Physics

Course summary

The core purpose of physics is to discover the laws of nature that explain the universe and our place within it. Physics spans the widest field of knowledge of all the sciences; from the size of a galaxy right down to smaller than the quarks that make up the protons and neutrons. Fundamentally it is the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake, but it leads to discoveries which in time leads to technologies that impact on the quality of our lives in just about every arena. You will be inquisitive; you will naturally ask questions to satisfy a desire for more detail. You will be able to draw upon your prior knowledge and you will always be willing to have a go at applying it to novel situations. You will be able to use mathematics competently and you will not give up when solving problems. Whatever your perceived ability in physics, we find that any pupil with these skills will do very well at A Level. What topics will I study? Year 1: Mechanics, Materials, Electricity, Waves, Particle Physics and Quantum Physics. Year 2: Further Mechanics (oscillations/ circular motion), Fields and their effects, Thermal Physics, Gases, Radioactivity, Nuclear Physics and an option topic.