A2 Physics Subject Handbook 2012/13
Introduction Welcome to A2 Level Physics 2012-2013 at Oaklands College Congratulations on getting your AS Physics and for continuing to study Physics into the A2 year! Either you would have already studied at Oaklands College or you will be joining us from another college or one of our consortia schools. We hope you will find A2 Physics at Oaklands College a stimulating and rewarding experience. Your AS qualification is at a level between GCSE and A Level. In the A2 year you will generally find the material a little bit harder than last year; we’ll be working through the topics a bit faster also. It is absolutely crucial that you maintain an up-to-date file containing your class notes and handouts. Success at A2 will depend on you being able to assess your performance at AS and deciding where improvements or changes need to be made throughout your A2 year. This booklet will give you an outline of the A level course structure and of what you can expect from the Physics department over the next year to help you through this journey as well as what we will expect from you. We hope it will give you answers to some of the questions you may have, but please do ask if you wish to clarify anything or have questions about issues not addressed in the handbook. Additional information about specific aspects of the course will be provided throughout the year, but we hope this will give you an understanding of the course and enable you to acquire the key study skills necessary for success. You should already be familiar with most of the key concepts from the AS Physics course. You studying them in greater depth. There are of course exciting new topics and new applications – such as Cosmology and Medical Physics. You will also be assessed on your practical skills (worth 20% of your total A2 marks). Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to improve the skills that you first started developing in AS Physics! These practical experiences should enable you to become more precise and more selective when it comes to choosing equipment, as well as becoming more aware of the limitations of your experiments. Before you start your A2 studies it is worth flicking through the A Level Physics specification as it contains some valuable advice on recommendations. This can be downloaded from the OCR website (www.ocr.org.uk); follow the link for ‘GCE Physics A’, it is also available (together with other resources) on Oaklearn, the college network.
An understanding of Physics is not simply about using the correct formulae; it requires you understand quite abstract ideas and put them into your own words, using good English. It is a very demanding subject and requires a lot of work from you. You will need to be motivated and organised and this booklet has been designed to help provide you with the initial guidance and advice to enable you to make a good start to studying Physics. It is also intended to be used as a reference throughout the course and you should keep it in your Physics file. Additional information about specific aspects of the course will be provided throughout the year, but we hope this will give you an understanding of the course and enable you to acquire the key study skills necessary for success.
A2 in Brief The full A Level can be achieved by first passing the AS examination in the first year with a grade D to allow you to progress in to the A2 year of the course. A2 Physics is suitable for students who: o o o o o o
pass the AS exam in year one; have an interest in, and enjoy physics; want to find out about how things in the physical world work; enjoy applying their mind to solving problems; enjoy carrying out investigations by the application of imaginative, logical thinking; want to use physics to support other qualifications;
What do I need to know or be able to do before taking this course? The qualification builds on the knowledge, understanding and process skills that you will have developed during studying AS Physics. Students are expected to have achieved at least a Grade D in AS Physics. We strongly recommend that you take AS or A2 Mathematics alongside your AS in Physics. You will need to be able to communicate effectively, be able to research and critically think about problems. You will learn theory and develop relevant practical skills throughout the course.
Making the Most Studying A2 Physics at Oaklands College Physics is a fantastic subject to study. Not only do you learn about how things work – from the tiny atom to the universe – but you also have the opportunity to develop a range of useful skills. These include problem solving, lateral, analytical and creative thinking, as well as a good level of mathematical ability. It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the OCR physics A2 specification. You can also discuss certain aspects with your physics teacher who is there to help you and give you good advice. Furthermore, make use of the resources on Oaklearn and internet. Although the A2 course is more challenging than the AS, with some hard work and effort you’ll be able to get the most out of your A2 courses and enjoy the challenge too!
A Level (AS & A2) Physics at a Glance
Aims & Objectives A2 level physics aims for students to:
sustain and develop their enjoyment of, and interest in, Physics. develop essential knowledge and understanding in Physics. develop the skills needed for the use of this knowledge and understanding in new and changing situations. develop an understanding of the link between theory and experiment. appreciate how physics has developed and is used in present day society. show how Physics links with social, philosophical, economic, industrial and environmental matters. recognize the quantitative nature of Physics. understand how mathematical expressions relate to physical principles. bring together knowledge of ways in which different areas of Physics relate to each other and study how scientific models develop. In brief our aim is that, as well as preparing you for higher education courses or for a career involving a knowledge of Physics, the course will stimulate an interest in the social and economic implications of the applications of Physics in society. Applications of Physics are emphasised throughout the course. Practical work is used to foster the development of investigational, manipulative and observational skills as well as to allow for the application of principles and concepts for the design of experiments and the interpretation of results We hope to fulfil these aims and to enable you to achieve your maximum potential in the subject. In brief our aim is that, as well as preparing you for higher education courses or for a career involving a knowledge of Physics, the course will stimulate an interest in the social and economic implications of the applications of Physics in society. Applications of Physics are emphasised throughout the course. Practical work is used to foster the development of investigational, manipulative and observational skills as well as to allow for the application of principles and concepts for the design of experiments and the interpretation of results We hope to fulfil these aims and to enable you to achieve your maximum potential in the subject.
The Syllabus The syllabus used at Oaklands College is that produced by OCR.
OCR Advanced Physics A. More information can be obtained from www.ocr.org.uk, a copy of the specification is on Oaklearn (the college network).
Synopsis of AS & A2 Years Three units, 1, 2 & 3 must be taken to achieve the AS Level together with three A2 units 4, 5 and 6 in order to obtain the full A Level qualification.
If you decide to continue with physics into the A2 year, then the three units you need to take to achieve the full A Level, they are:
How can I develop my full range of skills by doing this qualification? As well as studying A level Physics, this course will enable you to develop some Key Skills. These Key Skills will be essential to you whatever you go on to do afterwards. You can develop all the Key Skills when you study physics.
Examples of Key Skills Development in Physics Communication Taking part in discussions about investigations or issues Preparing written documents for your practical work Researching from books, CD-ROMs and the Internet Application of number Planning to collect results from your experiments and investigations and analysing and presenting them in a suitable way Carrying out calculations on the data collected in experiments and investigations Interpreting the results from experiments and seeing how this relates to your plan Information technology Researching from CD-ROMs and the Internet Using word processing software to present written reports and prepare presentations about an investigation or an issue you have researched Plan and design a spreadsheet to support your experiments, be able to select a suitable graphical format to show trends and patterns in your data Working with others Discussing in a group to plan a task such as a plan for an investigation or a presentation to the group Deciding who does what in the group and successfully completing the task by working co-operatively Reviewing the task and agreeing ways that you could have co-operated even better in your group Improving own learning and performance Setting targets with a timetable to improve your learning or skills Seek support and use different ways of learning Monitoring the marks awarded for your work and taking action to improve them Problem solving Planning an investigations into some aspect of physics to answer a question Working out at least two different ways to solve a problem
Carrying out one of your plans and consider how well it is going so far Deciding how to evaluate your plan and doing so
Lesson structure and Homework The Lecturer in Charge of Physics at Oaklands College is Raj Perera (raj.perera@oaklands.ac.uk) . He teaches on both the AS and A2 Physics courses as well as mathematics and physics on a number of other courses at Oaklands. He is based in the Department for A Levels. A minimum of five hours per week per subject should be devoted to each subject studied at AS/A2 Level. This should be time spent going over the main lectures and finishing set homework as well as generally getting to grips with the subject. Usually you will have one set of problems and one practical write up each week. Usually you have one week to complete the set homework and it is returned to you within two weeks. If you have particular difficulty and cannot complete set work in time you must see your subject tutor and negotiate a new course of action. Remember your tutor is more likely to be sympathetic to your cause if you consult him/her before the deadline. Continued absences and/or failure to produce work or work that is completed constantly below standard will result in you being placed onto the colleges’ student disciplinary procedure; this could eventually result in you being asked to leave the course. The delivery of Physics at Oaklands College employs a variety of teaching and learning strategies. These include small and large group discussions, group presentations, teacher-led sessions, research, videos and computer exercises using laptops. A wide range is used in order to help you develop the skills necessary for success in AS/A-level Physics. If at any time you are unclear about anything then do ask. This is a new subject for you, it is a difficult subject and it uses complex concepts and terminology sometimes. We are very aware that students can sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed, particularly in the first few weeks. If you let us know when you are concerned then we will be able to reassure you. Lessons range from those which deliver the core material in the syllabus, the group is divided into smaller classes for practical (laboratory) sessions. Some lessons will be problem solving sessions designed to back up the core material and others will focus on exam techniques and tests. As the course progresses you will be asked for your continuous feedback on your experience of learning. This will help us to reflect on the teaching/learning methods and course design. You will also be asked to evaluate the course more formally via a questionnaire, at the end of the first term and year.
A2 Performance Indicators Students will receive regular feedback on their current performance in the form of their current working grade (CWG). Feedback is aimed at focusing the attention on how to improve further and go beyond their Minimum Achievable Grade (MAG). Their will be regular SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound) targets set following every key assessment. The As performance descriptors below illustrate what students ae expected to achieve at the top and low end of the available grades.
More Physics! Physics examines a range of subjects, and during your A2 course you will begin to delve deeper into the ideas you first came across in primary school – but it is much more than that. Now you’ll begin to look at the very nature of the subject and scientific process, moving away from a simple acceptance of facts to looking at the limitations of the models used to describe the world around us. Some of these models are more mathematical and so you will develop a more powerful mathematical toolkit to help you solve the problems asked at this level. At A2 there are more facts, more formulae and more ideas you need to remember. If you can do this, it will help you build a more complete picture of the subject – i.e. this ability will help you tell a more complete story of physics. You will be required to develop a much deeper understanding and to do this you really need to
think about the concepts and ideas; this means having to work hard in order to further your understanding. This will be challenging and you might not get it straight away, but perseverance and using some of the strategies discussed below will help you to do your very best.
The Role & Importance of Practical Work Most students really enjoy practical work. It is a chance to test out your ideas or even change the way you think about a concept. At this level the role of practical work is even more fundamental. Physics, indeed all of the sciences, are experimental subjects. Practical work and the scientific method are at the heart of finding out new information and further developing ideas and concepts. During your A2 course you will develop new practical skills and strategies. Some of these focus on the limitations of experimental data while others will enable you to conduct more accurate experiments by giving greater thought to the purpose intended. The OCR specification – which can be found on their website – lists a breakdown of the skills you will develop during your A2 course. In total, 20% of your final A2 level will be based on these practical skills.
Learning & Studying Generally, you now have a much greater responsibility for your final A2 year. You must spend time outside the classroom working on the subject. The common view of homework as
something that needs to be done to avoid getting into trouble needs to change to something that further helps develop my understanding of the subject. You will need to develop more independent learning, i.e. spending time working on the subject even if you have already completed the set homework for the week. Throughout the course there will be greater responsibility placed on you for your own learning. This is your A2 course and if you work hard you will stand the best chance of achieving something to be proud of.
Examinations In the A2 and AS examinations there is an increased emphasis on testing your physics skills rather than just your physics understanding. This often means applying your ideas to a new or novel situation, one that you have not come across in class. Some students find this a real challenge but the more exam questions you practise the more confident you will become. You will also be expected to pull together concepts or ideas from seemingly different areas of physics. For example, using mechanics equations in conjunction with electrical circuits to determine the acceleration of free fall. This reiterates the point about holding more physics ideas in your head. You will be required to call on these in exams, perhaps in combinations you have not even considered until you see the question. Don’t worry if this seems daunting, the next section gives a few strategies to help you achieve your potential during your AS physics course.
Using a Different Approach that Suits You You need to find out which strategies work best for you, but more importantly you must neither give up nor simply do the bare minimum. You must start well and maintain a positive approach for the whole year if you are to fulfil your potential.
When Can You Work? During your AS course year you will have many new ideas and skills to learn. This needs to be balanced effectively with a social life, sports and other activities. It is easy to get this balance wrong – it is tempting to put the emphasis on the latter and not spend enough time on your studies!
To help prevent this, draw up a timetable giving details of when you are studying and when you are free to socialise. You may find that there are quite a few periods of 30-45 minutes or so during the day that you could use effectively for study. For example, before you have your evening meal you could spend some time reviewing your A2 physics work. Alternatively, you could look at the Institute of Physics web pages (www.physics.org) and attempt a few A2 questions on topics you’ve recently completed, or try some of the questions in your textbook. On another evening you could do extra A2 chemistry work and on another your A2 geography etc. During the day you may have a free period; this could be set aside for homework on a particular subject or to consolidate recently studied work.
How Do I Work My Way Through the Course? Throughout your A2 course you need to think about working and learning effectively. Simply sitting in your room, scanning your notes is not necessarily an effective method. Equally, copying out large chunks of text without any thought does not aid your understanding. You need to spend some time outside your lessons working on the subject. Not simply completing homework but trying to develop a wider understanding of the key ideas. There are several ways to do this and some are discussed below, but remember you may find some methods more effective than others.
1. Consolidating and reviewing You must revisit the topics you have already studied. Physics is often described as a spiral, with one idea building onto a previous one. If you do not fully understand the basics you will find it increasingly harder to build up this spiral. Every day spend a short time (5-10 minutes is all it takes) reviewing what you did last lesson. This will better prepare you for the next lesson or idea. You must aim to spend a total of 5 hours outside of class to achieve the A2. If you don’t understand an idea, do something about it sooner rather than later! Try reading and summarising the relevant section of your textbook, practising some questions or looking online for different ways of explaining the idea. For example, try www.physics.org; this is an extremely useful website where you can set the level of the material you want. When using the internet, don’t just type interference of light into Google – you will get hundreds of hits, most of which will be of no use at all!
2. Working with Others Learning is a social experience. See what your friends are doing, challenge each other or share ways of studying. Working in small study groups or in pairs is often very effective. You could test each other on key terms or explain a key idea to each other. You will find that when you try to explain a concept you will benefit from further developing your own understanding.
3. Concept Mapping This is a very effective strategy that allows you to build a more complete picture of the module you have just completed. As soon as you have finished a module, take a piece of A3 paper and draw a concept map. Try to include all the key points and use links to explain how the ideas are related. This builds up a less linear, more complete picture of the topic within your mind and will better enable you to answer exam questions.
Remember you need to find ways that work best for
you and you must not give up. Perseverance is the key to unlocking your potential in any subject.
How Do You Remember Facts? Multi-coloured Highlighting When you review a topic such as the photoelectric effect, start by going back over your notes. Use three or four differently-coloured highlighters to emphasise the key ideas. For instance, you could highlight one key point in blue, the next in pink, etc. This will help you break the topic down into its key components. Furthermore, by using different colours you should be able to remember each individual key point and so are less likely to miss any when it comes to the exam.
Review and re-review Topics Every week spend some time revisiting the topics you have already studied. For example, once you have completed the first module use your notes to write a short summary of the topic – this could be on a flashcard or a piece of A4. Alternatively, write a list of the equations and the key definitions. In the next few days, without using your notes, repeat the process – see how much you can remember. Now use your notes to fill in any gaps. Repeat this process a week later, etc. The more time you spend reviewing topics, the more chance you will have of remembering all the key points when it comes to exams.
Reminder Notes For the really important facts that you may have difficulty memorising, try writing them down on Post-it notes and putting them in key places around your room. For example, the elementary charge (e) is 1.6 x 10-19 C. Write this on a note and put it in your sock drawer. Every time you put on a new pair of socks spend 10 seconds looking at the note and repeating the value in your head. After a short time you will remember the fact before even opening the drawer!
Regular Tests There are a range of resources for you on Oaklands College network called Oaklearn, including recent and old (legacy) past papers. Your recommended text book will contain a CD ROM with a number of multiple choice questions, together with chapter questions. Lastly there is a huge number of resources online. All are designed to test your ability to recall key ideas or concepts. Once you have completed a topic have a go at them and return to the same questions a few weeks later. Furthermore, you and a fellow student could write your own simple, factual questions and test each other.
Different strategies work for different people, but you must keep the information fresh in your mind. It is no use simply covering it in class and then revising it for the first time six or seven months later! It is often a good idea to use several different techniques on the same topic. This should increase your ability to remember key information which will be crucial in your exams.
Examination Papers The more experience you have of examination questions, the less daunting they will appear and the better prepared you will be for your actual A2 exams. You need to have a methodical revision plan and make certain you cover all aspects of the course. Your textbook and the resources on Oaklearn should be used in conjunction with past examination papers to better prepare you for your exams. Try doing them in timed, mock exam conditions. Think carefully about the number of marks available for each question – if it is a four mark question have you stated four things in your answer and you should spend about 4 minutes to attempt it. Make use of examiner mark schemes. They should give you a better idea of what is actually expected in your answers.
Recomended Textbooks and Course Literature Our recommended textbooks are prepared by Pearson. They follow the arrangement of the OCR syllabus, and provides basic coverage of each of the units.
Much of the teaching will develop further the contents of the books. Class work and homework will on occasions be based around them. It is therefore important that you obtain the book, “OCR Physics A2�. The A2 textbook comes with a unique interactive CD-ROM, allowing you to use the book on screen and link directly to useful resources such as key definitions and target sheets. You should have a personal copy of the recommended textbook and be prepared to refer to other books if you need extra help with particular aspects of the course. An excellent magazine aimed at A Level Physics students is Physics Review, it contains excellent coverage of the material in the syllabus with tips for answering exam questions. This is highly recommended and can be obtained through the Physics department. Physics Review ISSN 0959-8472 Philip Allan Publishers Copies of Physics Review are also obtainable from the Independent Learning Centre.
Formulae Sheet A formulae sheet is always provided in the unit tests, it is at the back of the handbook. In class you will need to have this list available to you for problem solving, so make sure the handbook is always with you for each lesson (available on Oaklearn).
Essential Mathematics It is very useful though not essential to study AS/A2 Level Mathematics alongside A2 Level Physics.
Physics Conferences & Visits At some point in the course students will be attending a Physics conference which will be addressed by the chief examiners of the Edexcel A2 Physics course. The cost of the trip is about ÂŁ10 to ÂŁ15 so you are advised save up early for this trip. Think of this as investing in your own education!