Physics

A Level Physics helps students understand the laws that govern the universe - from the smallest particles to the largest galaxies.

It develops deep analytical thinking, problem-solving and mathematical reasoning, making it one of the most respected scientific subjects for university and career pathways.

What you will study

• Measurements and their errors (practical work, prefixes, basic maths, uncertainties)
• Particles and radiation (atoms, radiation, particle model, antiparticle, quarks and leptons, photoelectric effect, wave particle duality
• Waves (progressive waves, stationary waves, superposition, interference, light waves)
• Mechanics and Materials (scalars and vectors, moments, Newton's laws, motion in a straight line, momentum, work and energy, materials)
• Electricity (current, voltage resistance, resistivity, potential dividers, semiconductors, EMF)
• Further Materials and Thermal Physics (circular motion, SHM, resonance, ideal gas laws, Kinetic theory)
• Fields and their Consequences (fields, gravitational fields, electric fields, capacitance, transformers)
• Nuclear Physics (Rutherford scattering, alpha, betta and gamma, radioactive decay, E=mc2 , fusion and
• fission)
• Astrophysics (telescopes, classification of stars, stella evolution, cosmology, Big Bang and Hubble's law, exoplanets and quasars)

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Next steps – where might it lead?

Studying Physics can lead to degrees such as:

• Physics
• Engineering
• Computer Science
• Data studies
• Mathematics and finance
• Healthcare

What experience and skills will you gain?

You'll develop a broad set of transferable and career-ready skills, including:

• High-level mathematical skills including logarithms, modelling, vectors and data handling
• Strong analytical reasoning through interpreting experimental results, graphs and scientific models
• Practical confidence: designing experiments, using oscilloscopes, lasers and data loggers, and analysing uncertainty
• Critical problem-solving skills used in engineering, physical sciences and computing

Future careers – where might this take you?

Graduates can pursue careers such as:

• Academic researcher (£26,000-£72,000)
• Engineer (£23,000-£170,000)
• Astronomer (£23,000-£90,000)
• Data Analyst (£23,000-£65,000)