AQA Physics PHYA5 - Thursday 18th June 2015 [Exam Discussion Thread]

Yeah they don't seem to think things through :/ ah well, it'll be over soon! I don't get why there's not a set date for the written paper though to be honest, that would cut down on cheating massively?

The first question was presented differently and so I presume people will trip up on that. The thermal was pretty standard, although one of the questions required that you take into account the copper can (if you have done the paper, you'll get what I mean :P ). Other than that, it's slightly harder than average, reflected by the grade boundaries being significantly lower than average.

It would cut it down. People can do it anytime from the 1st to the 15th May at the moment. So those schools doing theirs first are severely disadvantaged!


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Yeah it doesn't seem fair and there's no reason for it to be done that way :/ although seeing as they're scrapping the practical section I guess they aren't changing it now!

To those who have done the June 2014 paper and had it marked, if you didn't understand a particular question or the mark scheme, feel free to ask me about it as I have done this paper, marked it and analysed it.
I do Astrophysics so I cannot answer queries about the other options.

Sorry to be a pain, but would you mind PMing, or emailing me the 2014 papers and mark schemes?

I keep meaning to add them to the first post of each thread!


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I think I'll start off without timing - it'll only add stress!

Here they are, although I'm pretty sure I've added them here before.

AQA-PHYA5-1-QP-Jun14.pdf AQA-PHYA5-1-W-MS-Jun14.pdf
AQA-PHYA5-2A-QP-Jun14.pdf
AQA-PHYA5-2A-W-MS-Jun14.pdf

Yeah I recommend the first one not being timed because unless you are like some sort of super robot thing that spews physics you'll probably end up focussing more on the timing than the actual wording of the questions, knowledge etc...

You have - I do apologise! They just get lost in the thread! That's very kind of you, thank you!


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Understandable! Probably a few hundred posts away by now, wouldn't want to trawl through all that to find them!
Have you added them to resources yet?

How's everyone revising atm? Still reluctant to touch the past papers as theres so few

To be honest I've been prioritising other exams and the EMPA so I haven't really done much on this unit, but unless you're planning on doing all the papers really close together then starting soon is probably a good idea, it's only 6-7 weeks until the exam and you don't want to find a problem with something just a few days before!

How's everyone revising atm? Still reluctant to touch the past papers as theres so few

In a set of questions by PhysicsAndMathsTutor a question states "Discuss the merits to using high energy electrons rather than alpha particles"

I was under the impression both were equally valid and hence there weren't really good and bad comparisons to be made. I know how both work and how the radii are determined, but i don't quite get the idea of benefits and drawbacks.

To be honest I've been prioritising other exams and the EMPA so I haven't really done much on this unit, but unless you're planning on doing all the papers really close together then starting soon is probably a good idea, it's only 6-7 weeks until the exam and you don't want to find a problem with something just a few days before!

Done a few past papers (although with my notes so not under exam conditions).
Need to step it up, although I have CPS (Chronic Procrastinator Syndrome).

Wondering if anyone else also has this :P

Alphas are composed of hadrons so are affected by the strong nuclear force where as electrons are leptons so are not affected by the strong nuclear force.

Also the alpha scattering only measures the closest distance of approach not the radius.

I'm not sure if that answers your question or not but its there anyway

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