wondering bout course structure... (1 Viewer)

[763259826t35647]

hey all physics nerds!

im bout to start yr 12 and do physics, and am just wondering about the course, so....here goes.

Question1 i) - I know there are 3/4 option modules, one is medical physics and another is astrophysics, but what are the other modules?
i) - How many option modules do you have to know and answer in the test?

Question2 - which option modules are more interesting than the others?

Any help is appreciated as me = really lost bout physics at the moment

Thank you.

 

[Trebla]

You have 3 core modules (everyone across the state does them)
- Space
- Motors and Generators
- From Ideas to Implementation

And ONE of the following option modules (which differs across schools). The Options available are:
- Astrophysics
- Quanta to Quarks
- Medical Physics
- The Age of Silicon

Quanta to Quarks is the most popular option probably because it is the most useful in real modern physics. However, your school usually decides which option you will be studying...

 

[thehootman]

Quanta to quarks really isnt useful at all (unless you plan to continue with pure physics).... I would say medical physics or the age of silicon can be more readily applied to real life.

 

[alcalder]

And ONE of the following option modules (which differs across schools). The Options available are:
- Astrophysics
- Quanta to Quarks
- Medical Physics
- The Age of Silicon

Quanta to Quarks is the most popular option probably because it is the most useful in real modern physics. However, your school usually decides which option you will be studying...

The choice of the option usually depends on the strengths of the Physics teacher. Since more Physics teachers are Phsyics/Chemistry trained, they tend to go for Q2Q because there is a large Chem crossover component. (OR many Physics teachers are actually not primarily physics trained but Chem trained, they feel more comfy in this topic).

Astrophysics is usually taught by physics teachers with Physics/Astronomy training (there are quite a few of them) or at least a passion for astronomy.

Medical Physics is taught, usually, by Physics/Biology trained teachers. There are very few of these and unless the teacher has a passion in that direction, a Physics teacher would not tend to venture into this option.

The Age of Silicon - well Uni physics tends not to cover this topic at all. Being an electrical engineer I would happily do this topic but I am rare (because being Elec Eng trained my degree was/is not considered "pure enough" to do education at Uni - can you believe it!?). I would say only physics teachers who have either training in engineering or electronics or a passion for it as a hobby would not go near this topic with a barge pole.

As for most useful option, it all depends on where you want to go later.

Q2Q is great for going into 2nd year Physics because that is where you do Quantum Physics.
Astro, also good for 2nd year physics because that is where you do it. Don't think there are a lot of jobs going as astronomers, though.
Med Phys, very useful if you want to go into this area.
Age of Silicon, useful for anyone thinking of electronics or Elec engineering or something in that type of industry.

At HSC level, I would say it is best to do the option that you can grapple with the best and your teacher is strongest with in order to maximise your marks in the option section.

 

[helper]

The other option which very few students (I think less than 100 last year) do, that is Geophysics.

The other thing that can come into which options are done is what resources, texts and equipment, schools have available. Geophysics is not covered in any of the standard texts.

Most schools the teacher decides the option. Some schools with mutiple classes let students choose between options and change classes for the option. Other schools let students decide between the topics the teacher is competent is.

A few schools let students do their own option and make them work at the their own pace through it.

The thing that does come up in marking is very few students that go off and do a different option to the rest of the class end up with top marks. They tend to miss subtle points.

 

[Forbidden.]

I do Astrophysics and I have friends who study Quanta to Quarks who wish they could swap with me, they prefer something "more simple" than "interesting".

 

[alcalder]

The other option which very few students (I think less than 100 last year) do, that is Geophysics.

The other thing that can come into which options are done is what resources, texts and equipment, schools have available. Geophysics is not covered in any of the standard texts.

Ah yes, forgot this one. This option mostly taught by teachers with Physics/Geology training. And how many are there of them? Very few, if any. So, it would be taught by physics teachers with a geology passion. I could possibly tackle this one, too, but it would take a lot of preparation on my part as a teacher to get up to speed.

I lament the loss of the old course and half options. There used to be a History of Ideas in Physics option where you could choose two half options from a list - Gravitation, Kinetic Theory, The Nature of Light, Relativity, Atomic Structure. And another option called Physics in Technology with half options of Engineering materials and structures, Automobile Electrical Systems, Physics of Music, Optical Instruments, Photography, Transformation of Energy and Fluid DYnamics. These allowed for so much more scope for students and teachers. Back then there were 5 total core topics and 3 options done over 2 years and all tested at the HSC. A much better course because it did not cut topics in half and pretend that the first half did not matter. SIGH!!