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Physics
Course outline
AQA
A Level Physics will give you the opportunity to study and think about the world around us, the world inside us and the world beyond us. You will find out how discoveries that have been made in Physics are applied by innovators and inventors to improve lives.
Although there are some obvious careers that follow from studying Physics such as Architecture or Engineering, there are also a huge number of other types of employment that benefit from knowledge of topics such as electricity, thermal physics, and mechanics. Employers are also keen on the analytical and problem solving skills that Physics students learn as part of their education.
In Year 1, you will study the following topics: Measurements and their errors, Particles and radiation, Waves, Mechanics, Materials and Electricity.
In the second year of the course you will study the following topics, and an option topic: Further mechanics, Thermal physics, Fields and Nuclear physics.
The option topic will be chosen from the following: Astrophysics, Medical physics, Engineering physics, Turning points in physics and Electronics.
The decision as to which option topic will be studied will be based upon the teaching strengths of the teachers and the interests of each class. All of the topics you study will be examined in 3 papers at the end of the course, which will include a variety of assessment styles.
Throughout the course you will undertake practical activities to link theory to reality and to develop essential practical skills. These skills will be formally assessed by your teachers and the assessment will lead to a practical endorsement at the end of your course.
There simply are not enough people with Physics based degrees to fill all the job vacancies and as a result, companies offer excellent salaries to attract the best candidates.
In alternate years, a trip to CERN in Geneva takes place for all physics students in Years 12 and 13. The trip will enhance your understanding of the particle physics module and enable you to see the cutting edge science being undertaken by a collaboration of over 700 scientists.
If you like a challenge, you can take part in the British Physics Olympiad, which is a national physics competition that is designed to test your knowledge and understanding with stimulating questions, and which will enable you to see the real-world problem-solving potential of Physics.
If you are particularly interested in pursuing engineering as a career, there is the possibility of undertaking either an Engineering Education Scheme project or a National Engineering Competition project about how engineers can solve the challenges of the 21st century.
