Physics

Examination Board: AQA

Why study Physics?

Some things are big things, like galaxies. Some things are small things, like quarks. Physics not only allows you to measure and predict the behaviour of both of these entities, but everything in between. As Isaac Newton nearly said, ‘being good at Physics is about standing on the shoulders of giants and looking that little bit further’, and in A-level Physics we get to meet those giants, and view the world from their perspective. Within the first term of A-level Physics it is possible for students to ask questions to which there are yet no answers, either within or beyond the A-level specification. If you want to ask those big questions, and in the future do your bit towards answering them, then Physics is for you. If you want to express your creativity with the prospect of clear rights and wrongs then Physics is for you. If you want to exercise logic, and be guided by intuition, then Physics is for you.
If you want an A-level that is very highly regarded, challenging, and provides a range of transferrable, and desirable, skills, then Physics is for you.

Modern life relies on Physics in many ways. The ubiquitous internet can only function by the extreme levels of control exerted over light and electrons by devices that Physics bring to life. The success of mobile phones relies on only two things, Physics and the human need for social interaction. Many branches of medicine rely on the production and detection of sound, electromagnetic or nuclear radiation, all of which demand the input of physicists. Almost all engineering around the world is just Physics with more money, and a deliverable outcome. All of these applications of Physics, while handy to have and great achievements in their own right, don’t express the fundamental enjoyment of looking at the world through the lens that Physics gives you.