Physics

Assessment

We start the AQA course with a look at particle physics and we see how this field has led to new technologies in healthcare. From quantum physics we then return to a study of mechanics and an understanding of the forces, motion and energy that are involved in our modern transportation systems. Light is our probe for understanding the places we cannot reach, supernovae and neutron stars. We explore the nature of electromagnetic radiation and its wave and particle-like properties. All our technology depends on us being able to produce, send and utilise electrical energy. The first year of the course introduces the electrical circuits and the novel components that lie behind our tech-savvy lives. In the second year, you take mechanics further and explore motion in two dimensions: circles and oscillations. You will examine motion close to the speed of light and study the outcomes of special relativity. The work on motion is then applied to particle detectors and mechanical and electrical devices. The course looks at the theories of gases, an area of physical chemistry that enables chemical engineers to design industrial systems, and helps us understand how stars are formed.