote students' predictive, observational and explanatory skills
• large group or class experiments involving collaborative student design and/or data collection
• data analysis or analysis of computer simulations.

Each practical activity should be completed in 80-100 minutes of class time.

The summary report should be a written report in the range of 500-750 words and completed in 80-100 minutes of class time over one week.

Students should have access to their logbook of practical activities. Further guidelines regarding logbooks can be found on page 42 of the Physics Study Design.

Students may work in small groups to carry out the practical activities but each student should maintain their own logbook to produce an independent summary report.

Each task contributes 20 marks, totalling an overall contribution of 40 out of 100 marks allocated for Unit 4.

The following criteria should be used to assess the tasks. Where a test is selected, the criteria and their weighting should he used to set the test and devise a marking scheme.

The extent to which a written report, a report in multimedia format, a test, data analysis or a written response to media item demonstrates:

• Application of key knowledge and skills about the area of study, throughout the task, with clear definitions and explanations.
• Appropriate use of accepted physics symbols. SI units and accepted terminology.
• Clear labelling of diagrams and graphs.

• Analysis, interpretation and synthesis of information about the context, from a variety of sources.
• Explanation and use of significant aspects of the key knowledge and skills relevant to the area of study.
• Detailed and accurate discussion demonstrating a sophisticated level of understanding of the relationships between key knowledge and skills.

• Appropriate level of accuracy and manipulation of data, resulting in the calculation of physical values and explanation of physical relationships.
• Accurate measurements and calculations with a correct treatment of significant figures.
• Correct calculation and use of physical quantities, significant to the context at a level of mathematics outlined in the study design.

On completion of this unit the student should he able to design, carry out and report on an experimental investigation using the principles and methods of physics.

A plan and report of a student-designed investigation including a concise evaluation.

The aspects of the student-designed investigation can be managed in three stages.

1. Developing a plan

• the context of the investigation
• its purpose
• the limits or constraints to be placed on the investigation
• the experimental procedure(s) to be used
• the equipment needed.

1. Implementing the plan

• make observations
• take measurements
• analyse data
• interpret results
• refine ideas.

1. Analysis and evaluation

• discussion of any problems encountered and how they were overcome (or how potential problems were avoided)
• discussion of the accuracy of measurements and instruments used
• descriptions of key findings, based on the analysis of the data.

The report of the experimental investigation, including the plan, implementation, analysis and evaluation should be in the range of 1000-l200 words.

The three stages of the experimental investigation should be completed mainly in class in the following suggested times,

The plan, implementation, analysis and evaluation should be completed in class time. Students should use their logbook of practical activities throughout the investigation. Further guidelines regarding logbooks can be found on page 42 of the Physics Study Design.

Students may work in small groups to carry out the experimental investigation but each student should maintain their own logbook to produce an independent report of their plan, implementation, analysis and evaluation of the investigation.

This task contributes 60 marks out of the 100 marks allocated for Unit 4.

The extent to which the response demonstrates:

• Provision of a clear, specific and comprehensive statement of the purpose of the investigation.
• Identification and definition of all of the significant physics ideas.
• Identification of all of the relevant variables that should be considered.
• Provision of a clear statement that justifies all reasons for selecting particular apparatus.

• Control of variables where appropriate and the inclusion in the experimental method of a detailed description of how this was accomplished.
• Explanation of how difficulties were overcome or how the experiment was modified to take them into account
• Use of the most appropriate and available strategies
• Inclusion of repeated, relevant measurements/ observations wherever possible.
• Measurements/ observation of variables over a suitable range of values.
• Inclusion of sufficient data/ observations in order to satisfy the purpose of the investigation
• Discussion of the limitations of the apparatus and measuring instruments and provision of some reasonable estimate of the uncertainty of measurements.

• Inclusion of a clear statement demonstrating an understanding of the relevance of the experimental data.
• Organisation of the data into a convenient form with suitable graphs, charts, tables or diagrams used to demonstrate the relationship between variables and quantities measure/ observed.
• Manipulation of data resulting in the calculation of physical values. Explanation of physical relationships.
• Accurate measurements and calculations with a correct treatment of significant figures.

• Interpretation of experimental data of significance to the context.
• Inclusion of evaluations that can be reasonably inferred from the data.
• Discussion of the limitations of the experimental findings in terms of uncertainties
• Explanation of all differences between expected and obtained relationships or physical values.

• Application of key knowledge and skills about the area of study, throughout the task. with clear definitions and explanations.
• Appropriate use of accepted physics symbols. SI units and accepted terminology.
• Clear labelling of diagrams and graphs
• Correct calculations of physical quantities significant to the context using a level of mathematics outlined in the study design.