Download Physics - Polam Hall School

Careers / HE Information
The skills and knowledge acquired by A level Physics students prepare them well
for a wide variety of degree and career opportunities. Engineering based careers
or careers that concentrate on topical issues such as environmental pollution,
waste management, global warming or sustainable energy resources would be
aided by studying physics.
Physics can be studied on its own at University or it can be combined with a wide
range of subjects including computing, mathematics, meteorology, electronics,
geophysics etc.
Studying physics at A level would be good preparation for University courses in
medicine (including radiology) and veterinary science but it is not a pre-requisite.
AS and A Level Physics
General Information
Physics is the science of quantifying what happens in our and neighbouring
galaxies. By using numbers and equations to describe the world around us we can
hopefully predict how far something will move, bend and stretch. We can then
apply this knowledge to designing new technology like solar panels and flying cars
so we can make the most of our life on Earth and beyond!
Polam follows the AQA syllabus so it is a simple transition from GCSE and physics
is in the first group of subjects to be revised so we will start new courses in
September 2015. To enjoy and have success with physics you need to have
competent mathematical skills as 40% of the marks in assessments will require the
use of mathematical skills.
Content at AS Level
The AS course covers some topics that build on your knowledge from GCSE and
others that introduce you to the weird but real world of Particle and Quantum
Physics. The main topics are: Particles and Radiation, Electromagnetic Radiation
and the Quantum Phenomena, Forces and Momentum, Moments, Materials,
Electricity and Waves. There are NO ISA’s but you study measurement taking,
analysis of data and estimating errors through the wide ranging practical work
including 6 required practical activities.
Content at A Level
In addition to the topics above the students will also study the following topics:
Circular motion, Simple Harmonic Motion, Thermal Energy Transfer, The Gas
Laws and Kinetic Theory, Gravitational Fields (rules governing space flight and
satellites), Capacitors, Electric and Magnetic Fields (together they give us motors
and the finger pointing Flemming’s Left Hand Rule),and a big section on Nuclear
Physics.
The A level course also lets you choose another exciting topic from the
following list: Medical Physics, Engineering Physics, Astrophysics, Turning Points
in Physics and Electronics.
Instead of 6 Required Practical Activities there are 12, but we will do lots more!
How is it taught
One experienced Physics teacher teaches the entire A level course. Each student
is issued with a dedicated textbook and revision guide along with a collection of
other textbooks to supplement your study and help with the mathematical content
of the course. Some experiments are very technical and use expensive equipment
like oscilloscopes, lasers and radioactive sources but you will also be amazed at
what can be learnt through using balls, elastic bands, toy cars and planks of wood.
The Laws of Physics don’t always seem to work but we will learn through figuring
out the errors and inaccuracies of our methods. All topics will be cemented through
the use of worked examples and past questions. We will learn to use a large
number of formulae from the familiar Ohm’s Law to Einstein’s E = mc 2 but they will
all be provided in a data booklet, so learning equations is kept to a minimum.
AS Examination Details
Paper 1 - Written exam of short and long answer questions. (50% of AS).
Paper 2 – Section A: 20 marks of written questions on practical skills and data
analysis; Section B: 20 marks of written questions across the AS content; Section
C: 30 multiple choice questions. (Together 50% of AS)
AS is a stand alone qualification which does not count towards the A level.
A2 Examination
Paper 1 – 60 marks of short and long answer questions, 25 multiple choice. (34%
of A level)
Paper 2 – 60 marks of short and long answer questions, 25 multiple choice. (34%
of A level).
Paper 3 - 45 marks on long and short answer questions on practical experiments,
35 marks of written questions on optional topic. (32% of A level).