Physics and/with Chemistry???

Syntha45

Was just looking at the State Examinations Commission website and noticed that one cannot sit the Phys-Chem exam if they are doing either Physics or Chemistry as single subjects. Can anyone or preferable a teacher tell me why this is? Just because I'm in 5th Year I do Physics but due to the way my school timetable worked out I didn't get Chemistry even though it was one of my top choices and I really loved Chemistry throughout my Junior Cert and in Transition Year. Is there a way to get around this at all? Even if let's say I contacted the State Examinations Commission directly or am I just wasting my time?

Others have suggested that I could sit the chemistry exam and study it outside of school, but I will be missing out on the experiments.

Any replies at all would be deeply appreciated!!!!!

randylonghorn

You would be completely wasting your time contacting the SEC.

Phys / chem is (very roughly!) half of the LC physics course and half of the LC chemistry course combined.

If they allowed you to take it with either physics or chemistry you would basically be getting the points for 2 full subjects while studying 1.5 subjects!

You can see yourself I'm sure why that's never gonna happen!

hasdanta

I wouldn't recommend doing Physic/Chem because it seems like a nightmare for a good few courses to reach the science subject requirement, as a good few don't allow it for some reason.

Bazinga_N

hasdanta wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend doing Physic/Chem because it seems like a nightmare for a good few courses to reach the science subject requirement, as a good few don't allow it for some reason.

Most allow it actually.

UCC:

Laboratory Science subject (i.e. Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics with Chemistry (joint) or Agricultural Science)

DCU:

one of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics with Chemistry or Agricultural Science

TCD:

physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, physics/chemistry, geology, geography, applied mathematics or agricultural science

UL:

Agricultural Science, Applied Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physics with Chemistry.

A common misconception is that PhysChem is the OL Physics course and the OL Chem course combined. That's not true. It's the HL Physics course with bits left out (e.g. Heat, Sound, Simple Harmonic Motion, Static Electricity.) and it's the HL Chemistry course with bits left out (e.g. Water, Redox Titration, Equilibrium, etc). It's obviously going to be easy for some who does both Physics and Chemistry as two HL subjects but it's still a full Higher Level subject and just as difficult as any other one.

Syntha45

randylonghorn wrote: »

You would be completely wasting your time contacting the SEC.

Phys / chem is (very roughly!) half of the LC physics course and half of the LC chemistry course combined.

If they allowed you to take it with either physics or chemistry you would basically be getting the points for 2 full subjects while studying 1.5 subjects!

You can see yourself I'm sure why that's never gonna happen!

You were right 😂😂😂

randylonghorn

Syntha45 wrote: »

You were right.

I occasionally am!

Martina1991

I may be wrong but I think you can't do Physics and Phys/Chem because they clash on the Leaving Cert examination timetable.
I don't see why you couldn't do Chemistry and Phys/Chem if your school timetable facilitated this.

Bazinga_N

Martina1991 wrote: »

I may be wrong but I think you can't do Physics and Phys/Chem because they clash on the Leaving Cert examination timetable.
I don't see why you couldn't do Chemistry and Phys/Chem if your school timetable facilitated this.

Usually if you do two subjects that are on at the same time, you sit one at the time stated on the timetable and you're supervised for a break before sitting the other straight after.

there's nothing really stopping you from sitting PhysChem and either Physics or Chemistry but I'm fairly sure the CAO will only use PhysChem or Physics/Chemistry for points and not both. So really it's pointless doing them.

rainbowtrout

Martina1991 wrote: »

I may be wrong but I think you can't do Physics and Phys/Chem because they clash on the Leaving Cert examination timetable.

I don't see why you couldn't do Chemistry and Phys/Chem if your school timetable facilitated this.

:rolleyes:

That's not the reason. They are timetabled opposite each other because you can't take both and count them both for points. Phys/Chem could just as easily been put on at the same time as Chemistry for the exact same reason.