Physics Discussions

Lantis · 15-06-2004 1:44pm #1

Any predictions as to what will come up?

One of the two latent heat experiments comes up every year, right?

subway_ie · 15-06-2004 2:06pm

No, they don't come up every year.
Predictions:
Section A:
Q1,2,3,4 will be experiments
Section B:
Q.5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 will have questions about stuff on the syllabus. Q10 will have a part (a) and a part (b), one of which will be on particle physics, the other on applied electricity. Q5 will be broken into 10 parts. Question 12 will be broken into 4.

Smellyirishman · 15-06-2004 2:12pm

I would strongly suggest knowing all the liner motion experiments for part 1 cause they aint been asked yet so.

Other than that im at a loss, just need to pass the damb subject tho

penguincakes · 15-06-2004 2:19pm

My guesses:

spectrometer
measurement of SHC of a liquid
a gravity one?
some electricity one (I haven't done these yet)

subway_ie · 15-06-2004 3:37pm

Originally posted by penguincakes
My guesses:

spectrometer

Please God no. One of the only practicals I just cant't remember. No matter how many times I revise it, I can never reproduce it. It's a work of evil.

DS · 15-06-2004 5:21pm

Just remember all the adjustments and you're fine. Focus telescope on distant object. Adjust length to bring crossthreads into focus. Adjust slit in other thingy to allow a narrow beam of light through. Adjust levelling screws for spectrometer.

oeNeo · 15-06-2004 6:04pm

I hope the question 6 from the sample paper comes up. That question rawks.

Mutant_Fruit · 15-06-2004 6:21pm

Originally posted by subway_ie
No, they don't come up every year.
Predictions:
Section A:
Q1,2,3,4 will be experiments
Section B:
Q.5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 will have questions about stuff on the syllabus. Q10 will have a part (a) and a part (b), one of which will be on particle physics, the other on applied electricity. Q5 will be broken into 10 parts. Question 12 will be broken into 4.

Wow, so accurate yet so useless

Still, i suppose no-one can complain that you predicted wrongly, heh heh heh. Who would have guessed they were asking questions on stuff from the syllabus!

Sarunas · 15-06-2004 6:36pm

After history mis-predictions, i dont want to fsckup physics. So dont waste time on predicting! Just learn as much as possible.

Know every experiment very well, know the formulae, definitions. Do some exam papers and you will be fine.

Great, 2 exams left (phy and engineering). Will start doing/revising/learning physics from tomorrow for 5 full days, 8 hours each.

Cough *should* cough be fine.

subway_ie · 15-06-2004 7:50pm

Originally posted by Mutant_Fruit
Wow, so accurate yet so useless Still, i suppose no-one can complain that you predicted wrongly, heh heh heh. Who would have guessed they were asking questions on stuff from the syllabus!

I know, just don't tell anybody - I got the info from a department insider - top secret stuff. Do ya think I should change my name to InformedBoy?

Great, 2 exams left (phy and engineering). Will start doing/revising/learning physics from tomorrow for 5 full days, 8 hours each.

That's my plan from tomorrow onwards, after Business (sooooooooooooo fecked). Apart from the 8 hour thing. I tried that before, and failed miserably. I think 4 is a bit more realistic. Lots of writing out experiments/definitions/formulae. I've already done all the papers, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go over them again a few more times. I've got my Real World Physics book tp start on, then move onto Less Stress More Success, then onto that uber-revision book (the pink one). It's like the mecca of physics teachers who are always reminiscing about the old course. I figure, after I read through all of those, write down key points/definitions/formulae and go through my exam-paper solutions I should be in a pretty good position. Then I just have to do the same for applied maths from Monday until Thursday...

Sarunas · 15-06-2004 8:24pm

After looking at the papers, i realised in physics, they give large number of extremely tricky questions. Have to watch out and go back to basics.

You mean you studied for a week, 4+ hours each day, and still managed to fail? what subject?

Patrick · 15-06-2004 9:37pm

Considering this is a fairly new course there are a few important areas that haven't appeared yet. My predictions:

Section A

Investigation of relationship between period and length for a simple pendulum and hence calculation of g Measurement of the wavelength of monochromic light Measurement of the speed of sound in air Measurement of specific heat capacity of water by a mechanical or electrical method. There will be an experiment from the Electricity section here too but I dunno which one.

Section B
Gravitation, newtons law g. Proof of kelpers 3rd law.

Possibly sometimes on capacitors?
Also cricital angle stuff hasn't come up as a full question... refractive index etc.

Any other thoughts?

I failed the mock mainly cos i had done nothing. I have been doing alot more since but I'm still kinda worried bout this one :dunno:

subway_ie · 15-06-2004 9:44pm

Originally posted by Patrick
Investigation of relationship between period and length for a simple pendulum and hence calculation of g
Measurement of the wavelength of monochromic light
Measurement of the speed of sound in air
Measurement of specific heat capacity of water by a mechanical or electrical method.
[/list]

I'm fairly sure all of the above have come up at some point... maybe not in section A, but definetly in section B. BTW, if you're ever asked to calculate "g" in section B, you should *always* use the simple pendulum, don't bother with g by freefall.

Mutant_Fruit · 15-06-2004 9:52pm

G by freefall is a helluva lot easier i would have thought. Thats what i would have done.

Patrick · 15-06-2004 9:52pm

I'm fairly sure all of the above have come up at some point... maybe not in section A, but definetly in section B. BTW, if you're ever asked to calculate "g" in section B, you should *always* use the simple pendulum, don't bother with g by freefall.

No I don't believe they have.
I think g by freefall is much easier to remember.

subway_ie · 15-06-2004 9:57pm

Originally posted by Mutant_Fruit
G by freefall is a helluva lot easier i would have thought. Thats what i would have done.

It's alot easier to remember, but apparently the examiners prefer you to use the simple pendulum method, it's more "scientific". If you're stuck then I'm sure g by freefall would probably do... but simple pendulum would be preferable.

No I don't believe they have.

They definetly have somewhere... probably section Bs, possibly in the department sample paper two. I definetly remember doing them when I did all the papers.

Patrick · 15-06-2004 10:55pm

They definetly have somewhere... probably section Bs, possibly in the department sample paper two. I definetly remember doing them when I did all the papers.

Sample paper... exactly! They haven't come up in the LC yet!

PrecariousNuts · 15-06-2004 11:04pm

Originally posted by subway_ie
Please God no. One of the only practicals I just cant't remember. No matter how many times I revise it, I can never reproduce it. It's a work of evil.

They are not specifically allowed ask the spectrometer, some of us have more modern equipment and they must leave the question open

Mutant_Fruit · 16-06-2004 12:32am

It's alot easier to remember, but apparently the examiners prefer you to use the simple pendulum method

To hell with what they prefer, its right, and its easier to remember and do (applied maths makes linear motion formula sooo easy), so i'll do it that way.

people probably think i;m stubborn when they read that, and they'd be right

Mutant_Fruit · 16-06-2004 12:33am

Sorry for double post...

They are not specifically allowed ask the spectrometer, some of us have more modern equipment and they must leave the question open

Hell yes they are!! The spectromator is listed on the course as a requirement, if you can;t use it, you havn't covered the course.

You need to know the use of it, and the standard adjustments for the spectrometer. Thats all really.

DS · 16-06-2004 8:19am

applied maths makes linear motion formula sooo easy

Doesn't applied maths make the whole mechanics area laughably easy? I mean, nothing they can do, circular motion, SHM, linear acceleration, resolving vectors, is going to come remotely close to challenging an honours applied maths student. And the class would be talking to the teacher about how to avoid mechanics and Q6 at all costs. Oh how I laughed.

Mutant_Fruit · 16-06-2004 9:21am

well yes, i suppose if they ask any mechanics related questions i'd be looking at close to full marks (As would any applied maths student). Finally! a use fo applied maths

subway_ie · 16-06-2004 1:36pm

Originally posted by Mutant_Fruit
well yes, i suppose if they ask any mechanics related questions i'd be looking at close to full marks (As would any applied maths student). Finally! a use fo applied maths

Although we did have to do accelerated linear motion, relative velocit, projectiles, impacts and collission, motion of connected particles, simple harmonic/circular motion, statics, hydrostatics, rigid body rotation and differential calculus... Out of all that, the only actual usable part are Newtons three equations and maybe a few circular motion equations.

Smellyirishman · 16-06-2004 2:09pm

OK instead of boasting that your minds are so superior can we start getting with the suggest "must-know"`s for physics?!!

And dont say you " must-know " everythin (knows thats still gonna happen)

subway_ie · 16-06-2004 2:22pm

Originally posted by Smellyirishman
OK instead of boasting that your minds are so superior can we start getting with the suggest "must-know"`s for physics?!!

Who's boasting that their minds are superior?

Smellyirishman · 16-06-2004 2:34pm

I was just kidding

... everyone knows that it is me who is INferior

penguincakes · 16-06-2004 5:50pm

Originally posted by subway_ie
Who's boasting that their minds are superior?

Well if you *need* someone to I'm always available...

Ok physics, right. Well I find that one of the best things to do is to go through the papers & pick out all the little finickity bits that you don't even notice while you're reading through the book (U values anyone? DBA vs DB scales?) & know how to answer questions on them. Don't say "they'll never ask about that" & ignore it, cause once you say that, you've just jinxed yourself & made it 10 times more likely that that particular thing is going to turn up on your paper & lose you your A or B or whatever.

Go through the experiments in detail. Know 2 or 3 precautions to take for each one.

Can anyone teach me how to remember electricity stuff?

Boston · 16-06-2004 5:55pm

Well the option will be there anyway, it doesn't have to be there every year, but they did say it would be on for the first three years of the exam, this being the third it should come up.

Mutant_Fruit · 16-06-2004 6:20pm

Do what i did, and do every question in the book twice. I now know all the electricity chapters

Atreides · 16-06-2004 6:22pm

Originally posted by Mutant_Fruit
Do what i did, and do every question in the book twice. I now know all the electricity chapters

That book is pure ****e, hated it and never used it.

subway_ie · 16-06-2004 6:35pm

Originally posted by Skanger
That book is pure ****e, hated it and never used it.

Real World Physics isn't that bad, it's probably the best leaving cert physics book out right now. There's no point reading through it all now, just stick to your notes. But it did have some nice explanations and was easy enough to follow. Some of the definitions aren't great - but it's generally ok.

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