Physics

Course summary

Course Outline Over the two years of the course, the following topics will be studied: Particles and Quantum Phenomena – wave-particle duality, quantisation and the standard model of particle physics. Electricity – basic electrical properties, electrical components and circuits. Mechanics and Energy – forces and motion (including Newton’s laws and projectile motion), energy and power, momentum, tuning effects and circular motion. Materials – the properties of materials (density, elasticity, etc.) and their uses. Waves and Oscillations – the basic properties of waves, refraction, diffraction, interference, simple harmonic motion, resonance and damping. Fields – investigates the similarities and differences between gravitational and electric fields in terms of the forces they apply and the energy transfers within them, along with applications of the motion of particles within them. Capacitance – the effect of capacitance and the use and operation of capacitors. Electromagnetism – investigates the magnetic fields produced by the flow of a current, including the forces applied by them and electromagnetic induction. Nuclear Physics – the structure of the nucleus, radioactivity, nuclear instability and the uses of this, including nuclear energy. Thermal Physics – the thermal properties of materials, ideal gases and the kinetic theory of gases. Astrophysics – the physics of stars and cosmology. Practical Skills – completion of a set of exam-board specified practicals developing the student’s ability to select and use equipment, make observations and measurements, process and present data using standard scientific conventions, analyse and evaluate results, calculate uncertainties of quantities and link outcomes to theory. It should be noted that few of the above topics can be taken in isolation; most build on previous work (e.g. the Mechanics and Energy topic needs to be understood before the Fields topic can be successfully completed).