Physics - Year 13 :: Queen Elizabeth High School

A2 Physics (OCR Physics B (Advancing Physics)– H559) - Year 13

There are three units at A2 level, two examined units and a coursework unit. Both teachers cover part of each unit. The Clockwork universe module (G494) is examined in January and is worth 30% of the total marks at A2 level. The Field and particle pictures (G495) unit is examined in June and is worth 50% of the total marks at A2. This module includes some pre-release material. There are two pieces of coursework (G496) which together are worth 20%.

TEACHER 1 The rise and fall of the clockwork universe (G494)	TEACHER 2 The rise and fall of the clockwork universe (G494)
Half Term 1 (September - October)
Momentum Circular motion Simple harmonic motion Resonance Radioactive decay	The gas laws Kinetic theory Energy in matter The Boltzmann factor
External Assessment: No Internal Common Assessment: Yes Coursework Deadline this H/T: N/A Field Trips/Visits: No	External Assessment: No Internal Common Assessment: Yes Coursework Deadline this H/T: N/A Field Trips/Visits: No

Half Term 2 (November - December)
Capacitors Newton’s gravitational law Gravitational fields	Special relativity Evidence for the Big Bang Practical investigation coursework (an extended set of experiments to investigate a problem linked to the A2 course)
External Assessment: No Internal Common Assessment: Yes Coursework Deadline this H/T: N/A Field Trips/Visits: No	External Assessment: No Internal Common Assessment: Yes Coursework Deadline this H/T: N/A Field Trips/Visits: No

Half Term 3 (January - February)
Preparation for G494 exam Electromagnetic induction Faraday’s law Lenz’s law Motors, generators and transformers	Preparation for G494 exam Electric fields Using electric fields to accelerate particles
External Assessment: G494 exam Internal Common Assessment: Yes Coursework Deadline this H/T: N/A Field Trips/Visits: CERN	External Assessment: G494 exam Internal Common Assessment: Yes Coursework Deadline this H/T: Practical report by 13.01.12 Field Trips/Visits: CERN

Half Term 4 (March - April)
Research report coursework (2000 word report on a physics-related topic of students’ choice) The uses of ionising radiation The dangers of ionising radiation Radiation protection Why nuclei are unstable	The fundamental particles of matter Particle interactions Antimatter Rutherford’s alpha scattering experiment Energy levels for particles in the nucleus
External Assessment: No Internal Common Assessment: Yes Coursework Deadline this H/T: Draft research report by 30.04.11 Field Trips/Visits: Talk from radiation protection from Environment Agency	External Assessment: No Internal Common Assessment: Yes Coursework Deadline this H/T: N/A Field Trips/Visits: Particle physics masterclass, Durham university

Half Term 5 (May - June)
Nuclear fission Nuclear fusion Exam preparation	Preparation of pre-release article Exam preparation
External Assessment: G495 exam Internal Common Assessment: No Coursework Deadline this H/T: final research report by 20.04.12 Field Trips/Visits: No	External Assessment: G495 exam Internal Common Assessment: No Coursework Deadline this H/T: N/A Field Trips/Visits: No

Suggested Course reading list
Text books are sold through the department.
Students are loaned a revision guide and a revision CD.
Those marked * are definitely in the LRC. Others might be. Enjoy.

Schrodinger’s kittens. John Gribbin*
A good introduction to quantum theory.
The Physics of Star Trek Laurence Krauss
Mr.Evans’ favourite.
A Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson
Easy to read, but too much Biology at the end!
The New World of Mr. Tomkins. Gamow & Stannard *
An easy intro to relativity.
In Search of the Big Bang. John Gribbin*
Anything by Gribbin is well explained.
The Elegant Universe. Brian Greene
String theory…Challenging!
QED. Richard Feymann*
The original.
The New Science of Strong Materials. J.E.Gordon
Rather dated, but still good for budding engineers.
Cosmos. Carl Sagan
A sense of perspective on the Universe?
How to clone the perfect blonde. Nelson & Collingham
Not what you might think.
Unweaving the rainbow. Richard Dawkins
Has science a soul?
A Briefer History of Time. Stephen Hawking
More digestible than the original… apparently.