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 design

Detailed 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

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VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES

Specific changes

Section Current study design Proposal for revised study design

Scope of study A single Rationale covers both Explains aspects of the broad
proposed Scope of study and discipline of physics that is included
Rationale in VCE Physics

Rationale Explains the importance of studying

VCE Physics, including post-
secondary pathways

Aims Includes a set of nine VCE Physics Proposes set of two VCE Physics-
aims specific aims and a set of seven
generic aims which apply to all VCE
sciences (Biology, Chemistry,
Environmental Science, Physics and
Psychology)

Key science A set of key skills is described under A set of key science skills is
skills three general headings 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 Area of study has short phrases as Area of study has questions as titles
questions titles which are designed to enable
exploration of the concepts and ideas
related to the topics within the area of
study

Key knowledge Key knowledge is listed as a set of Key knowledge dot points are listed
sub-headings dot points under sets of sub-headings

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VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES
Section Current study design
Unit 1 Nuclear physics and radioactivity
Area of Study 1  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
Unit 1 Electricity
Area of Study 2  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
Unit 1  Detailed study (first selection
Area of Study 3 from a choice of six)
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Proposal for revised study design
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.
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
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
VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES

Section Current study design Proposal for revised study design

Unit 2 Motion How can motion be described?

Area of Study 1  vectors and scalars Topics:
 straight-line and non-uniform  concepts used to model motion
motion in a straight line  forces and motion
 forces  energy and motion
 weight Content is similar to current Unit 2
 application of Newton’s three Area of Study 1:
laws of motion  inclusion of g = 9.8
 work  inclusion of the concept of torque
 Hooke’s law for an ideal spring and analysis of structures, from
 energy transfers and the current Unit 3 and 4 Detailed
transformations Study of ‘Materials and their use
 momentum in structures’
 impulse  deletion of reference to ‘weight’

Unit 2 Wave-like properties of light Proposed set of 11 Focus Studies:

Area of Study 2  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
 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

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VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES
Section Current study design
Unit 2  Detailed study (second selection
Area of Study 3 from a choice of six)
Unit 3 Motion in one and two dimensions
Area of Study 1  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
Unit 3 Electronics and photonics
Area of Study 3  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
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Proposal for revised study design
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
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
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
VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES
Section Current study design
Unit 3 Not included
Area of Study 2
Unit 4 Electric power
Area of Study 1  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
Unit 4 Interactions of light and matter
Area of Study 2  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
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Proposal for revised study design
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
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
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
VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES

Section Current study design Proposal for revised study design

Unit 4  Detailed study (one from a choice Student-designed practical

Area of Study 3 of six) 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 Not included Scientific poster template provided

scientific poster which includes identified sections
template and suggested marking scheme

Practical Practical logbook not mandated Students are required to maintain a

logbook practical logbook for record,
authentication and assessment
purposes

School- School-assessed Coursework is Proposed School-assessed

assessed weighted across five outcomes Coursework is equally weighted
Course across 6 outcomes

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VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES
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
Assessment 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).
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Proposed Unit 1 assessment tasks
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.
VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES
Current 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).
©VCAA, August 2014 9
Proposed Unit 2 assessment tasks
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.
VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES

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 tasks

Outcome 1 For Outcomes 1, 2 and 3:

Analyse gravitational, electrical
and magnetic fields, and use
these to explain the operation of
motors and particle accelerators
Outcome 2
Analyse and evaluate an
electricity generation and
distribution system.
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 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
30
 extended response questions
 reflective blog
 A test (short answer and extended
response)
(approximately 50 minutes per task)
30

Total marks 90

*School-assessed Coursework for Unit 3 contributes 20 per cent.

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VCE PHYSICS SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES

Proposed Unit 4 assessment

Assessment tasks in the current and proposed study designs are similar for Outcomes 1, 2 and
3 although some 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 task across classes and schools, and to reduce School-assessed Coursework
load for teachers and students.
The proposed Outcome 3 task may be undertaken in Unit 3, Unit 4, or across Unit 3 and Unit 4, but will be
reported as part of Unit 4 School-assessed Coursework and mirrors the current assessment task for Unit
4 Outcome 3. A template has been constructed for production of the associated scientific poster task to
assist in staged completion and authentication of student work.

Outcomes Marks allocated* Assessment tasks

Outcome 1 For Outcomes 1 and 2:

Apply wave principles to
analyse, interpret and explain
wave phenomena.
Outcome 2
Provide evidence for the nature
of light and matter, and analyse
the data from experiments that
provide this evidence.
30 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
30 generalisations and conclusions
 media analysis/response
 extended response questions
 reflective blog
(approximately 50 minutes)

Outcome 3
Undertake an investigation 30 Structured scientific poster according
related to the motion of particles to VCAA template
or matter, and present (maximum 1000 words)
methodologies, findings and
conclusions as a scientific
poster.

Total marks 90

*School-assessed Coursework for Unit 4 contributes 20 per cent.

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