The Big Bang Theory

As a Physics student, you need to be curious about the applications it has in everyday life so you can be a problem solver, writes Yeats College teacher

Physics is the branch of science that studies forces, matter and energy. Knowledge of physics is fundamental to developing a deeper understanding of the world around you, enabling you to appreciate the applications of physics in everything you do and see, from the beauty of how our universe was created, to the development of modern society as we understand it today. As a physics student, you need to be curious about everyday life. You are a problem solver, able to apply your knowledge to different types of practical problems in order to understand the beauty of the world as we know it.

The exam

The Physics exam is three hours long and is marked out of a total of 400 marks. There are two sections – Section A examines the mandatory experiments and Section B examines your understanding of the theory.

There is a choice of questions in the Physics exam so it is important that when you get your paper spend about ten minutes going through the exam and planning your approach. Read the questions before deciding which ones you will be doing and as you are going through each question make a quick note of any important points that you might have difficulty remembering later on while they are fresh in your mind. Once you have a good feel for the structure of the paper, start with the question you feel most confident about.