Exam Board: AQA
Course Outline
Physics is the most fundamental of all the natural sciences and its theories attempt to describe the behaviour of the smallest building blocks of matter, light, the universe and everything in between.
If you are already interested in GCSE Physics, you are good at Maths, and you would like to know more about fascinating ideas such as quantum mechanics, relativity and cosmology, then physics may be for you. If you also enjoy using Maths to solve problems then you will love the A-level Physics course!
Assessment and Examinations
- Paper 1: Periodic Motion; written examination 34% of the qualification.
- Paper 2: Thermal Physics; written examination 34% of the qualification.
- Paper 3: Practical skills and data analysis; written examination 32% of the qualification.
Future Prospects
A physics qualification at A-level is essential for careers in engineering. However, it can also open doors to other careers that value problem solving skills.
Medicine
Whether you want to be a nurse, a surgeon or medical physicist understanding physics is important if you want to work in modern medicine. Physics has revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of illness. Surgery is now routinely carried out using lasers, cancer is treated using radiation and the inside of our bodies are imaged using x-rays, ultrasound, NMR and PET scans. More recently, new techniques have developed, such as using nanobots to target individual cancer cells.
Finance and Law
The link between physics and jobs in law or finance may not be obvious, but many people with a physics background work in these areas. In finance, it is a physicist’s ability to model complex systems that is particularly valued; billions of pounds depend on predicting the future behaviour of global markets. A physics education is also important to law. Forensics requires a detailed understanding of how objects move and the forces involved when analysing the scene of a crime or accident.