Thermodynamics & Condensed Matter Physics (PHYS2020)

Course overview

Theoretical understanding of general properties of macroscopic sized material systems that apply irrespective of the detailed behaviour of microscopic particles constituting the system. Understanding of matter in condensed (liquid or solid) states.

Thermodynamics is the science of the transformation of energy and matter.ﾠ It deals with foundational principles involving energy and entropy, and it provides powerful methods to work out the general consequences of these principles that apply to any system, regardless of the microscopic detail.ﾠ Applications include: states of matter, chemical reactions, energy efficiency, quantum information, physiology, astrophysics and environmental science.

Thermodynamics sets limits on permissible physical processes and it establishes relationships between apparently unrelated properties. Thermodynamics provides an example within physics itself of a field of study that is independent of, though consistent with, a more fundamental field of knowledge. Thermodynamic laws can be interpreted in terms of statistical mechanics, which involves a statistical physics description of the system allowing for the details of the microscopic constituents.

Condensed matter physics is concerned with understanding the nature of different phases of matter, including not just solids and liquids but also magnets, superfluids, liquid crystals, polymers, and amorphous solids. Understanding these different phases and transitions between them is based on thermodynamics but ultimately requires a thorough knowledge of quantum physics and statistical mechanics. Many of the materials first studied by condensed matter physicists are now the basis of modern technology. Common examples include crystalline silicon in computer chips, superconductors in hospital magnetic imaging machines, magnetic multilayers in computer memories, and liquid crystals in digital displays. This course will introduce students to the diverse phases of matter and their basic physical properties.

The course provides part of a comprehensive, complete and coherent program of education in Physics intended for students aiming to become professional physicists. It is a compulsory subject for a major in Physics.

The course is also suitable for non-majors in physics interested in the background theory behind applications of thermodynamics in technology or students wishing to develop a basic understanding of the nature and behaviour of thermodynamic systems and condensed matter.ﾠ In particular the course would be useful to students in engineering, chemistry and biochemistry.ﾠ

This course shares learning activities with PHYS7120 ﾠbut will have assessment items which include questions that relate particularly to graduate attributes at the undergraduate level.

Assumed background

PHYS2020 builds on a variety of concepts and skills from first year courses:

Thermal concepts

Familiarity with basic thermal phenomena and concepts, including:

• temperature scales K and ˚C
• heat transfer by conduction, radiation, convection
• force, work and energy
• ideal gas, pressure
• heat capacity
• entropy: basic idea (disorder) and tendency to increase in an isolated system
• phase changes: boiling, freezing points, latent heat
• bulk properties of matter: thermal expansion, Young’s modulus

Mathematical Skills

• basic differentiation and integration
• finding extrema of a function
• integration as area under a curve
• visualise and sketch simple functions
• visualise a function of 2 variables (eg contour plot)
• the idea of a path-dependent integral
• logarithms, exponentials and trigonometric functions
• definite vs indefinite integrals
• Taylor series of elementary functions

Problem solving and analysis

• convert between commonly used units
• keep track of units in a calculation
• use simple checks to assess whether an answer makes sense (eg dimensions, orders-of-magnitude, limiting behaviours, consistency with fundamental principles and axioms)

Experimental Skills

• formulating and testing hypotheses ﾠ
• estimation and analysis of uncertainties
• plotting data
• significant figures

General Physics

The concepts and techniques of thermodynamics and condensed matter physics have application in a wide variety of areas, many of which are explored in the courses. Familiarity with some of these areas is helpful:

• mechanics: work and potential energy, gravitational potential energy
• wave optics: basic characteristics of light – wavelengths/frequency.
• magnetism: magnetic dipoles, magnetization, inductors, Faraday's law
• electricity: electric potential, current, resistance, power dissipation, capacitance
• chemistry: chemical equation with stoichiometric coefficients, structure of common compounds (eg He, N2, O2, CO2, H2O)

In the School of Mathematics and Physics we are committed to creating an inclusive and empowering learning environment for all students. We value and respect the diverse range of experiences our students bring to their education, and we believe that this diversity is crucial for fostering a rich culture of knowledge sharing and meaningful exploration. We hold both students and staff accountable for actively contributing to the establishment of a respectful and supportive learning environment.

Bullying, harassment, and discrimination in any form are strictly against our principles and against UQ Policy, and will not be tolerated. We have developed a suite of resources to assist you in recognising, reporting, and addressing such behaviour. If you have any concerns about your experience in this course, we encourage you to tell a member of the course teaching team, or alternatively contact an SMP Classroom Inclusivity Champion (see Blackboard for contact details). Our Inclusivity Champions are here to listen, to understand your concerns, and to explore potential actions that can be taken to resolve them. Your well-being and a positive learning atmosphere are of utmost importance to us.ﾠ

Course requirements

Assumed background

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

(MATH1051 or MATH1071) + PHYS1001

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

(MATH1052 or MATH1072) + PHYS1002

Jointly taught details

This course is jointly-taught with:

PHYS2020 and PHYS7120 are co-badged courses and will share learning activities. PHYS7120 will have some differences in assessment to evaluate students at Level 9 (Masters) of the Australian Qualifications Framework.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

All classes will be conducted on campus. Lectures will be delivered on campus but recorded for later viewing. Consult your personal timetable for times and locations. Online assistance via Ed discussion board will be available during the course. If you are ill, then do not attend any classes in person. Alternative arrangements can be organised. Contact the course coordinator.ﾠ

Aims and outcomes

To achieve a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of classical thermodynamics, and to develop the ability to apply thermodynamics principles to problems in a variety of fields, such as physics, engineering and chemistry.

See course information for list of specific exit knowledge and skills.

ﾠ

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Final exam

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

50%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item.

Computational Project

Mode

Written

Category

Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Project

Weight

10%

Due date

15/05/2025 5:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

Students are required to submit an electronic copy of their computational project report and their computational code/script via the University Blackboard system as two separate files. The project report must be in PDF format; the code/script must be a plain text format, in Matlab or Python. Refer to Blackboard for further instructions.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.

Laboratory Report 1

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

10%

Due date

The due date for submitting your Lab Report 1 is 5:00pm two weeks after completing the respective Experiment 1 (i.e, two weeks after the 2nd lab session for Experiment 1). The timetable for lab experiments and due dates for the respective lab reports for different student groups will be made available on Blackboard; depending on your group, the Lab Report 1 due date will be either in Week 6 or Week 8.

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Submission guidelines will be made available on Blackboard. Reports must be submitted electronically via the University's Blackboard system. Submissions must be in PDF format.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.

Written Assignment

Mode

Written

Category

Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

20% Each Assignment is worth max 5%, only best 4 (out of 5) marks are counted

Due date

Assignment 1 19/03/2025 5:00 pm

Assignment 2 27/03/2025 5:00 pm

Assignment 3 10/04/2025 5:00 pm

Assignment 4 1/05/2025 5:00 pm

Assignment 5 29/05/2025 5:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

Solutions to the assignment problems must be submitted as a single PDF file online via Blackboard.

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Students are required to submit their assignments on time. Each assignment is worth max 5%. Written solutions to tutorial and assignment problems will be released on Blackboard at 9am on Friday (next morning after the assignment submission due time) on a fortnightly basis - for the benefit of the entire class and to give students a mechanism for self-assessment and allow them to check their solutions more-or-less immediately after they have completed and submitted them. Because of this, and the policy of "4 best" assignment marks, no extensions on assignment submission will be permitted, except in special circumstance when a student was incapable to study for 4 or more weeks due to, e.g., illness. In the latter case, a medical certificate showing the reason for such extended incapacity will be required, and alternative options for make-up assignments can then be arranged with your course coordinator.

Laboratory Report 2

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

10%

Due date

The due date for submitting your Lab Report 2 is 5:00pm two weeks after completing the respective Experiment 2 (i.e, two weeks after the end of the 2nd lab session for Experiment 2). The timetable for lab experiments and due dates for the respective lab reports for different student groups will be made available on Blackboard; depending on your group.

Exception: Students starting the second lab on Monday, week 12 will have their due date for report 2 on Friday week 13 (5:00 PM).

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Submission guidelines will be made available on Blackboard. Reports must be submitted electronically via the University's Blackboard system. Submissions must be in PDF format.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Hurdle Requirements

There are hurdle requirements on the final exam and the laboratory components of the course. See details in the course grade descriptors above.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is not available for some items in this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3 you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply. 

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course. 

Supplementary assessment is not available if you did not pass the laboratory based hurdle for this course (please see the Grade Description section). The learning objectives of the laboratory components are demonstrated throughout the semester and it is not possible to validly reassess these learning objectives in the supplementary assessment period.  

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.   

Supplementary assessment in this course will be a 2-hour examination similar in style to the end-of-semester examination. To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

Artificial Intelligence

Assessment tasks in this course evaluate students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Applications for Extensions to Assessment Due Dates

Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ – applying for an extension. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with extension requests, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons, may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Requests for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through your my.UQ portal and you must provide documentation of your circumstances, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed. Your application must be submitted on or before the assessment item's due date and time.
• Applications for extension can take time to be processed so you should continue to work on your assessment item while awaiting a decision. We recommend that you submit any completed work by the due date, and this will be marked if your application is not approved. Should your application be approved, then you will be able to resubmit by the agreed revised due date.
• If an extension is approved, you will be notified via your my.UQ portal and the new date and time for submission provided. It is important that you check the revised date as it may differ from the date that you requested.
• If the basis of the application is a medical condition, applications should be accompanied by a medical certificate dated prior to the assignment due date. If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a written statement (Word document) outlining why you cannot provide the documentation. You must then upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
• If an extension is being sought on the basis of exceptional circumstances, it must be accompanied by supporting documentation (eg. Statutory declaration).
• For extensions based on a SAP you may be granted a maximum of 7 days (if no earlier maximum date applies). See the Extension or Deferral availability section of each assessment for details. Your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, additional extension requests for the assessment item will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
• Students may be asked to submit evidence of work completed to date. Lack of adequate progress on your assessment item may result in an extension being denied.
• If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 14 days, you are advised to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might be eligible to withdraw without academic penalty - seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
• There are no provisions for exemption from an assessment item within UQ rules. If you are unable to submit an assessment piece then, under special circumstances, you may be granted an exemption, but may be required to submit alternative assessment to ensure all learning outcomes are met.

Applications to defer an exam

In certain circumstances you can apply to take a deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams. You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

Deferred Exam requests are submitted online via mySi-net. Requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with deferred examinations, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Applications can be submitted no later than 5 calendar days after the date of the original exam.
• There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.
• Your deferred examination request(s) must have a status of "submitted" in mySI-net to be assessed.
• All applications for deferred in-semester examinations are assessed by the relevant school. Applications for deferred end-of-semester examinations are assessed by the Academic Services Division.
• You’ll receive an email to your student email account when the status of your application is updated.
• If you have a medical condition, mental health condition or disability and require alternative arrangements for your deferred exam you’ll need to complete the online alternative exam arrangements through my.UQ. This is in addition to your deferred examinations request. You need to submit this request on the same day as your request for a deferred exam or supplementary assessment. Contact Student Services if you need assistance completing your alternative exam arrangements request.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.