Physics GCSE

Welcome to my Physics GCSE Pages.

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These notes are designed to help you with your GCSE work.  They are based on  AQA syllabus (what you have to learn for the exam), the Physics part of the three separate sciences.  This new syllabus will be introduced for examination in 2007.  However they can be used with the existing Triple Award Syllabus or the Dual Award Coordinated Sciences syllabus, but it is up to you to decide what you need to know and what to leave out.  These notes do NOT replace your teacher, and if you have problems, you should obviously talk to your teacher.  GCSE students using other syllabuses are, of course, most welcome to use these notes.

Please take time to read these introductory notes.

What is Physics?

Physics is a branch of science that explains energy and forces.  These two concepts help us to explain a variety of things we see in (in no particular order):

• Electricity;

• Machines;

• Heat;

• The way things move;

• Astronomy;

• Light;

• Waves;

• Nuclear Power.

Is Physics Hard?

Myths:

• Physics is difficult;

• You need to be a genius with Maths;

• There are loads of formulae you have to learn.

If you try to learn Physics like a parrot, blindly learning facts without thinking what they mean, Physics is hard.  If, however, you think about what it means, you will soon see that Physics is a logical subject that describes how things are related.  You will find that a lot of things do relate, which you might not have expected.  Physics fits together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Physics is a quantitative science.  That means that it works with numbers.  Many relationships in Physics are numerical.  For example the current in a wire will double if the voltage doubles.  Try explaining that without referring to numbers at all.  Numbers are very helpful to explain difficult concepts.  If you know how to work with numbers in Maths, you should have no problem in Physics.

Formulae are simply the rules of Physics written in shorthand.  Each quantity in Physics is given a symbol, which I will refer to as the Physics Code.  For example the current in a wire will double if the voltage doubles. This is summed up by the formula V = IR, which you will have met in Key Stage 3.  There are a number of formulae that you have to learn, but you don't have to learn them all.  Some will be given in the exam.  Learning the formulae is much easier if:

• you understand the concept behind the formula;

• you practise using the formula (Do your homework!).

What do you get from Learning Physics?

Doing Physics GCSE will be challenging, but will also give you a sense of satisfaction as you take on the challenge.  80 % of Physics is how you approach it.  If you hate every minute of your Physics lessons, you will struggle.  Everyone (including your teacher, and the author of these notes) has difficulties, but has overcome them, and feels a sense of achievement in doing so.  You should feel a great sense of satisfaction as another piece of the jigsaw fits into place.

If you enjoy Physics at GCSE, you should seriously think of doing it for A levels.  A level Physics will open the door for many careers, for example:

• Engineering;

• Physics;

• Architecture;

• Medicine;

• and many others.

Good luck.  I hope you enjoy using these Notes.

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