NUS Module Review: PC1141 Physics 1

Description: This module presents the fundamental principles of classical mechanics. It covers such topics as kinematics, Galilean transformation, Newton's laws of motion, dynamics of a particle with generalization to many particle systems, conservation laws, collisions, angular momentum and torque, motion of a rigid body, gravitation and planetary motion, static equilibrium, oscillatory motion and vibrational modes, waves, Doppler's effect and fluid mechanics. The module also has a practical component consisting of five experiments designed to enhance students' understanding of some of the concepts discussed in lectures. This module is targeted at science students who wish to acquire a working knowledge of mechanics, and is an essential for physics majors.
Credits: 4
Workload:
2 lecture hours per week
1 tutorial hours per week
1 lab hours per week
2 hours for projects, assignments, fieldwork etc per week
4 hours for preparatory work by a student per week
10 Total


Personal Experience:
Since there's already 2 reviews here, I'll comment from the perspective of a student who had gone through IPhO training. If you had gone through a training similar or more rigorous than what I did, then you definitely earn the right to skip lectures, especially if the lectures are 8 in the morning and you only woke up at 8! Take this instead of taking that advanced placement test might be advantageous in the sense that it teaches you to be patient and to get an free A.

Teaching Staff:
Oh I like Qing Hai, he plays cool physics/maths stuff during the mid break. Too bad I missed a lot of his lecture....

Workload:
The most troublesome thing is to do the reports and to remember which one are the test and exam dates, so that you don't miss it. Oh and the Mastering Physics online sections are easy, you can play a game while you're at it. Be sure to attend the tutorial if you want your A+, if you just want an A, then don't bother studying until the day before the exams.

Content:
There's nothing much new to learn here, just more detailed than the rush you went through in IPhO training.