Physics

Course summary

Physics is an intellectually rewarding subject, which will appeal to anyone interested in the physical world and the principles behind the remarkable technological developments of our era. “God does not play dice” Albert Einstein Physics is nothing less than an attempt to discover and explain the fundamental workings of the entire physical Universe – from the unimaginably small scale of "quantum strings", through to the world we know and live in, and out to the amazing enormity of distant galaxies and the strangeness of black holes. This may sound dauntingly abstract, but every time you turn on a light bulb, catch a plane, use a computer, have an x-ray, surf the net, cross a bridge, wear glasses or open the fridge, you are benefiting from the practical results of the work of physicists. Our understanding of Physics has transformed the world we live in, and the technological development it drives can only accelerate in the coming years. Students will study sections 1 to 5 of the AQA Physics A level (specification 7408) in their first year, and then continue to study sections 6 onwards in their second year. Year 1 content 1 Measurements and Errors 2 Particles and Radiation 3 Waves 4 Mechanics and Materials 5 Electricity Year 2 content 1 Measurements and Errors 2 Particles and Radiation 3 Waves 4 Mechanics and Materials 5 Electricity 6 Further Mechanics and Thermal Physics 7 Fields and their Consequences 8 Nuclear Physics & one option of either: 9 Astrophysics or 10 Medical Physics or 11 Engineering Physics or 12 Turning Points in Physics or 13 Electronics. In the Summer of their first year, they will take internal college exams, on sections 1 to 5. In the Summer of their second year, they will take the three A-level exams, on all sections, and be awarded an A-level grade. The exams are a mixture of multiple-choice and short-answer questions