!! Physics HL LC '16 - Predictions, guesses, discussion, etc.

123zxc

predictions???

Brian_R

This year I could see things like hookes law / simple harmonic motion, semiconductors, and electromagnetism coming up in the long questions, fairly sure none of them came up since like 2010 as long questions apart from q 12.

Think there might not be a full long question on nuclear physics as it's come up every year for a good while aswell.

Possibly a heat long question? Last time it came up was 2011

malnurtured

A is proportional to f, equilibrium, g by freefall, heat, V is proportional to I experiments.

Hopefully nuclear/modern features heavily, although it may get relegated to a Q12 part this year after a good run (which I would hate... best part of the course!). Can see a tricky long question for heat coming up along with some waves stuff. Think optics will be minor this year but that's more out of hope than anything else. Hard mechanics question is inevitable.

I'm sticking with Q5, Q11 (particle phys), Q12, modern physics if it comes up, heat if it's good, and maybe waves. Electricity qs are hit and miss, same with electromagnetism. Haven't done optics, mechanics is turning into applied maths so I stray away from that.

adam240610

Diode in forward/reverse diode for experiment question, reasonable chance it'll come up and it's a fairly tricky one if you don't know it.

aon1998

It's extremely unlikely that there wouldn't be a full question on nuclear.

Gahv

Light and Sound:
Experiments;
1. to find focal length of concave mirror/convex lens
2. to show the variation of the frequency of a string in a sonomter with length /and tension

Theory;
Doppler Effect

Electricity
Experiments;
1. Joules Law
2.Voltage vs Current- wire/filament bulb/ionic solution / diode

Theory;
1.Electric cicuit- Wheatstone bridge, Proofs for resistors in series and parallel
2.possibly a Q12 on Semiconductor diodes (p-n junctions)

Modern Physics
Theory;
1. The nucleus: Half-life activity. Fission/fusion

Particle physics
1.Pair productionand annihilation
2.Particle Zoo

Heat
Theory;
likely a whole Q7, energy problem or how a freezer works including diagram.

Mechanics
Experiments;
1.find acceleration due to gravity by freefall/pendulum

TomDelahunt

I plan on doing the following general topic questions
1) Mechanics Experiment
2) Light experiment
4) Electricity experiment

5) Short answer questions
6) Mechanics Question
9/11) Modern Physics
10) Option of Particle Physics
12) A- hopefully a nice Mechanics
D- Modern physics (Either Nuclear or Electon whichever doesn't show up for a full)

Then Heat if it shows up to fill in for one of the above that might not show.
As you can see i stay away from sound and light as much as i can at the moment but i plan to look over them now. That's my ideal paper!

adam240610

I'll probably do four experiments and six long questions, probably avoiding a sound question, otherwise I'll take pretty much anything

TomDelahunt

If you have the time to do an extra question would it be advised to do the other Section A or one of the remaining section Bs? is there even a simple way to answer this or would you all assume its whatever question you like most? (or at this stage whichever one you hate the least)

adam240610

TomDelahunt wrote: »

If you have the time to do an extra question would it be advised to do the other Section A or one of the remaining section Bs? is there even a simple way to answer this or would you all assume its whatever question you like most? (or at this stage whichever one you hate the least)

I wouldn't recommend it unless your satisfied you got the other questions perfect first, only do an extra if you have enough time and you've gone over everything you have done and double decker you have answered everything.

Experiments only take ten minutes so probably that first anyways

TMJM96

TomDelahunt wrote: »

If you have the time to do an extra question would it be advised to do the other Section A or one of the remaining section Bs? is there even a simple way to answer this or would you all assume its whatever question you like most? (or at this stage whichever one you hate the least)

Only attempt an extra question if you're 100% satisfied with the questions you have already answered.

It's nice to have a backup question in Section B. Most of the times students do quite well in Section A due to how experiments are repeated (there are only 24, right?). Only attempt an extra question if you're dissatisfied with how you answered a previous question. You'll get the marks for whatever gives you more marks. The same goes for question 12 which has 4 parts, we were always told to do 3 so we all did 3. It's just nice to have back ups.

LC Physics offers nice choice. Last year I was able to avoid all of Heat and all of Mechanics and was still able to answer the paper fully.

TomDelahunt

Yes definitely going to be doing 3/4 for 12 and hopefully take a stab at all short answers! I'm feeling confident enough and i can get questions done in the given time so if i have time and am happy ive answered each to the best i can, i'll probably take your advice and do a section B question!

Seaaan

My teacher reckons a vs f, pendulum, free fall, I V graph one and a question on radioactivity..

I always just answer 11 questions? You have 3 hours it's heaps of time, better safe than sorry

Hana98

Does anyone think the calibration curve of a thermometer using labaratory mercury as a standard will come up? It hasn't come up yet. So I'm sort of worried.

lc16_

Hana98 wrote: »

Does anyone think the calibration curve of a thermometer using labaratory mercury as a standard will come up? It hasn't come up yet. So I'm sort of worried.

If it hasnt appeared on the paper yet, the chances for it to come up are very high.
I wouldn't leave it out.

TomDelahunt

lc16_ wrote: »

If it hasnt appeared on the paper yet, the chances for it to come up are very high.
I wouldn't leave it out.

Didn't notice this! Going to have a look at it now! Cheers.

bookworm20

Is a long question on electricity definitely coming up ?

TooMuchWork

bookworm20 wrote: »

Is a long question on electricity definitely coming up ?

Yeah, no way would they leave out such a big part of the course.

bookworm20

Im definitely avoiding anything to do with electricity. Im curious, why do so many people not like sound questions? I myself would be happy to see a sound question on the paper 😉

TooMuchWork

bookworm20 wrote: »

Im definitely avoiding anything to do with electricity. Im curious, why do so many people not like sound questions? I myself would be happy to see a sound question on the paper 😉

Really, even applied electricity? I find electricity does be easily marked due to not many people wanting to attempt it.

As for sound, I haven't really covered it since fifth year, so it wouldn't be as fresh in my mind.

bookworm20

TooMuchWork wrote: »

Really, even applied electricity? I find electricity does be easily marked due to not many people wanting to attempt it.

As for sound, I haven't really covered it since fifth year, so it wouldn't be as fresh in my mind.

I didnt think anyone even studied applied electricity, It looks real complicated.

TooMuchWork

bookworm20 wrote: »

I didnt think anyone even studied applied electricity, It looks real complicated.

My physics teacher has a degree in electrical engineering so he chose to do it. The questions are extremely repetitive!

Haemoglobin

Is physics hard for the leaving lads? Need some advice

TooMuchWork

Haemoglobin wrote: »

Is physics hard for the leaving lads? Need some advice

It'd be one of the easier ones. Only usually one heavily mathematical question (out of 8 questions) so it can be avoided. Lots of physics is just understanding how things work.

bookworm20

Haemoglobin wrote: »

Is physics hard for the leaving lads? Need some advice

Kinda yea

Haemoglobin

TooMuchWork wrote: »

It'd be one of the easier ones. Only usually one heavily mathematical question (out of 8 questions) so it can be avoided. Lots of physics is just understanding how things work.

Thanks for the info!! I'm not the best at maths, (got a C in higher level JC) would that be a disadvantage to not be the 'mathsy' kind?

Haemoglobin

bookworm20 wrote: »

Kinda yea

What's the hardest part would you say?

TooMuchWork

Haemoglobin wrote: »

Thanks for the info!! I'm not the best at maths, (got a C in higher level JC) would that be a disadvantage to not be the 'mathsy' kind?

I got a C in higher level JC too, and I'm aiming for a B in physics this year

bookworm20

Electricity and magnetism, mechanics can aslo be pretty hard if youre not mathsy. Picking up applied maths would really help u with the mathematical aspect of physics. There is ALOT of overlap.

Haemoglobin

TooMuchWork wrote: »

I got a C in higher level JC too, and I'm aiming for a B in physics this year

bookworm20 wrote: »

Electricity and magnetism, mechanics can aslo be pretty hard if youre not mathsy. Picking up applied maths would really help u with the mathematical aspect of physics. There is ALOT of overlap.

Thanks for the help guys, I'm already doing biology and chemistry, I'm thinking of switching Home ec for physics because I want to do engineering

sd97

Can anyone tell me does Ohms law come up as a Section A question and if so what year is it in?