Physics

Course Code: PHY415114

External Assessment Specifications 2015-2018

PURPOSE
The purpose of the External Assessment Specifications is to provide information about the
external assessment that defines:
 the external assessable aspects of the criterion standards of PHY415115 Physics
 the externally assessed course areas
 the nature and range of appropriate types of items1, and
 the structure of the external assessment.

These definitions are to be in sufficient detail that they will serve both as a blueprint, describing all
the elements required to develop the assessment, and as a basis for accountability.
The External Assessment Specifications are primarily written for use by the setters of the
assessment.
Whenever a new external assessment is required, the assessment is to comply with these
technical specifications. Assessments may differ from year to year within the framework and rules
provided by these specifications.

INTRODUCTION
The external assessment for PHY415115 Physics consists of a written examination. The external
assessment is designed to assess the standard of achievement of skills, knowledge and
understanding of candidates in targeted course areas. Understanding is assessed by the degree to
which both knowledge of principles and theories of physics, and also skills, are applied to a range
of item types2 in theoretical or approximated real-world scenarios.
The course document PHY415115 Physics is the document used for the development of the
examination.

1In these specifications, the term item is defined as an individual task to be undertaken by candidates. The task may
be divided into several parts.
2 Definitions of relevant assessment item types are given in Attachment 1.

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OVERALL CONDITIONS
 The time/date of the examination are set annually by the Office of TASC
 The examination has a duration of three (3) hours
 An additional fifteen (15) minutes reading time is given
 The TASC External Assessment Rule applies to this external assessment. Details of the rule
are published on the TASC website
 TASC appoints appropriate persons to set and mark assessments.

SPECIFIC MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT APPROVED FOR USE BY CANDIDATES

 A calculator as approved by TASC (Refer to
https://www.tasc.tas.gov.au/students/exams/what-can-i-take-to-my-exam/)
 2015 External Examination Information Sheet for PHY415115 Physics.

ASSESSMENT
The following aspects of four (4) of the criteria and their standards described in the course
document are externally assessed. These define the expectations for the nature, scope and level
of demand of the targeted course content areas.
 Criterion 5: demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Newtonian mechanics including
gravitational fields
All aspects of Criterion 5 are examinable

 Criterion 6: demonstrate knowledge and understanding of principles and theories of

electricity and magnetism
All aspects of Criterion 6 are examinable

 Criterion 7: demonstrate knowledge and understanding of general principles of wave

motion
All aspects of Criterion 7 are examinable

 Criterion 8: demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the particle nature of light, and
atomic and nuclear physics
All aspects of Criterion 8 are examinable.

The examination must include items that give opportunities to demonstrate the standards from
rating C to rating A.
Final results will be awarded as a rating of A, B, C, t or z in the above criteria. These ratings are
used in determining the final award according to the algorithm in the course document.

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EXAMINATION CONTENT
 A representative sample3, encompassing a large proportion of the targeted course areas, is
used to test the standard of skills, knowledge and understanding of a candidate
 The relative weighting4 of items is indicated by:
o relative allocation of marks
o suggested time allocations, and
o the space5 allocated for responses is a guide
 If a numerical response to an item is required for further items, then:
o the item takes the form of ‘Show that...’ with the response given to one (1) or two (2)
significant figures
o candidates are expected to give their response to three (3) significant figures
 No section of an item is to be worth more than 4 marks.

General guidelines for writing items

Items are written:
 using language/course-specific terminology as outlined in the course document
 using unambiguous English language.

3
Representative sample: a subset of the target course content that accurately reflects the total target course content.
4
Relative weighting: the relative emphasis on the assessment of an item compared with other items within a group,
that will influence the final result, that is, the rating.
5
Space: a number of lines provided in the item-and-response booklets indicative of the expected extent of responses.

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EXAMINATION STRUCTURE
The examination paper is divided into four parts:
 the four parts are in four separate item-and-response booklets
 a set of spare diagrams used in each part is provided in the back of the relevant item-and-
response booklet.

The following specifications for each part are outlined in Table 1:

 the distribution across the parts of:
o criteria
o course content (topics)
o time and mark allocations
 number and type of items.
Relationships between the examination specifications and the written examination items will be
mapped each year. (See Attachment 2.)

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Table 1: PHY415115 Physics 2015 Examination Structure

Part Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Criterion Criterion 5 Criterion 6 Criterion 7 Criterion 8

(see details in the
section Assessment)
Course Topics Newtonian mechanics Principles and theories of General principles of wave The particle nature of
including gravitational electricity and magnetism motion light, and atomic and
fields nuclear physics
Number of items From 5 to 7 items, each From 5 to 7 items, each From 5 to 7 items, each From 5 to 7 items, each
broken into parts broken into parts broken into parts broken into parts
Compulsory items All All All All
Item type(s) Context of the item Context of the item Context of the item Context of the item
(See Attachment 1 Some extended items are Some extended items are Some extended items are Some extended items are
for definitions and in non-routine contexts. in non-routine contexts. in non-routine contexts. in non-routine contexts.
exemplars) Scenario of the item Scenario of the item Scenario of the item Scenario of the item
Some scenarios of items Some scenarios of items Some scenarios of items Some scenarios of items
are real-world scenarios. are real-world scenarios. are real-world scenarios. are real-world scenarios.
Response format Response format Response format Response format
A balance of items ranging A balance of items ranging A balance of items ranging A balance of items ranging
from short to extended from short to extended from short to extended from short to extended
response formats. response formats. response formats. response formats.
Assessment of response Assessment of response Assessment of response Assessment of response
Responses range from Responses range from Responses range from Responses range from
closed-ended to open- closed-ended to open- closed-ended to open- closed-ended to open-
ended. ended. ended. ended.
Suggested time 45 minutes 45 minutes 45 minutes 45 minutes
allocation
Mark allocation 40 marks 40 marks 40 marks 40 marks

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ATTACHMENT 1
Written Examination Item types
In these specifications, the term ‘item’ is defined as an individual task to be undertaken by candidates. The task may be divided into several parts.
Item types can be categorised in terms of:

CATEGORY ITEM TYPES AND EXEMPLARS

DEFINTIONS
The context Routine context (Reference: Physics Exam Paper 2013, Part 1, Question 2)
of the item These items require rehearsed A cricketer hits a ball at an angle of 60 ̊ to the horizontal so that it rises to a vertical height of 15.0
skills in Physics, and in familiar m above the point from which it is hit. The landing point is at the same height as the starting point,
contexts. as shown in the diagram. Ignore air resistance.

For an angle of 60° and a height of 15m,

(a) (i) Calculate the vertical component of the ball’s initial velocity. (1 mark)
(ii) Hence determine the speed at which the ball leaves the cricketer’s bat. (2 marks)
(b) Determine the time of flight of the ball. (2 marks)
(c) How far from the batsman does the ball land? (2 marks)
(d) The batsman later hits the same shot but the ball is caught by a fielder at a distance of 33.0 m
from the batsman.
At what height above the ground is the ball caught? (3 marks)
Non-routine context (Reference: Physics Exam Paper 2012, Part 1, Question 4)
These items require A water-powered jet-pack worn by a ‘flyer’ has recently been developed. This jet-pack is driven by
procedures not previously a motor and pump mounted in a small boat. A large flexible hose leads to the jet-pack worn by the

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encountered in expected prior flyer.

learning activities. These
(a) In one particular unit, the pump delivers 49 litres of water per second to the jet-pack.
require the combination, and
The jet of water is supporting 120 kg of person and equipment in a fixed position. 1.0 L of
sometimes the selection, of a
water has a mass of 1.0 kg. Calculate the speed at which the water is being ejected from
set of skills in unfamiliar
the jet nozzle. (3 marks)
contexts.
(b) Assuming a long enough hose is available, state a factor that would limit the height to
which this flyer can rise. Explain your reasoning. (2 marks)
(c) Suppose you had to redesign the system so that it would go to a greater maximum
height.
You can
• change the speed of the water without changing the amount of water per second, or
• increase the amount of water per second without changing its speed. Which is the more
efficient option? Justify your choice. (2 marks)

The scenario Real-world scenarios (Reference: Physics Exam Paper 2012, Part 3, Question 11).
of the item These items relate principles
1. A person throws a cricket ball vertically upwards. The graph shows velocity versus time for the
and theories of Physics to
motion of the ball from the time the person starts throwing the ball till the time at which the
physical phenomena in the
ball lands on the ground. For simplicity, this graph was drawn assuming that the acceleration
real world. The nature of
approximations of theory to of gravity, g, has a value 10 . (Reference: Exam Paper 2010, Part 1, Question 1).
reality is clearly stated. Calculate the time taken for the proton to travel once around its path, assuming a uniform field.

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The format Short response format (Reference: Physics Exam Paper 2012, Part 2, Question 8)
of response These items are composed of
Ernest Rutherford identified and named α, β and γ particles. He determined their charges by
a brief prompt that demands
passing the particles through an electric field.
a response to some stimulus
material that varies from a An alpha particle (helium nucleus) travelling at 3.0 ´10 7 ms-1 is projected between two parallel
single response to a few plates. The plates have a potential difference of 150.0 kV, with the lower plate being positive; they
written points. This sort of are 1.5 cm apart and each is 5.0 cm long.
item is suited to assessing the
candidate’s ability to: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
o recall specific information - -
and methods related to α
key content + + + + + + + + + + +
o apply rehearsed methods + +
to familiar situations
o demonstrate (a) On the diagram, draw the electric field lines in the space between the plates. (1 mark)
understanding of key
(b) Determine, and specify fully, the electric field strength between the plates. (2 marks)
concepts in previously
unseen stimulus material. (c) Determine the electric force on the alpha particle. (1 marks)
(d) Determine the acceleration of the alpha particle. (1 mark)
(e) Find the time taken for the alpha particle to traverse the region between plates. (1 mark)
(f) What will the vertical displacement of the alpha particle be as it leaves the plates? (2
marks)

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Extended response format (Reference: Physics Exam Paper 2011, Part 3, Question 12)
These items involve lengthy
The human ear canal (opposite) has similar properties to a closed organ pipe of length 25 mm
and/or multi stage responses
shown in the simplified diagrams below.
[of increasing complexity].
Greater complexity may be (a) In the two simplified diagrams, show the resonance wave
due to one or more of, but not patterns for the fundamental and first overtone. (2 marks)
limited to, the following:
o a greater cognitive Fundamental
demand of physics
concepts
o the necessity to select
appropriate information
o justification of a response First overtone
via a logical line of
reasoning.

(b) Show that the fundamental frequency is about 3 kHz. (2 marks)

(c) Human ears are particularly sensitive to sounds of frequency about 3 kHz and above about
10 kHz. Explain this using the principles of physics. (3 marks)
(d) The diagrams below show a stethoscope used by doctors to hear a patient’s heartbeat and a
typical frequency response of such a stethoscope.

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Relative loudness of sound

0 100 200 300 400 500
Frequency (Hz)

A stethoscope is essentially a hollow tube with an open end connected to the vibrations within the
body of the patient and a closed end in the doctor’s ear.
Explain the three peaks in the graph, given that the total tube length of the stethoscope is about
0.9 m. (3 marks)

Assessment Closed-ended response (Reference: Physics Exam Paper 2012, Part 1, Question 5)
of response These are items for which
Stella and her crew, space-travellers from Earth, visit the planet Minerva in a distant planetary
there is a single ‘correct’ or
system. A year on Minerva is equal to 200 Earth-days. One day on Minerva is 12 Earth-hours.
‘best’ response.
24
Mass of Earth = 5.97 x 10 kg
Radius of Earth = 6371 km
8
Radius of Earth’s orbit = 1.50 x 10 km
(a) The mother-ship of Stella’s crew continually orbits Minerva every 100 minutes at anorbital
radius of 4500 km.
24
Show that the mass of Minerva is about 1.5 x 10 kg.

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Open-ended response (Reference: Physics Exam Paper 2012, Part 4, Question 18)
These are items for which
In the medical physics unit of a hospital, cancer cells may be killed by using a beam of
there may be multiple correct
either high-energy X-rays or gamma rays. Both X-rays and gammas are ionising
responses OR in which the
electromagnetic radiation; the X-rays can be produced by accelerating electrons in a
quality of the argument
Coolidge tube and the gammas obtained from a radioisotope such as Co-60. The rays
and/or the expression is being
are concentrated into a narrow beam focussed on the target.
assessed.
(a) In terms of safety, convenience and flexibility, give two reasons why the use of X-rays may be
preferred to gammas. (Assume that X-rays and gammas have the same effect on cancer cells.)

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ATTACHMENT 2
PHY415115 Physics Written Examination 2015 Mapping

The Setting Examiner designs examination items to adhere to the External Assessment
Specifications (see Table 1). During the writing and critiquing of the examination, the Setting
Examiner will map the PHY415115 Physics examination to the course document and external
assessment specifications. This may be achieved through the mapping grids given in Tables 2 – 13.

Mapping provides a summary of relationships between examination items and:

 item type
 relative importance/weighting
 content
 achievement standard, and
 item rating.

Mapping is designed primarily to assist the Setting Examiner to:

 see at a glance the range of item types, content statements, and achievement standards
used in the examination paper, and
 check for:
o representative sampling, and
o adherence to the examination structure specifications.

Checklist
The Setting Examiner conducts a final check for adherence of the written examination to the
external assessment specifications by completing a checklist. (See Table 14.)

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PHY415115 Physics 2015 Written Examination Mapping Grids

Part 1: Newtonian mechanics including gravitational fields

Table 2: Criteria being assessed
Criterion 5 Standard Item numbers Possible ratings
of response
5.1 Fundamental principles and
theories
5.2 Use of appropriate formulae to
solve numerical problems
5.3 Using and generating data
5.4 Interpretation of problems; making
predictions

Table 3: Course coverage

Topic Item numbers
Motion
Momentum and Newton’s Laws
Work, Energy and Power
Circular Motion
Gravitational Fields

Table 4: Item type

Item type Item numbers

Context of the item

Some non-routine items
Scenarios of items
Some real-world scenarios, stating
approximations to reality
Response format
Short response format
Extended response format
Assessment of response
Closed-ended response
Open-ended response

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Part 2: Principles and theories of electricity and magnetism

Table 5: Criteria being assessed
Criterion 6 Standard Item numbers Possible ratings
of response
6.1 Fundamental principles and
theories
6.2 Use of appropriate formulae to
solve numerical problems
6.3 Using and generating data
6.4 Interpretation of problems; making
predictions

Table 6: Course coverage

Topic Item numbers
Static electricity

Magnetic fields

Table 7: Item type

Item type Item numbers

Context of the item

Some non-routine items
Scenarios of items
Some real-world scenarios, stating
approximations to reality
Response format
Short response format
Extended response format
Assessment of response
Closed-ended response
Open-ended response

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Part 3: General principles of wave motion

Table 8: Criteria being assessed
Criterion 7 Standard Item numbers Possible ratings
of response
7.1 Fundamental principles and
theories
7.2 Use of appropriate formulae to
solve numerical problems
7.3 Using and generating data
7.4 Interpretation of problems; making
predictions

Table 9: Course coverage

Topic Item numbers
Wave interactions

Wave interference

Table 10: Item type

Item type Item numbers

Context of the item

Some non-routine items
Scenarios of items
Some real-world scenarios, stating
approximations to reality
Response format
Short response format
Extended response format
Assessment of response
Closed-ended response
Open-ended response

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Part 4: The particle nature of ight, and atomic and nuclear physics
Table 11: Criteria being assessed
Criterion 8 Standard Item numbers Possible ratings
of response
8.1 Fundamental principles and
theories
8.2 Use of appropriate formulae to
solve numerical problems
8.3 Using and generating data
8.4 Interpretation of problems; making
predictions

Table 12: Course coverage

Topic Item numbers
Particle Nature of Light
Energy Levels of Atoms
Radioactivity and its Detection
Radioactive Decay

Table 13: Item type

Item type Item numbers

Context of the item

Some non-routine items
Scenarios of items
Some real-world scenarios, stating
approximations to reality
Response format
Short response format
Extended response format
Assessment of response
Closed-ended response
Open-ended response

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Checklist

Table 14: PHY415115 Physics 2015 Written Examination Checklist

Part 1: Newtonian mechanics including gravitational fields

☐ Assesses all aspects of Criterion 5

☐ Items give opportunities to demonstrate standards from rating C to rating A
☐ Marks add up to 40
☐ Includes a representative sample of course content from Newtonian mechanics
including gravitational fields
☐ Included 5 – 7 items, each broken into parts
☐ Some extended items are in non-routine contexts
☐ Some scenarios are real-world with approximations to reality stated
☐ Responses are a balance range from short to extended formats
☐ Responses range from closed-ended to open-ended

Part 2: Principles and theories of electricity and magnetism

☐ Assesses all aspects of Criterion 6

☐ Items give opportunities to demonstrate standards from rating C to rating A
☐ Marks add up to 40
☐ Includes a representative sample of course content from principles and theories of
electricity and magnetism
☐ Included 5 – 7 items, each broken into parts
☐ Some extended items are in non-routine contexts
☐ Some scenarios are real-world with approximations to reality stated
☐ Responses are a balance range from short to extended formats
☐ Responses range from closed-ended to open-ended

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Part 3: General principles of wave motion

☐ Assesses all aspects of Criterion 7

☐ Items give opportunities to demonstrate standards from rating C to rating A
☐ Marks add up to 40
☐ Includes a representative sample of course content from general principles of wave
motion
☐ Included 5 – 7 items, each broken into parts
☐ Some extended items are in non-routine contexts
☐ Some scenarios are real-world with approximations to reality stated
☐ Responses are a balance range from short to extended formats
☐ Responses range from closed-ended to open-ended

Part 4: The particle nature of light, and atomic and nuclear physics

☐ Assesses all aspects of Criterion 8

☐ Items give opportunities to demonstrate standards from rating C to rating A
☐ Marks add up to 40
☐ Includes a representative sample of course content from the particle nature of light,
and atomic and nuclear physics
☐ Included 5 – 7 items, each broken into parts
☐ Some extended items are in non-routine contexts
☐ Some scenarios are real-world with approximations to reality stated
☐ Responses are a balance range from short to extended formats
☐ Responses range from closed-ended to open-ended

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