Particle Physics or Applied Electricity

iLikePiano99

Which is the easier option for LC physics? My teacher is doing Particle Physics. Also, when did you guys start the optional topic (Particle Physics or applied electricity)...I am only in 5th year but my teacher just started it today...she isn't a great teacher but we have only just finished light so I think we should have went on to Mechanics...you know follow the book? I am probably just worrying over nothing but I don't think that after only a month of 5th year we are at the right level for Particle Physics:)

Fad

iLikePiano99 wrote: »

Which is the easier option for LC physics? My teacher is doing Particle Physics. Also, when did you guys start the optional topic (Particle Physics or applied electricity)...I am only in 5th year but my teacher just started it today...she isn't a great teacher but we have only just finished light so I think we should have went on to Mechanics...you know follow the book? I am probably just worrying over nothing but I don't think that after only a month of 5th year we are at the right level for Particle Physics:)

It's odd that you haven't done modern physics yet, but tbh, it's an easy section, pretty much just learning stuff off!

iLikePiano99

Fad wrote: »

It's odd that you haven't done modern physics yet, but tbh, it's an easy section, pretty much just learning stuff off!

Really? Or are you just saying that? As a matter of interest, is there much on the exam about it? And are the questions hard?

mossy2390

its a really short topic, goes into very little detail but is intresting

i think its half a question, was when i did it anyway,

pay attention to mechanics its the most useful part and there is a good it on the paper about it

Fad

iLikePiano99 wrote: »

Really? Or are you just saying that? As a matter of interest, is there much on the exam about it? And are the questions hard?

Nah, it really is quite handy

I dont remember exactly, I did the leaving in '09 and slightly reinvented* most of particle/modern physics in the exam so I'm not the best person to ask :P

But it's fairly elementary stuff, nothing to get stressed over

*Apparently magic isn't accepted as an answer in exams....

iLikePiano99

mossy2390 wrote: »

its a really short topic, goes into very little detail but is intresting

i think its half a question, was when i did it anyway,

pay attention to mechanics its the most useful part and there is a good it on the paper about it

Thanks. I already love mechanics so I think I will do well in that part! My teacher is useless though so students that do well in her class aren't very common!

iLikePiano99

Fad wrote: »

Nah, it really is quite handy

I dont remember exactly, I did the leaving in '09 and slightly reinvented* most of particle/modern physics in the exam so I'm not the best person to ask :P

But it's fairly elementary stuff, nothing to get stressed over

*Apparently magic isn't accepted as an answer in exams....

That made me smile Thank you!

Chuchoter

Weird thing to start with, the normal progression would be optics, mechanics, heat, electricity, waves then the option at the very end. You don't want to do applied electricity. You'll never want to see electricity again after you finish the standard electricity part of the course!
Also its great if you can be good at mechanics, its like a third of the paper.

iLikePiano99

Chuchoter wrote: »

Weird thing to start with, the normal progression would be optics, mechanics, heat, electricity, waves then the option at the very end. You don't want to do applied electricity. You'll never want to see electricity again after you finish the standard electricity part of the course!
Also its great if you can be good at mechanics, its like a third of the paper.

I never knew that! I am doing Applied Maths so that's basically mechanics except harder.

jumpguy

Chuchoter wrote: »

Also its great if you can be good at mechanics, its like a third of the paper.

That's a bit misleading tbh, there's one experiment question on mechanics which is avoidable, there's one section B question (Q6 if memory serves) that's also avoidable, it's also in the 4-parts-do-2 question, where once again, it is avoidable. It might also come up in the topical questions and short questions...all avoidable.

I never liked mechanics (especially the Q6), the simplest misconception of a question could very seriously throw you off.

The particle physics is the more interesting option in my opinion, I had a cursory glance through applied electricity before and it looks a bit dull.

ride-the-spiral

Leave applied electricity alone :P our teacher did it and it was pretty interesting, more interesting than particle physics I found as it was more about understanding than particle physics which you just had to learn. That being said I can see why the majority of people would decide to study particle physics, it does seem easier.

It's very strange that you'd do that so early in 5th year. The book lays out the course fairly logically, (assuming you have Real World Physics) so doing particle physics before all of the modern physics, not to mention mechanics and electricity and the like, doesn't seem like the best idea.

clartharlear

The 'option' question is a guaranteed full question in the exam.
Doing particle physics in 5th year isn't unusual at all. I was at a physics teachers workshop last year and we agreed that it was

• usually students' favourite topic
• not particularly difficult for the most part
• a good way to keep students interested in fifth year