Difficulty of Chem and Phys Modules (1 Viewer)

chwabe

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Hi I'm wondering if there were any specific phys and chem modules that are harder than others and need extra study or tutoring on (for preliminary modules but opinions on hsc modules as well)!

I'm going to be attending tutoring for module 2 of chemistry (quantitative chemistry) but I'm not sure about the rest of the modules. I want to focus on chemistry more than physics, it'll need more work on too i mean i think...I'll probably take tutoring for module 3 and 4 of physics - it seems hard but I don't know if its ACTUALLY hard, so if anyone could share what they thought about the chem and phys modules that would be amazing :D
chem modules:
1- properties and strucutre of matter
2- quantitative chemistry
3- reactive chemistry
4- drivers of reactions
5- equibrilium acid reactions
6- acid base reactions
phys modules:
1- kinematics
2- dynamics
3- waves thermodynamics
4- electricity and magnetism
5- advanced mechanics
6- electromagnetism
7- the nature of light
8- from the universe to the atom
THank you !!
 
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icycledough

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I don't really remember the Year 11 modules (perhaps the Year 12s graduating next year can provide additional input on those), but I'd say out of the Year 12 modules, 7 and 8 were the hardest for me, as they had a lot of theory and difficult concepts to learn.
 

idkkdi

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Hi I'm wondering if there were any specific phys and chem modules that are harder than others and need extra study or tutoring on (for preliminary modules but opinions on hsc modules as well)!

I'm going to be attending tutoring for module 2 of chemistry (quantitative chemistry) but I'm not sure about the rest of the modules. I'll probably take tutoring for module 3 and 4 of physics - it seems hard but I don't know if its ACTUALLY hard, so if anyone could share what they thought about the chem and phys modules that would be amazing :D
chem modules:
1- properties and strucutre of matter
2- quantitative chemistry
3- reactive chemistry
4- drivers of reactions
5- equibrilium acid reactions
6- acid base reactions
phys modules:
1- kinematics
2- dynamics
3- waves thermodynamics
4- electricity and magnetism
5- advanced mechanics
6- electromagnetism
7- the nature of light
8- from the universe to the atom
THank you !!
how hard it is is all about how hard you want to make it for yourself.
you could either get a really fundamental understanding which would take time, or you could just bot out questions that would come up in exams which are usually quite limited.
 

notme123

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personally, I don't think tutoring for phys is necessary at all but it is helpful for chem. I only do phys and didn't do tutoring so I can give some background to those modules:
1. kinematics is not hard but is very very fundamental. quantities such as velocity, displacement, and acceleration are explored here which appear throughout all modules in the syllabus basically. I would take extra care with this module, but it is not very hard. it's also very important for mod 5.
2. dynamics is a bit harder but is nothing impossible. the hardest part I found about it was interpreting force diagrams in terms of newtons laws of motion which I learned how to properly do 2 days before an exam. but again, very fundamental, primarily concepts such as energy, momentum, and work are covered here and appear heavily in subsequent modules. know how to apply energy and momentum conservation as soon as you can because it is a very valuable skill.
3. tbh my teacher didn't cover this module very much as it's probably the most useless in the hsc. Thermo is not in year 12 at all so I'd skip that which I personally did. waves meanwhile are kinda cool but the only relevant things to learn is to know what a standing wave is, inverse square law just in case, know what snells law is in brief detail, the wave equation, and light is a wave. i think you learn about blackbodys in mod 3 but not sure, theyre not very hard tho and first learnt them in mod 7. all these things are needed in mod 7 and 8. not a very hard module unless you're doing harmonics which is useless.
4. this one is pretty integral to mod 6 tbh id learn it thoroughly but just know that hsc will rarely ask questions that are exclusive to this module. it just helps as the foundation for mod 6. also don't bother about ferromagnetism or whatever boring theory there is. just learn the equations and how charges interact in electric fields, even magnetic if you can.
5. this one I found really easy. the hardest part of mod 5 IMO is circular motion as the questions they can ask could be abstract and tricky but thankfully this year there wasn't anything too hard in the hsc. meanwhile, gravity is like an extension of circular but not really. usually, this module is tested by using your knowledge of mods 1 and 2 in terms of work and the quantities of motion.
6. mod 6 starts out easy because it's a recap of mod 4 but new things such as the motor effect shouldn't pose a challenge. the most difficult part of mod 6 for me is electromagnetic induction as the questions they can ask require a very deep knowledge of the content. the calculations are easy but the explanation and experimental questions often throw people off. I know q 10 of the mcq this year made me think for a minute until i got the correct answer. learning about motors and generators is interesting but the hsc won't ask you to give an in-depth dive into them, just know the principles and how they operate i.e. the motor effect, faradays and Lenz's law.
7. this one is interesting cuz up till now 70% of qs would be calculations, but this module is primarily theory. this isn't very hard if you don't go tryhard and memorize every single way to measure the speed of light. i emphasize with this module: STICK TO WHAT THE SYLLABUS SAYS. don't go learning things about experiments and scientists that arent explicitly written in the syllabus such as hertz. this mod isn't very hard it's just theory to memorize and regurgitate. special relativity needs some time to wrap your head around tho.
8. this is by far the most content-heavy module but i actually found it very enjoyable. you start with the origin of the elements which is all astrophysics. again, what I've noticed is that they refrain from students memorizing information to regurgitate paragraphs in the hsc, so don't fret over knowing every era of the big bang. what I would focus on tbh is learning how stars form, interpreting the hertzprung Russel diagram, evidence of an expanding universe. next is the development of the atomic model which takes up 2 sections. not very hard, just learn how each scientist accounted for experimental evidence and maybe 1 or 2 big limitations of each model, knowing niche ones like the Zeeman effect for Bohr's model isn't necessary. nuclear I found a bit hard tbh, to learn concepts such as mass defect and binding energy, etc. nuclear reactors was good to learn but again the theory isn't very hard. the standard model legit had 1 mark this year and about 6 the previous so it's not a very big section. don't go memorizing the spin of each antineutrino or the charges of each quark because in the end it's just a waste of time and the hsc will most definitely provide the info if its needed.
 
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chwabe

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how hard it is is all about how hard you want to make it for yourself.
you could either get a really fundamental understanding which would take time, or you could just bot out questions that would come up in exams which are usually quite limited.
Yeah I want a fundamental/conceptual understanding where I can actually apply my understanding to questions effectively especially for chemistry. Did you have any difficulty or needed more time in any of the modules for chem?
 

chwabe

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personally, I don't think tutoring for phys is necessary at all but it is helpful for chem. I only do phys and didn't do tutoring so I can give some background to those modules:
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE INFORMATION!! :inlove::music: I struggle in grasping new concepts, so I'll probably do tutoring for module 2 of phys TT Once again thank you for taking your time to write abt each module!!
 

chwabe

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I don't really remember the Year 11 modules (perhaps the Year 12s graduating next year can provide additional input on those), but I'd say out of the Year 12 modules, 7 and 8 were the hardest for me, as they had a lot of theory and difficult concepts to learn.
Ahh new concepts in the last 2 mods sounds hardd. Thank you for your input!!
 

dasfas

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Module 6 in Chemistry is the one that is most calculations heavy. To be quite honest, they aren't too bad once you wrap your head around them. They all follow the same sort of step by step process, so once you've grappled with that and understood it, you will be okay.

Module 5 isn't too bad either, but a lot of people struggle with solubility equilibrium. Try to look at some alternative resources to just your teacher/textbook as I find that they often explain it quite poorly. Youtube would be a good place to start.

Module 7 for Chem was terrifying to me initially as I had not attended a week of classes and I came back to them literally showing squiggles on the board and how to name them.

1638270074088.png What even is this!?!

Once again, this is actually very straightforwards, but you need to spend a few days learning the algorithmic process that goes into naming them. I was pretty scared of it initially but after I took the time, I realised it wasn't that bad.

Similarly for module 8, you'll encounter some mean looking graphs. However, they all have the same process of working through them, so it's just a matter of finding a systematic approach and you'll be sweet.

Good luck!
 

chwabe

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Module 7 for Chem was terrifying to me initially as I had not attended a week of classes and I came back to them literally showing squiggles on the board and how to name them.
HAHAAH THISS, squiggles on the boardd sounds fun.
Thank youu, I'll need the good luck :'D
 

may22

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Lol, squiggles on the board....my teacher started with mod 7 and it's actually fun 😂
 

idkkdi

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Yeah I want a fundamental/conceptual understanding where I can actually apply my understanding to questions effectively especially for chemistry. Did you have any difficulty or needed more time in any of the modules for chem?
don't go too deep. it's not worth the effort.
 

icycledough

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Bruh year 12 phys and chem are somehow easier than year 11. Idk how
Seeing that you have only had 1 term of Year 12 chemistry (basing off your profile of 2022 graduation), I'm assuming you would have almost finished Module 5 or started Module 6 (if your school is doing it in order). I'd say those modules are quite manageable. It will definitely be a big step up when you reach Module 7, which is known to be very difficult in terms of the sheer content and remembering the different functional groups. I think by the time you progress quite deep into HSC Chemistry, you may rethink whether Year 12 chemistry is still easier than Year 11.
 

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