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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).