Physics A Level

The aim of Physics is to understand the basic principles which govern how the universe works, right from the sub-atomic particle through to distant galaxies. Physics is the foundation of all modern science and technology. It is for people who like to ask searching questions such as:

What are we made of?
What is light?
How does gravity work?

It is for the curious and for people with imagination. You will develop your Mathematical and practical skills as well as learning problem solving strategies. Physics goes particularly well with Mathematics, but it also links well with other Sciences, Geography and Computer Science.

Course Content

Topics

The course covers the following topics:

Mechanics
Electric Circuits
Further Mechanics
Electric and Magnetic Fields
Nuclear and Particle Physics
Materials
Waves and the Particle Nature of Light
Thermodynamics
Space
Nuclear Radiation
Gravitational Fields
Oscillations

Assessments

All the exams will also include aspects of ‘working as a physicist’.

Practical skills are assessed in written papers. A separate practical competency assessment (pass or fail) will be awarded for the work conducted in class and the laboratory notebook kept by students during the course.

Paper	Topics	Weighting
1	90 marks, topics 1-5	30%
2	90 marks, topics 6-12	30%
3	120 marks, all topics	40%

Looking Further Ahead

Our students have gone on to study Physics alongside Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Economics, Geology and Media Studies.

There are careers for those who have studied Physics in Meteorology, Electronics, Astronomy, Telecommunications, Scientific Journalism, Aerospace Engineering and New Materials Technology to name but a few. This has lead them on to a number of different courses at a range of different institutions.

People who take Physics at university could choose to work in a laboratory team, in a hospital, in engineering, in education or even in the open air. For students intending to help society directly, there are jobs in Medical Physics, Forensic Science, Agriculture, Engineering and Energy Conservation.

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