The development of many inventions and techniques have been based on our understanding of       physics concepts or resulted in the development of new scientific theories. There has always been a link between these inventions and techniques and society. Your task is to investigate one                 contemporary example from the list below and prepare a report or presentation on the topic. Your   report or presentation should explain the physics concepts involved, showing how it relates to at   least one key concept of science as a human endeavour, listed below.

Electromagnetic devices:

Electrical transformers: cars, phone chargers, SA’s power supply, arc-welders, induction stoves,    induction coils in traffic sensors, electric cars, photocopiers, maglev trains, rollercoasters, railguns, radio, television, microwave ovens, mobile phones, defibrillators, generators.

Medical Diagnostic Devices/Techniques:

MRIs, X-Rays, Ultrasound, CAT Scans, PET scans, cyclotrons, Radiotherapy, Endoscopy, fluoroscopy.

Devices and Techniques using LASERS:

Industry (e.g. welding, engraving), medicine, eye surgery, tattoo removal, Blu-ray players, telecommunication.

Uses of Radionuclides:

Burglar alarms, medicine, industry, food production, nuclear power, nuclear waste, nuclear subs, nuclear weapons.

Science as a Human Endeavour in the study of physics encompasses: 

Communication and Collaboration

.      Science is a global enterprise that relies on clear communication, international

conventions, and review and verification of results.

.      Collaboration between scientists, governments and other agencies is often required in

scientific research and enterprise.

Development

.      Development of complex scientific models and/or theories often requires a wide range of

evidence from many sources and across disciplines.

.      New technologies improve the efficiency of scientific procedures and data collection and

analysis; this can reveal new evidence that may modify or replace models, theories, and

processes.

Influence

.    Advances in scientific understanding in one field can influence and be influenced by other

areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

.    The acceptance and use of scientific knowledge can be influenced by social, economic,

cultural, and ethical considerations.

Application and Limitation

.    Scientific knowledge, understanding, and inquiry can enable scientists to develop solutions,

make discoveries, design action for sustainability, evaluate economic, social, and environmental impacts, offer valid explanations, and make reliable predictions.

.    The use of scientific knowledge may have beneficial or unexpected consequences; this

requires monitoring, assessment, and evaluation of risk, and provides opportunities for innovation.

.    Science informs public debate and is in turn influenced by public debate; at times, there may

be complex, unanticipated variables or insufficient data that may limit possible conclusions.

In this task you will:

.      Access information from different sources and prepare a reference list

.      Select relevant information about your investigation (invention/technique) to show that

you understand both the relevant physics in the invention and its link to science as a human endeavour

.     Analyse your findings to determine the lasting impacts of the invention on society.

Your completed report should include the following:

.      an introduction to identify the focus of the investigation and the key concept(s) of science

as a human endeavour that it links to

.      relevant physics concepts or background

.      an explanation of how the focus of the investigation illustrates the interaction between

science and society, including a discussion of the potential impact of the focus of the investigation, e.g. further development, effect on quality of life, environmental          implications, economic impact, or intrinsic interest

.      some appropriate diagrams to improve the effectiveness of your communication.

.     a conclusion

.     citations and referencing.

Assessment Conditions:

This is an individual Investigation and you should submit one writing plan in one week and

submit a full draft of the entire report by the end of the second week.

Your completed report should be submitted electronically within 4 weeks in written articles in pdf version.

The maximum word count for the report is 1500 words.

Finding resources

Students must use a minimum of five different sources  for their study. At least one of the sources must be either an audio (speech e.g. Ted Talk) or a multimodal text (video e.g. documentary)

All sources used must have:

1.   Title

2.   Publication date

3.   Publisher

4.   Author

Resources from blogs, internet comments, social media posts, internet forums, CANNOT be used.

The list below shows sources that students CANNOT use:

5.   wikipedia.com (wikipedia can only be used to learn about the topic and to get relevant sources and links. Wikipedia cannot be used as a reference)

6.   baike.baidu.com

7.  quora.com

8.  answers.com

9.   answers.yahoo.com

10. any similar site.

Referencing and in-text citations

All quotes and ideas that are taken from the sources must be referenced using in-text citations and mentioned in the references list.

Any idea that comes from an external source which is not referenced will be considered as plagiarism.

Students can use Harvard referencing system or any other referencing standard as long as they use it consistently throughout the study.

Academic Literacy Study Guidelines:

11. The report needs to be written in prose (paragraphs)

12. The students can use quotes