Physics

tolosenc

Any tips? Only a few days till this and as I have nearly a week in which to study it, I wanna do well.

sternn

At this stage, you should probably be able to get through everything on the course. I'm starting my physics study tomorrow after business.
I would say one thing though, know your experiments inside out...they can usually bring you up a lot as there are only about 15 that would usually be asked.

cocoa

assuming that you're fairly good at maths, and therefore able to use all the formulae evectively:

1. learn all the formulae

2. learn all the definitions

3. learn all the experiments (most importantly, know at least two causes of error and how to fix/lessen them)

carlowboy

cocoa wrote:

assuming that you're fairly good at maths, and therefore able to use all the formulae evectively:

1. learn all the formulae

2. learn all the definitions

3. learn all the experiments (most importantly, know at least two causes of error and how to fix/lessen them)

Best thing about physics IMO, is the fact that the definitions can most of the time be expressed as a formula. Makes them easier to remember!

ninebeanrows

First time Physics ever saved me in my life yesterday! It was in Biology, inhalation, i got confused about whether the pressure was higher or lower, then boyles law hit me:D

I have 5 days to do the entire course.

Starting today with all the basics, definitions, experiments.

Citizen_Erased

Dont forget the derivations of some of the formulas , they can be incredibly abtract at times so you just have to know them . Past papers I'd say for most of the way to warm up

btothei

ye i've learned all my definitions, most of the formulae and the more likely experiments to come up in the past month or two...jst a matter of goin over em over the next couple of days. also get used to recognising wat formulae to use for the questions thru the exam paper as thers often multiple formulae which can b used or u tink ther is multiple formulae wen ther is really only the one correct one

spiderman1885

After the experiments, Definitions and formula's wat sections do you all think should be studied? Light, Magnetism, Waves etc.

ninebeanrows

spiderman1885 wrote:

After the experiments, Definitions and formula's wat sections do you all think should be studied? Light, Magnetism, Waves etc.

I'm leaving out Light/Sound/Waves cause all that's a bit gay.

Im doing Mechanics/Electricity/Modern Phys/Particle Phys

PS, Hey babes

carlowboy

Particle Physics is a must really. Easiest 56 marks on the paper.

Turnip2000

Weathercheck wrote:

I'm leaving out Light/Sound/Waves cause all that's a bit gay.

Im doing Mechanics/Electricity/Modern Phys/Particle Phys

Ye im doing the same..but you already knew that didn't ya;)
Too much figgledy stuff in light and sound...but electricity/mechanics/modern and particle phys is all based around formula. Easiest way to pick up on marks when your only startin the course now like most of us!:)

carlowboy

I'm leaving out Electromagnetism. I don't get it all. I doubt it'll come up in the paragraph question (11 I think) as it came up last year about Jimi Hendrix. That's a pretty good question actually.

I'd recommend in section B:

Q5, Q6, Q9(If its nuclear questions) Q10a, Q11 and Q12

I know its 6 but its room to manoeuvre.

Turnip2000

Ye id agree...fission and fussion came up in big parts the last two years so know your CRT and X-RAY machines for the big Q's. der not that difficult.

spiderman1885

Weathercheck wrote:

PS, Hey babes

What is that about? Thanks for the tips though, you must really know your physics!

mp3guy

There should be less focus on Section A (Experiments) and ALOT more on Section B (everything else). You have to know loads more for Section B. Section A is only worth 30%, why Section B is worth 70%

carlowboy

Knowing both gets your A1 though, and Section A takes as long to do.

Turnip2000

mp3guy wrote:

There should be less focus on Section A (Experiments) and ALOT more on Section B (everything else). You have to know loads more for Section B. Section A is only worth 30%, why Section B is worth 70%

Thats the wrong way to look at it. The experiments are the easiest way to get marks on the paper. If you Know the graph and how the experiment works(which you should from doing it in class) you should come out of section A with at least 27%.

Then the rest of the time should be spent on definitions. Again The best way to pick up marks with the least amount of work.

Nehpets

I used to hate physics with a passion.

Now I just hate it haha well, not really. Predictions for exp? a proportinal to f hasn't come up yet. I think to find the resistance of a metallic conductor or thermistor could come up too.

For particle physics - what is there really to know? Up Down Charmed Strange Top Bottom and their charges +2/3, -1/3 and so on respectively and opposite for the anti particles. Leptons: Electrons, neutrinos. Hadrons: Mesons (quark+anti-quark(pions, kaons)) and Baryons (3 quarks(protons, neutrons)) and E=mc^2 - anything else to know?

carlowboy

E=mc^2 is the other nuclear physics bit can be used here. Cockroft and Walton's experiment. Know it. Simple really.

Exp: Boyle's law or F=ma. Focal length of a concave mirror. Latent heat experiments. Thermistor too.

Turnip2000

Thats pretty much it...with that And section A your on your way to a definite pass nd den whatever you feel most comfortable with afterwrds.

Startin to feel good about this now!

spiderman1885

[QUOTE=Then the rest of the time should be spent on definitions. Again The best way to pick up marks with the least amount of work.[/QUOTE]


You probably shouldn't be lookin to do the least amount of work possible, personally I am going for an A2.

chas_88

carlowboy wrote:

Particle Physics is a must really. Easiest 56 marks on the paper.

it doesn't have to come up every year though. i know it's always been a full question, but according to my teacher, they might be due to leave it out this year. probably because, as you say, it's a very easy 56 marks, for a very short section of the course.

the only prediction i have is the coplanar forces experiment, it was on the sample paper in 2002, and it's never been examined.

Turnip2000

In this experiment (A proportional F)

As you remove the weights from the string hanging over the edge do you..

a) Place them onto the vehicle? OR
b) just remove them altogether for every separate run.

I know im leaving it a bit late but this is confusing the hell outa me??:mad:

madnirvana

:eek:
There this question Higher level 2002
Section A Question 4

it says:- Using your graph, calculate the resistance of the copper sulfate solution.

How do u find it??? (BY USING THE GRAPH) ?

cocoa

Turnip2000 wrote:

In this experiment (A proportional F)

As you remove the weights from the string hanging over the edge do you..

a) Place them onto the vehicle? OR
b) just remove them altogether for every separate run.

I know im leaving it a bit late but this is confusing the hell outa me??:mad:

place them onto the vehicle, in this way the mass of the system remains constant(which si necessary if you want F connected to a) and only the force changes.

madnirvana wrote:

:eek:
There this question Higher level 2002
Section A Question 4

it says:- Using your graph, calculate the resistance of the copper sulfate solution.

How do u find it??? (BY USING THE GRAPH) ?

you could have just checked the marking scheme...

but to explain, V=IR If you measure V and I, the slope of your graph (depending on which you put on the x-axis) will be either R or 1/R

Turnip2000

madnirvana wrote:

:eek:
There this question Higher level 2002
Section A Question 4

it says:- Using your graph, calculate the resistance of the copper sulfate solution.

How do u find it??? (BY USING THE GRAPH) ?

Slope of graph = resistance. but you must use 2 points from your graph and use the formula (Y2 - Y1)over(X2 - X1)

madnirvana

but to explain, V=IR If you measure V and I, the slope of your graph (depending on which you put on the x-axis) will be either R or 1/R[/QUOTE]


i did check it..i have it right here..
im getting a different slope thats why i am confused:o

cocoa

madnirvana wrote:

but to explain, V=IR If you measure V and I, the slope of your graph (depending on which you put on the x-axis) will be either R or 1/R

i did check it..i have it right here..
im getting a different slope thats why i am confused:o

make sure you have V on the x-axis (or, if you don't, just remember R=1/m).
make sure the two points you take are as far away as possible.

What are you getting for the slope?

madnirvana

cocoa wrote:

make sure you have V on the x-axis (or, if you don't, just remember R=1/m).
make sure the two points you take are as far away as possible.

What are you getting for the slope?

well i put the v on x axis..

and on Y do u put the I like 10^-3 ? or u put it in miliamps?

when i put it in 10^-3 the graph looks weird the y axis seems small.

what is (r=1/m) ???

cocoa

madnirvana wrote:

well i put the v on x axis..

and on Y do u put the I like 10^-3 ? or u put it in miliamps?

when i put it in 10^-3 the graph looks weird the y axis seems small.

what is (r=1/m) ???

yes, multiply by 10^-3
you just need to scale it up (i.e., make 0.1 stretch for a couple boxes)
you would take R = 1 divided by the slope if V was on the y-axis.

carlowboy

chas_88 wrote:

it doesn't have to come up every year though. i know it's always been a full question, but according to my teacher, they might be due to leave it out this year. probably because, as you say, it's a very easy 56 marks, for a very short section of the course.

the only prediction i have is the coplanar forces experiment, it was on the sample paper in 2002, and it's never been examined.

WTF? Surely it does? I'll have a look at the syllabus.