Unit information: Principles of Physical Modelling in 2023/24

Unit name	Principles of Physical Modelling
Unit code	EMAT20013
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Thomson
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	EMAT10100 Engineering Mathematics 1, MENG10004 Engineering Science
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering

Unit Information

The aim of this course is to provide a general and robust toolbox for modelling and analysing the behaviour of physical systems. Starting with an overview of the landscape of physical modelling, we will explore how to construct mathematical models relevant to a diverse range of problems based on fundamental concepts from mechanics, conservation laws and transport equations. We will build and work with hands-on, table-top experiments to examine efficacy of the theoretical models introduced in predicting the behaviour of real-world systems. By the end of the course, students will acquire a solid background in physical modelling that will prepare them to deal with challenging engineering problems in their future careers

Your learning on this unit

At the end of the course, a successful student will be able to:

• provide a high-level description of the landscape of different modelling approaches for physical systems;
• recognize key physical variables in physical systems and infer relationships between them by employing dimensional analysis and scaling laws;
• generate and analyse data sets obtained from simple experiments, appraising the efficacy of mathematical models in describing the data;
• formulate mathematical models for the dynamics of particles and rigid bodies based on kinematics and energy considerations, analysing equilibrium and stability of the resulting models; · derive mathematical models based on the fundamental concepts of conservation and transport, linking these concepts to evolution equations describing the dynamics of continuous media.

How you will learn

Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including lectures, supported by live online sessions, problem sheets and self-directed exercises. Students will be provided extra help in the Engineering Mathematics Workshops, where problem sheets are solved.

How you will be assessed

100% written exam, 3 hours duration, assessing all ILOs.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EMAT20013).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.