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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Physics and Astronomy : Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Undergraduate Course: Computer Simulation (PHYS08026)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Physics and Astronomy CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course covers methods for solving scientific problems using computers. It provides a training in the computational modelling of scientific problems and their representation using computer graphics. It also provides a grounding in object-oriented programming through the practical application of the python programming language. Students will carry out extensive practical and project work.
Course description - Key concepts of OO programming;
- Analysis of problem statements to produce simple OO designs;
- Object oriented programming using python;
- Use of packages for scientific programming and visualisation in python;
- Writing simple graphical applications in python to visualise experimental results.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations It is RECOMMENDED that students do NOT also take Computer Modelling (PHYS09057)
Other requirements Students should have programming experience (preferably, but not necessarily, in python) to the level of, for example, the 'Scientific Programming' component of Experimental Physics 2 OR Programming & Data Analysis OR Practical Physics
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  175
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 7, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 4, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 33, Summative Assessment Hours 1, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 151 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Checkpoint assignments, 30%
Project (code and report), 70%
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Explain why it is appropriate to solve certain physical problems by computational methods.
  2. Design, write and debug programs to simulate physical systems.
  3. Critically analyse the results of computer simulations of physical systems.
  4. Recognise the importance of clear, consistently-documented and error-tolerant programs.
  5. Locate and use additional sources of information (including discussion with peers where appropriate) to resolve practical problems that may arise.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsCSim
Contacts
Course organiserDr Britton Smith
Tel: (0131 6)68 8342
Email: Britton.Smith@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Nicole Ross
Tel:
Email: nicole.ross@ed.ac.uk
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