A Level in Physics

Studying physics at Sirius sixth from will enable you to understand the universe around you from the particles which make up the centre of atoms to the largest stars in the night sky.

The journey through Physics will take you through the story of the hunt for the Higgs boson, measuring the speed of electrons, a hamster jumping off the empire state building (and surviving) and the strain on the Humber Bridge. You will also cover such concepts as diverse as the forces involved in the orbits of planets and the harmonics on a guitar string.

Particles, quantum phenomena and electricity - This unit involves two contrasting topics in physics: particle physics and electricity. Through the study of these topics, you will gain an awareness of the on-going development of new ideas in physics and of the application of in-depth knowledge of well-established topics such as electricity. Particle physics will introduce you to the fundamental properties and nature of matter, radiation and quantum phenomena. In contrast, the study of electricity in this module builds on and develops previous GCSE studies and provides opportunities for practical work and looks into important applications.

Mechanics, Materials and Waves - This AS unit is about the principles and applications of mechanics, materials and waves. The first section introduces vectors and then develops knowledge and understanding of forces and energy from GCSE Additional Science. In the second section, materials are studied in terms of their bulk properties and tensile strength. The final section extends GCSE studies on waves by developing in-depth knowledge of the characteristics, properties and applications of waves, including refraction, diffraction, superposition and interference.

In addition to the above two units, you will carry out an investigation which will contribute towards your final AS Grade.

The units in year 13 complete the A-level and are:

Fields and Further Mechanics - The first section advances the study of momentum and introduces circular and oscillatory motion and covers gravitation. Electric and magnetic fields are covered, together with basic electromagnetic induction. Electric fields leads into capacitors and how quickly they charge and discharge through a resistor. Magnetic fields leads into the generation and transmission of alternating current.

Nuclear Physics, Thermal Physics and an Optional Topic - This unit consists of two sections. The first part of Section A 'Nuclear and Thermal Physics' looks at the characteristics of the nucleus, the properties of unstable nuclei and how energy is obtained from the nucleus. In the second part of Section A, the thermal properties of materials and the properties and nature of gases are studied in depth.

Physics at Sirius is well resourced, with a range of practical equipment such as lasers, oscilloscopes, high quality circuit components and material testing apparatus. We are affiliated to the Institute of Physics (IoP), which gives you, as a student of the academy, access to Physics World, the Physics Journal and other IoP resources. We also visit the IoP lectures in London and CERN, Geneva.

We offer five hours of classroom based teaching time per week, with access via email, tutorial or drop in sessions to assist with the course and help develop physics skills at other times. Last year the pass rate was 100% - come and be part of it in the future!

For more information about the course please contact Ms. J Beech at: jbeech@siriusacademy.org.uk

5 GCSEs at 4 or above including: English Language at a 5 and Mathematics at a 6 or above. Physics/Science GCSE at a 6 or above.

Course availability is at the discretion of the Sixth Form Team.

A Physics qualification allow entry into a wide field of career opportunities, from remaining studying the science, to applications such as communications, medicine, engineering and aerospace industries.

There are also opportunities to access analytical areas such as finance, insurance and strategic roles.

All students last year carried on to higher education, with half continuing to study physics related subjects.