The advanced physics exam was beneficial for those students who diligently studied and practised using previous exam papers, according to educators. Pat Doyle, a physics tutor at the Institute of Education, commented that the extensive range of questions covered the entire syllabus, ensuring that students’ efforts were not in vain.
The paper reflected consistency in a straightforward way, mirroring the result of the subject’s consistency since 2002. “The key aspects of the paper involved principles, abilities and questions which have been consistently addressed, practised and reviewed during the senior cycle. This paper will be a satisfying completion of their studies to date for those who truly engaged with the subject,” Doyle remarked.
Furthermore, Doyle noted that the wide selection of questions enabled students of all stages to demonstrate their knowledge aptly. This year’s paper appropriately adhered to the Leaving Certificate syllabus, mentioned John Conneely, the ASTI representative for physics.
Students were given ample opportunities to rely on their practical laboratory experiences, Conneely revealed. Although there were minor unexpected elements and fluctuations on the paper, it also had its colourful moments, observed Doyle.
Some questions were tougher and more probing than initially expected, such as the popular question six which started Section B and included short queries. This might have deterred some students, but there were other feasible options to tackle instead. Additionally, students may have revised their strategies for the paper.
In question eight, magnetism and sound were separately dealt with, interrupted only by a small connecting reference to avoid confusion. The question might have made some students pause due to unfamiliar phrasing, like the mention of a ‘moving coil speaker’, but the gist was recognisable.
Question 11 presented challenges for many students, especially those seeing it for the first time. The phrasing potentially complicated the understanding of those trying to navigate it under time pressure. However, a similar question from 2004 could be found amongst past papers, making this question a simple déjà vu for those who had reviewed it thoroughly in class, noted Doyle.
In the midst of the discontent that has circulated among science teachers, one of them, Mr Conneely has expressed his apprehensions over the delay by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in launching the compulsory list of experiments for the upcoming senior cycle syllabus.
Mr Conneely emphasised that students had ample windows of opportunities previously to polish their hands-on skills in the laboratory. There were a variety of questions available from a well-organised and current list of obligatory experiments, which provided clear guidance on the applied work required from the physics course for students, educators, and school directors. However, he noted with regret that these compulsory experiments were not a part of the new drafts for the Leaving Certificate physics specifications.
The ASTI subject representative for chemistry, Mary Mullaghy, stated the day before that she, along with her fellow colleagues, is expectant that the NCCA would generate a list of required experiments for the forthcoming chemistry syllabus.
For an at-home experiment, consider this question, taken from the Leaving Certificate physics exam for advanced level:
Q14 (i) What is the law of conservation of energy?
(a) In accordance with the concept of the competition ‘Ireland’s Fittest Family’, where different families engage in various fitness challenges showcasing practical applications of physics. Consider a man participating in a race that necessitates sliding from a lifted horizontal platform and down a slide 2.4 meters long. The slide is placed in an angle of 32° extending from the platform, ending 90cm above the water level vertically.
(ii) Determine how high the platform is from the surface of the water.
(iii) The man sets off from a standstill position. What will his speed be upon reaching the water, assuming zero friction on the slide.