VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES
VCE PHYSICS
Summary of proposed changes to the study design
This table provides detailed information about proposed changes to the VCE Physics study design.
General changes
Feature / Current study design / Proposal for revised study designDetailed studies / · Students undertake two Detailed Studies from a set of six that are offered across Units 1 and 2
· Students undertake one Detailed Study that is offered from a set of six across Units 3 and/or 4 / · Students undertake one Focus Study from a set of 11 in Unit 2 Area of Study 2, with a further aspect of a Focus Study being able to be undertaken in Unit 2 Area of Study 3 as a practical investigation
· No Detailed Studies are offered across Units 3 and 4
· Unit 4 Area of Study 3 is a skills-based area of study where students undertake a practical investigation related to content in Units 3 and/or 4
Specific changes
Scope of study / A single Rationale covers both proposed Scope of study and Rationale / Explains aspects of the broad discipline of physics that is included in VCE Physics
Rationale / Explains the importance of studying VCE Physics, including post-secondary pathways
Aims / Includes a set of nine VCE Physics aims / Proposes set of two VCE Physics-specific aims and a set of seven generic aims which apply to all VCE sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics and Psychology)
Key science skills / A set of key skills is described under three general headings / A set of key science skills is described under seven general headings which apply to all VCE sciences, with elaborations specific to VCE Physics
Unit questions / No unit titles or questions are included in the current study design / Unit questions are designed to link concepts and ideas across the unit and to reflect the inquiry nature of science
· Unit 1: How can the unseen be explained?
· Unit 2: How do observations shape knowledge?
· Unit 3: How does energy relate to nature?
· Unit 4: Why are light and matter so challenging to explain?
Area of study questions / Area of study has short phrases as titles / Area of study has questions as titles which are designed to enable exploration of the concepts and ideas related to the topics within the area of study
Key knowledge sub-headings / Key knowledge is listed as a set of dot points / Key knowledge dot points are listed under sets of sub-headings
Section / Current study design / Proposal for revised study design
Unit 1
Area of Study 1 / Nuclear physics and radioactivity
· nuclear stability
· radioactive decay
· origin, detection, penetration and effects on humans of α, β and γ radiation
· effects of ionising radiation on living things and the environment
· nuclear transformations and decay series diagrams
· natural and artificial isotopes
· neutron absorption and production of artificial radioisotopes
· risks in the use of nuclear reactions and radioactivity / Can the Universe be explained?
Topics:
· the origin and fate of the Universe
· the composition of the Universe
· scientific exploration of the origin and composition of the Universe
This is a new area of study related to cosmology and including the Big Bang theory, the Standard Model and string theory. There is a focus on how we know what we know about the Universe.
Unit 1
Area of Study 2 / Electricity
· electric circuits
· resistance in series and parallel circuits
· modelling of simple electric circuits and household electricity connections
· electric shock
· practical investigations of the operation of simple circuits
· safe use of electricity / How can thermal effects be explained?
Topics:
· Thermodynamics principles
· Thermodynamics and global warming
This is a new area of study. Students explore thermodynamics though one of more of three contexts: the car, the home and/or Earth
Unit 1
Area of Study 3 / · Detailed study (first selection from a choice of six) / How can electricity be explained?
Topics:
· concepts used to model electricity
· circuit electricity
· using electricity
· electrical safety
Content is similar to current Unit 1 Area of Study 2
Section / Current study design / Proposal for revised study design
Unit 2
Area of Study 1 / Motion
· vectors and scalars
· straight-line and non-uniform motion in a straight line
· forces
· weight
· application of Newton’s three laws of motion
· work
· Hooke’s law for an ideal spring
· energy transfers and transformations
· momentum
· impulse / How can motion be described?
Topics:
· concepts used to model motion
· forces and motion
· energy and motion
Content is similar to current Unit 2 Area of Study 1:
· inclusion of g = 9.8
· inclusion of the concept of torque and analysis of structures, from the current Unit 3 and 4 Detailed Study of ‘Materials and their use in structures’
· deletion of reference to ‘weight’
Unit 2
Area of Study 2 / Wave-like properties of light
· transverse waves
· calculations of wavelength, frequency, period, and speed of travel of light waves
· reflection, refraction and total internal reflection
· light as a wave and a particle
· polarisation
· visible light
· colour / Proposed set of 11 Focus Studies:
· What are stars?
· Is there intelligent life beyond Earth’s solar system?
· How do forces act on the human body?
· How can AC electricity charge a DC mobile phone?
· How do heavy things fly?
· How do fusion and fission compare as viable nuclear energy power sources?
· How is radiation used in medical imaging and diagnosis?
· How do particle accelerators and colliders work?
· How can human vision be extended?
· How do instruments make music?
· How can physics be applied to improve performance in ball sports?
Content contains new material in addition to content derived from current Areas of Study and Detailed Studies across Units 1 to 4
Section / Current study design / Proposal for revised study design
Unit 2
Area of Study 3 / · Detailed study (second selection from a choice of six) / Student-designed practical investigation related to waves, fields or motion
· new Area of Study with a skills focus
· investigation question relates to content in Unit 2 Areas of Study 1 and/or 2
· student designed and conducted
· involves collection of primary qualitative and/or quantitative data
Unit 3
Area of Study 1 / Motion in one and two dimensions
· application of Newton’s three laws of motion in one and two dimensions
· uniform circular motion
· projectile motion
· momentum and impulse
· work
· energy transformations
· gravitational fields and forces
· weight, apparent weight, weightlessness, apparent weightlessness
· satellite motion / How do things move when there is no contact?
Topics:
· fields and interactions
· effects of fields
· application of field concepts
Content relates to fields:
· derived from several areas of study in the current study design related to electric, magnetic and gravitational fields
· includes Coulomb’s law and the magnetic force on a moving charge
Unit 3
Area of Study 3 / Electronics and photonics
· operation of electronic circuits
· parallel and series circuits
· opto-electronic devices
· transfer of information in analogue form
· design, investigation and analysis of circuits for particular purposes
· voltage characteristics of amplifiers / How efficient is the delivery of electrical energy to homes?
Topics:
· generation of electricity
· transmission of electricity
· impact of electricity
Content is similar to current Unit 4 Area of Study 1
Section / Current study design / Proposal for revised study design
Unit 3
Area of Study 2 / Not included / Is there a limit to how fast things can go?
Topics
· Newtonian theories of motion
· Einsteinian theories of motion
· relationships between force, energy and mass
· relativity
Content is similar to current Unit 3 Area of Study 1, but with the inclusion of relativity
Unit 4
Area of Study 1 / Electric power
· application of a vector field model to magnetic phenomena
· calculations related to current carrying wires
· simple DC motors
· magnetic flux
· generation of emf
· DC motors, DC generators and AC alternators
· transformer action
· power supply
· use of transformers in electricity distribution system / How can waves explain the behaviour of light?
Topics:
· properties of mechanical waves
· light as a wave
· changing direction
· polarisation of light
Content similar to content from current Unit 2 Area of Study 2 but includes:
· calculations of Brewster’s Angle
· applications of polarisation
Unit 4
Area of Study 2 / Interactions of light and matter
· Young’s double slit experiment
· diffraction patterns
· photoelectric effect
· light as a wave and a particle
· de Broglie wavelength of matter
· momentum of photons and of matter of the same wavelength
· atomic absorption and emission spectra
· absorption of photons by atoms / How are light and matter similar?
Topics:
· behaviour of light
· matter as particles or waves
· similarities between light and matter
Content:
· similar to current content in Unit 4 Area of Study 2
· new content includes Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle
Section / Current study design / Proposal for revised study design
Unit 4
Area of Study 3 / · Detailed study (one from a choice of six) / Student-designed practical investigation related to waves, fields or motion
· new area of study with a skills focus
· investigation question relates to content in Unit 3 and/or 4
· may be undertaken in either Unit 3, Unit 4 or across both Units 3 and 4
· student designed and conducted
· involves collection of primary quantitative data
· results presented as a scientific poster
Units 3 and/or 4 scientific poster template / Not included / Scientific poster template provided which includes identified sections and suggested marking scheme
Practical logbook / Practical logbook not mandated / Students are required to maintain a practical logbook for record, authentication and assessment purposes
School-assessed Course / School-assessed Coursework is weighted across five outcomes / Proposed School-assessed Coursework is equally weighted across 6 outcomes
ASSESSMENT
Units 1 and 2
Assessment tasks in the current and proposed study designs are similar although some have been updated to reflect current assessment practice and the nature of the discipline.
Current Unit 1 assessment tasks / Proposed Unit 1 assessment tasksAssessment tasks for this unit are:
A practical investigation (student designed or adapted)
and
A selection from the following:
· an annotated folio of practical activities
· a data analysis
· a multimedia or web page presentation
· a response to a media article
· a summary report of selected practical investigations including maintenance of a logbook
· a written report
· a test (short answer and extended response). / For Outcomes 1 and 2:
Assessment tasks for this unit should be selected from the following:
· report of a practical investigation (student-designed or adapted) using an appropriate format, for example, a scientific poster, practical report, oral communication or digital presentation.
and
A selection from the following:
· annotated folio of practical activities
· data analysis
· media response
· summary report of selected practical investigations including maintenance of a logbook
· modelling activity
· reflective learning journal/blog related to selected activities or in response to an issue
· test comprising multiple choice and/or short answer and/or extended response.
The assessment tasks may be written, oral or multi-modal.
Current Unit 2 assessment tasks / Proposed Unit 2 assessment tasks
Assessment tasks for this unit are:
A practical investigation (student designed, adapted or extended)
and
A selection from the following:
· an annotated folio of practical activities
· a data analysis
· a multimedia or web page presentation
· a response to a media article
· a summary report of selected practical investigations including maintenance of a logbook
· a written report
· a test (short answer and extended response). / Assessment tasks for this unit should be selected from the following:
For Outcomes 1 and 2:
A selection from the following:
· annotated folio of practical activities
· data analysis
· media response
· summary report of selected practical investigations including maintenance of a logbook
· modelling activity
· reflective learning journal/blog related to selected activities or in response to an issue
· test comprising multiple choice and/or short answer and/or extended response.
The assessment tasks may be written, oral or multi-modal.
and
For Outcome 3:
· report of a practical investigation (student-designed or adapted) using an appropriate format, for example, a scientific poster, practical report, oral communication or digital presentation.
Proposed Unit 3 assessment
The nature of assessment tasks in the current and proposed study designs are similar although only two Outcomes exist currently for Unit 3 and three Outcomes are included in the proposed study design. Some assessment tasks have been updated to reflect current assessment practice and the nature of the discipline. An indication of time for the task is intended to provide greater comparability in the scope of the tasks across classes and schools, and to reduce School-assessed Coursework load for teachers and students.
Outcomes / Marks allocated* / Assessment tasksOutcome 1
Analyse gravitational, electrical and magnetic fields, and use these to explain the operation of motors and particle accelerators / 30 / For Outcomes 1, 2 and 3:
At least one different task for each Outcome selected from:
· annotations of at least two practical activities from a practical logbook
· report of a student investigation
· analysis of data including generalisations and conclusions
· media analysis/response
· extended response questions
· reflective blog
· A test (short answer and extended response)
(approximately 50 minutes per task)
Outcome 2
Analyse and evaluate an electricity generation and distribution system. / 30
Outcome 3
Investigate motion and related energy transformations experimentally, analyse motion using the Newtonian model in one and two dimensions, and describe the motion of objects moving at very large speeds using Einsteinian models. / 30
Total marks / 90
*School-assessed Coursework for Unit 3 contributes 20 per cent.