Physics

Course summary

Physicists are curious to understand how the universe works and often use this to improve our lives through the application of Physics in technology. Physics influences everything from cancer treatment, computers, and phones to sportswear, renewable energy, and weather forecasting. This course will vastly expand your knowledge and will develop in you an analytical and enquiring approach to your surroundings. Year 1: (First year of A Level) 1. Measurements and their errors, including use of SI units and their prefixes, limitations of physical measurement, estimation of physical quantities 2. Particles and radiation, including constituents of the atom, particle interactions, collisions of electrons with atoms 3. Waves, including progressive waves, interference, diffraction 4. Mechanics and energy, including projectile motion, Newton’s laws of motion and materials 5. Electricity, including current/voltage characteristics, circuits, electromotive force, and internal resistance Year 2: (Second year of A Level) 6. Further mechanics and thermal physics, including periodic motion, thermal energy transfer, molecular kinetic theory model 7. Fields, including Newton’s law of gravitation, orbits of planets and satellites, magnetic flux density 8. Nuclear physics, including evidence for the nucleus, radioactive decay, and nuclear instability. Plus one option unit - Astrophysics: (Second year of A Level) 9. Telescopes 10. Classification of Stars 11. Cosmology