This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Physics at a ridiculous level now.

Reply 40

xinolisss

10

studyboy

Then there's only 1 thing, you are good in Physics. So we don't see eye to eye because I'm not as smart! :p:

I say I must agree with PsychicPotato, I'm in A2 as well, and I find physics SOOO much easier than chemistry, it might be because our chemistry teacher know less about chemistry than we do, but still, Physics for me is definately easier than Chemistry. Also chemistry has always been know for being tougher, even in our exams we get more time to do the chemistry papers than our physics papers. I do CIE physics and Chemistry and for the structured papar in AS and A2, you get 15 extra minutes for chemistry, and the syllabus content and number of questions in each of the papers from the two subjects are the same... so...

Reply 41

PsychicPotato

studyboy

Then there's only 1 thing, you are good in Physics. So we don't see eye to eye because I'm not as smart! :p:

Eh I'm not, actually, I don't find it "easy", I just find it easier than the other subjects because I suck horribly at Chemistry.

Reply 42

iceman_jondoe

18

Quite a few of the people i knew who did physics and chem found chem harder than physics back when i was doing A2

Reply 43

turgon

11

Whilst I agree that physics as a subject is relatively straightforward, the exams are horrible. Take unit 1 (Edexcel). The boundary for an A has been in the region of 42/60 in the past few years - 70% - compare that to say AQA chemistry, which rarely has an A boundary below 80% raw marks. As to whether the papers have gotten easier or harder over the years - I'd say harder. The earlier papers had many more 5 marker questions in which you could simply learn an experiment beforehand; the rest was just using maths. In newer papers all the examiners seem to do is try and catch you out in every bloody question.

Reply 44

munim

6

Well I'm doing AS Physics and Chemistry! I don't like physics, just because when I go to apply what I know, I get it all wrong. Chemistry is more second nature to me. However, I am with Edexcel in both subjects. I do find that the Chemistry exams are longer than the physics. I really do wish it were the other way. Anyways, I think it just depends on what your strong point is. :P

Munim.

Reply 45

Aksan

11

I'm doing A2 physics and chemistry and let me say I find chemistry FAR easier. It may have something to do with the fact that my physics teachers are way worse than my chemistry teachers though. :frown:

Reply 46

motiv3

9

To be honest, the application of maths in a-level physics for AQA physics is pretty much non at all...simple standard form, maximum is x10-9 so far and also simple re-arranging of formula. Thats all ive encountered so far but i know ill be doing vectors and other mechanical aspects come module 2.

Those who say they find one subject easier than another, this could be due to personal capabilities e.g. if ur a maths genius ofc ur gonna find maths easy...but also the teachers themselves. They play such a huge role in your attitude towards the subject. Horrible teacher, horrible attitude thus you feel you cannot handle it. I personally, prefer chemistry to physics. Why? Because i feel that when i do the content i seem to naturally be able to grasp it and understand it faster than i do for physics. Both my teachers have superb attitudes towards their subjects, espically physics teacher that will go on about a particular aspect of physics such as when we asked him if superman could really fly at the speed of light lol.

But as others have mentioned, physics isn't meant to be hard if you apply yourself and take time to understand the fundamentals. Without the bricks you cannot build a house, same for everything in life. Can't run until you walk.

However, must agree that the content is getting 'dumbed down'. Big wake up call from what ive heard from the january 2008 A-lvl exams. People were really blown away by new wording and how they approached questions such as naming axis on graphs. To be honest is the new people who have replaced the old people who wrote the tests and moved onto new syllabus (spelling i know :P). BRING THEM BACK I SAY FOR JUNE 08 ;P

Reply 47

WokSz

17

xinolisss

I've not done Edexcel Physics so I am not able to talk about that, but I can assure you that in CIE I've done AS physics chemistry and maths, and the toughest of those three is definitely chemistry, and then phyics and maths are tied second place. Really physics is not THAT difficult, but AS level physics does require you to have a different (and higher) level of understanding than (I)GCSE.

But CIE and the English examination boards are world's apart. So, comparing them would be doing injustice to either one of them.

Reply 48

studyboy

13

WokSz

But CIE and the English examination boards are world's apart. So, comparing them would be doing injustice to either one of them.

Agreed!

Reply 49

turgon

11

motiv3

To be honest is the new people who have replaced the old people who wrote the tests and moved onto new syllabus (spelling i know :P). BRING THEM BACK I SAY FOR JUNE 08 ;P

Yeah, our teacher told us a few weeks back the exam in January was different because there was a new examiner for Unit 1 (Edexcel). If only he told us before...

Reply 50

logic123

OP

I think that on the whole, physics on the whole is a harder subject. I agree that these newer physics papers, from 2004 onwards, some questions have been known to catch you out. Its evident, 70% for an A in physics while no other subject hardly drop below 80%. I dont think you need to be gifted at the subject to be good at it, but i think the resources for physics need developing as other subjects have great materials and resources.Ironically for physics theres seems to be material lacking especially for those students who aim high like myself.

Reply 51

harr

15

studyboy

One of the past years actually requested us to draw and describe an experiment of Charles Law, in Unit 1!! Can you imagine that??

Yes.

Reply 52

silent ninja

19

logic123

I think that on the whole, physics on the whole is a harder subject. I agree that these newer physics papers, from 2004 onwards, some questions have been known to catch you out. Its evident, 70% for an A in physics while no other subject hardly drop below 80%. I dont think you need to be gifted at the subject to be good at it, but i think the resources for physics need developing as other subjects have great materials and resources.Ironically for physics theres seems to be material lacking especially for those students who aim high like myself.

Get yourself a good textbook then. This is awesome.

Reply 53

J242

I can see why for some people the more recent exams might seem more difficult. I think Edexcel are trying to move away from demanding any complicated mathematics from the candidate, since it's a physics paper rather than a maths one. In the past, there were some questions that required the use of complicated maths that were worth quite a lot of marks. So if you're good at maths, then maybe it's slightly more difficult without those questions. They're asking more questions that require you to explain certain concepts, but the problem here is that Edexcel are so picky about the wording that even if you have the right idea, you might not get full marks.

I get the whole argument about 'it's physics not maths so lets not have really hard maths questions', but the thing is that physics is based on maths. So if they're trying to teach us how to be good physicists, then taking away those difficult maths questions makes no sense at all.

Reply 54

Orange Juice

Well it is 2001.. the syllabus has most likely changed (or made easier) since then.

Get papers from 2004-2008, that'll give you better expectations of what the paper will be like. If you've run out of papers, try getting them from a different board

Reply 55

jam12

1

I've never got used to Physics. I'm currently doing AQA in my A2 year and am dreading seeing my physics grade on the 6th march. Last year I got 2 D's and only because of 80/90 in my mod 1, my overall grade was a middle/high C.

The exam just done was another pain in the ***. Although it wasn't just me, nearly everyone else said it was nasty.

All the people I've asked who are doing the three sciences, say that Biology is the easiest. Then its between Chem and Physics. Imo, for me Chem is quite easy compared to Physics. The damn physics exam writers expect you to know each sentence in the sylabus to high understanding - extensive at times. :mad:

Physics at a ridiculous level now.

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you