How much Maths do A level Sciences have?
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On the new Biology spec, it's quite different now. The spec is now 10% maths. There's atleast 3 or 4 statistical tests (Spearman's Rank, Simpson's Index of Biodiversity, Student's t-test etc) that we need to know and calculate.
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Original post by Tinka99
I hate GCSE Maths and can't stand it. I plan to take Biology, Chemistry, and Physics next year but I am not too good with Maths and have zero motivation with the subject. How much Maths do the Sciences actually contain at A level?
Can only talk from experience with physics. At AS-Level, as long as you were competent with maths at GCSE and didn't carry it on to AS, you could make it by. All you need to know for AS Physics is how to rearrange equations, and a bit about gradients of graphs. For A2, without A level maths you will struggle. You will be required to know how logarithms work, and will need an understanding of calculus. While you're not explicitly asked to integrate or differentiate, you may need to apply the logic to the questions and you will need to understand what we mean by differential equations.
Original post by HeskeyLAD
I personally found Physics A-level a massive jump from GCSE (which I also found quite easy), and it's one of those subjects where you may benefit by doing A-level Maths as well.
If you're good at rearranging, you should be fine. I just struggled with the concepts.
If you're good at rearranging, you should be fine. I just struggled with the concepts.
I also thought about doing A level Maths but later realised it's not a subject for me as I hate the subject and have zero motivation to study it. I am forcing myself to study Maths considering I have my GCSE non-calculator paper next Friday. I am just thinking I should give up with the Sciences and pick something else.
The new biology course contains 10% maths, and chemistry is 20%. Not sure about the percentage for physics but I imagine it is much higher.
Original post by Tinka99
I am finding Physics GCSE quite easy, to be honest, and I am doing triple science.
Physics GCSE is not an accurate representation of the A-level course tbh. At GCSE, it's all science-y and memorizing the books so you can't really go wrong. At A-level you've actually got to understand what's happening to a great level.. otherwise you quite literally can't even attempt the question.
Original post by Tinka99
I hate GCSE Maths and can't stand it. I plan to take Biology, Chemistry, and Physics next year but I am not too good with Maths and have zero motivation with the subject. How much Maths do the Sciences actually contain at A level?
There's a lot of maths in physics a level and if you don't have at least a grade A in maths i don't think you should do it. In A2 for all three subjects there's AS level maths involved(I checked this on the specifications) I do maths, chemistry and physics. New spec for chemistry and physics. And can surely say that you will need good to excellent maths skills to do physics(at least 40% maths) and for chemistry you''l need to do a lot of calculations. Do you triple at GCSE?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Anon_98
Physics GCSE is not an accurate representation of the A-level course tbh. At GCSE, it's all science-y and memorizing the books so you can't really go wrong. At A-level you've actually got to understand what's happening to a great level.. otherwise you quite literally can't even attempt the question.
Original post by OGGUS
There's a lot of maths in physics a level and if you don't have at least a grade A in maths i don't think you should do it. In A2 for all three subjects there's AS level maths involved(I checked this on the specifications) I do maths, chemistry and physics. New spec for chemistry and physics. And can surely say that you will need goo maths skills to do physics(at least 40% maths) and for chemistry you''l need to do a lot of calculations. Do you triple at GCSE?
I am doing triple science for GCSE. An A in GCSE Maths is way too unrealistic for me I would be lucky enough to scrap a B.
Original post by Tinka99
I am finding Physics GCSE quite easy, to be honest, and I am doing triple science.
You might want to try looking at some specifications for the exam boards and see the maths you'll actually be doing or go to waterstones or WHSmith and find out by skim reading them if you want to know more.
Original post by Anon_98
Physics GCSE is not an accurate representation of the A-level course tbh. At GCSE, it's all science-y and memorizing the books so you can't really go wrong. At A-level you've actually got to understand what's happening to a great level.. otherwise you quite literally can't even attempt the question.
I second this.
For maths GCSE I got a B and a C. I hated maths and did not think I was good at it and was very surprised I passed, I chose biology and chemistry as 2 of my a levels.
Biology- very simple, no need to worry about this, especially for AS. I have heard A2 becomes more complex but not too bad.
Chemistry- from experience I hated chemistry a level anyway (now dropped it), which may have influenced my view on its maths content. It contained a lot more than I thought which threw me off. In our mock I would say at least 50% was maths calculation based, particularly manipulating formulas.
Biology- very simple, no need to worry about this, especially for AS. I have heard A2 becomes more complex but not too bad.
Chemistry- from experience I hated chemistry a level anyway (now dropped it), which may have influenced my view on its maths content. It contained a lot more than I thought which threw me off. In our mock I would say at least 50% was maths calculation based, particularly manipulating formulas.
AS Biology has percentage increase/decrease, statistical tests like Chi-squared test, etc (However you are not asked to calculate this, only be able to interpret the data from it. You will be asked to calculate it for A2 however)
I can't speak for chemistry as I do not do it
AS Physics is definitely almost 90% maths with the exception of knowledge recall. Even the knowledge recall questions require a degree of maths eg. seeing if a certain order of light is able to exist based on the wavelength of light etc. in diffraction gratings. There is also A LOT of rearranging especially for the practical endorsement.
I can't speak for chemistry as I do not do it
AS Physics is definitely almost 90% maths with the exception of knowledge recall. Even the knowledge recall questions require a degree of maths eg. seeing if a certain order of light is able to exist based on the wavelength of light etc. in diffraction gratings. There is also A LOT of rearranging especially for the practical endorsement.
Original post by Tinka99
I hate GCSE Maths and can't stand it. I plan to take Biology, Chemistry, and Physics next year but I am not too good with Maths and have zero motivation with the subject. How much Maths do the Sciences actually contain at A level?
Biology: Rearranging simple three part equations, percentages and a little bit of statistics in A2.
Chemistry: Rearranging three part equations, five part equations, learning larger equations, percentages again, logarithms, division.
Physics: Very mathsy, I would advise you to avoid unless you are an A grade maths student or above.
Original post by Tinka99
I hate GCSE Maths and can't stand it. I plan to take Biology, Chemistry, and Physics next year but I am not too good with Maths and have zero motivation with the subject. How much Maths do the Sciences actually contain at A level?
The official spec says for the new a levels, biology questions will be 10% maths
chemistry will be 20% maths and physics I expect more
Not to mention that in order for you to progress, you've got to hope that the physics department at your college is of high standard.- Mine wasn't. I can't express how important it is that you have a good set of teachers! I personally don't think that you should put yourself through it. Not just due to the fact that I had a bad experience, but if you know you don't enjoy Maths as well as the fact that you're at a grade C in the subject then Physics will.. be a year of hell and I can tell you that if you don't enjoy what you're studying then motivation is even more difficult to find. - You won't want to revise for it or attend the lessons. Obviously, it might turn out to be the complete opposite and you might be absolutely fab and think it's the best decision you ever made ever but I'd go for something else if I were you. Even the most talented of students I know struggled with it. :'3
Original post by Tinka99
I hate GCSE Maths and can't stand it. I plan to take Biology, Chemistry, and Physics next year but I am not too good with Maths and have zero motivation with the subject. How much Maths do the Sciences actually contain at A level?
Physics is just applied Maths from what I've heard. However, some people can excel in Physics but not in Maths, so it is possible.
The college I was thinking about going to made you do Maths A Level if you were thinking about Physics A Level. Whether or not this was just a way to filter out the people who weren't interested that much and just be left with the mathy people, idk. But it's going to involve quite a bit of Maths.
You'll be fine with the other two though.
I take chemistry, physics, maths, and further maths (currently sitting AS exams) and I find that although chemistry has more maths in it than physics (calculations in general), the maths tends to be harder in physics and at my school you have to take A Level maths if you want to take physics, and I'd agree. The mechanics side of physics requires a certain level of mathematical ability that you need to make sure you can do or you're letting yourself in for a lot of work taking all three sciences
Level of maths in each subject:
Biology: non-existent. At most dividing 2 numbers or multiplying 2 numbers.
I would say that there are more calculation questions in physics than chemistry but the level of difficulty is the same. The only maths you need to know is rearranging equations - that's it. That is literally all the maths you need to know, rearranging equations.
Biology: non-existent. At most dividing 2 numbers or multiplying 2 numbers.
I would say that there are more calculation questions in physics than chemistry but the level of difficulty is the same. The only maths you need to know is rearranging equations - that's it. That is literally all the maths you need to know, rearranging equations.
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